Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-06-25
Southern Sentiment.
Silver Tongued Ellis ON Gen. Han,

Silver TOnguod Ellis ON Gen. Hancock.
Hon. E. John Ellis, congressman from
Louisiana, thus discoursed to an Enquire,
reporter concerning Gen. Hancock prior tt
his nomination by the Cincinnati conven
ton. General Hancock will be nomi
mated, elected, and will take his seat. The
very mention of his name will Indicate to
the Republican party that we mean bus''
ness and do not intend to be cheated out
of the fruits of our victory. General Han
cock has strong support from twenty states
He will be strong upon the first ballot, and
will grow stronger with each vote until he
is declared the nominee"
"But many Democrats declare that they
don't want a mere soldier" "Mere sol
dier,' said Mr.. Ellis, "Hancock's record
as civil ruler is far more glorious than
his soldierly record, grand and shining
though it is. While senators and supreme
judges have Meorized about government,
Hancock has gouerned. No American,
living or dead, has so briefly and tersely
announced the dual principles of our con-
stitutiOnal system as this 'mere soldier
in single general order. His rule in the
states of Louisiana and Texas was a per-
feet illustration of the principles of our
government practically applied. His SOL
dierly sword aided to sustain the national
supremacy and the integrity of the union,
and his civil rule declared the immortal
and undying existence of the states with
all their constitutional rights.
"But it is being used against Hancock
that he is Catholic, and was a member
of the commission that tried and executed
Mrs. Surratt. - "Well, +" said Mr.. Ellis,
"there is no accounting for the ignorance
of men and the ways of the politicians. 1t
would be no discredit to Hancock if he
were Catholic. but the truth is, that he
is communicate of the Protestant Epis-
copal church. Every body knows that
Hancock was not a member of the CON-
mission that tried Mrs. Surratt. At the
time of her murder he was commanding
the military division in which Washington
was included. Gen. Augur commanded the
department. The military commission that
tried Mrs. Surratt appointed its own
hangman, who was General Hartranft,
ex-governor of Pennsylvania. No, no.
General Hancock did all he could to save
Mr.. Surratt. He obeyed the writ of
habeas corpus issued in her behalf by
Judge Wylie, and left the court only by
permission of the judge, after exhibiting
the peremptOry order of Andrew johnson
suspending the writ of fhabeas corpus in the
District of Columbia. He tried to obtain
an interview for Mrs. Surratt with Presi-
dent johnson, and when the day of cxecu-
ton came General Hancock stationed
line of couriers from the executive man.
sion to the place of execution, in order
that the hoped-for reprieve might be in
stantly communicated. | would be
ashamed to defend General Hancock from
the charge of completely with Mrs. Sur
rats murder.
"Such charges only show to what des-
perate resorts his opponents are driven to
tarnish his illustrious record. No man of
truth and ordinary intelligence could
make the charge"
"TO what candidate will Hancock's
strength 60 if he is out of the race %
queried the reporter.
General Hancock's friends have not
thought of second choice. They will
stick to him, and they look for his tri-
umphant nomination on the third or
fourth ballot