Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-05-27
Hancock I'm Texas.
From the N. o. Picayune.

From the N. o. Picayune.
We cannot better illustrate the great
popularity of Gen. Hancock in Texas,
the high esteem in which he is held
throughout the State, and the un.
bounded gratitude felt toward him
by every true hearted Texan for his
noble defence of their constitutional
rights, than by republishing the follow
ing eloquent speech OF Ex-Governor
n-delegate. elect to Cincin.
nati-in the Democratic Convention
held at Galveston on the Goth of last
month:
81 know no man more devoted to
the Democratic party than Mr.. Thur.
man. He could carry New York Just
as easy and perhaps more easily than
Mr.. Tilden. But we must regard it as
question of policy. We have a right
to look over the whole field and deter.
mine who is the man to lead. We
have Mr.. Bayard, and there is no great.
er man than he in our country. We
could all support him. He presents
the knightliest plume that was ever
presented, but is he the man to lead us
now? ask, is he the man to lead ?
Sir, there are thousands in this land
who claim to belong to the Democratic
party who will say, cannot support
Btyard he is too strong on the tinan.
cial question: We have to mediate
upoh this question. We have to deter
mine who shall lead and lead best,
therefore ask you and put to you the
question to-day. You must determine
the question to-day, who is the man,
and where is the man to be found able
to lead us in this hour of supreme
peril Any OF these great men we can
follow. Not one of them but we can
follow; but let me say to you, but not
to urge you to follow my advice unless
it should accord with your own conyic.
tions. | say TO you there is one man
who has not been mixed up with con-
gressional chickering's and contests, one
who has not been connected with any
of the factions in the Democratic party
of the great State of New York, who
has no hard or soft money record.
That man to day stands the highest
above all other men in the hearts of
the American people, North, South,
East and West, and that man is Han.
cock. Applause. Who is there Of
any and all our great men that can
point TO any achievement of his life with
as much pride as he can to that letter
he wrote to Governor Pease? When
we shall all be numbered with the
dead when succeeding ages shall follow
along the path of time when the fu
ture historian shall record this event in
our history, the name of Hancock shall
be handed down to posterity as one of
the greatest in the annals of time, that
of man who was warrior, and yet
who believed that the military should
be subservient 10 the civil powers of
the country. When the military pow.
ers and military courts martial were
trying our people, when the department
of Louisiana and Texas were under his
control and he was appealed to by one
who should have been a better friend
of Texas to empower a military commits
sion to try our citizens for otfenses, he
spurned the application and said that
the reconstruction laws allowed him to
appoint military commissions, order
courts martial, wipe out your grand
juries and appoint Federal military
officers under him to try and condemn
the citizen. lie said that he could
appoint these officers to sit upon the
lives and liberties OF the people. God
forbid that should exercise that pow
er. believe in the law and the Con-
stitution that was dyed in the blood OF
the fathers of 'T6. God forbid their
sacrifices should be unavailing. Madi.
son, Jefferson and Washington and the
fathers who bled and who consecrated
that Constitution by every word and
every principle in that Constitution, all
forbid me to exercise that power. You
have law and q Constitution and let
them try offenses according to the laws
of the State. Where is the man in the
great North, West, or East who has
shown himself so devoted to law, order
and the Constitution as Hancock did in
that hour of the distress OF our people?
Where is the man, Republican, Demo.
crat or Greenbacker, who can forget the
noble words of this great military
chieftain? Applause. Who else can
lead us on to victory more certainly
than Hancock? In my judgment no
such man is in our party. We should
carry Pennsylvania and how can we do
it with any other man than Hancock
lie is the only living hope to carry
Pennsylvania. You will find there will
be sympathy for your cause with Han.
cock for your leader that will penetrate
the hearts of thousands of the North.
ern soldiers. As you have been told,
Hancock was a man who was with the
soldier in front of his men, that he
was the idol of those Northern troops
as he has been the idol or the liberty
loving people throughout this country
since he defended us in our liberties.
Let US come up with solid front to his
support; let us accord honor to other
chiefs who should have honor accorded
to them, but let us say to them that we
believe Hancock is the man TO lead us
to victory" Applause.