National Republican., 1880-10-06
GRANT ON HANCOCK.
The EI-PresIdenrs Views OF HanCOck's
Administration In Louisiana.
The Statements Mainly Correct, but
Not Clearly Expressed.
Another Interview with General Grant.

Another Interview with General Grant.
CHICAGO. Oct. 5.--The Tatcr. Ocean tomorrow
will publish the following interview with Con-
oral Grant respecting the interview with Dr.
g. N. Fowler, published this morning: "rhc
reported Interview" said General Grant,
"though II is In most respects correct, contains
also many mistakes aud makes me say things
IN way not intended and use some language
that ala not employ. The facts are these
Dr. Fowler called at my house In company
with Mr.. Cramb to pay his respects, and the
conversation turned upon politics. talked
freely without mspcctlnz for moment that
the conversation was ever 10 be published.
Some time after DR.. Fowler, on whose mind
tho conversation had made some i'm
preston, wrote TO mo saying he de-
sired 10 publish II II I did not object.
] replied, saying would rather this would
not bo done until one Of our speakers who
had the same facts aud was verifying them
ffom tho hles Of tho war department, had
made thom public; that MS he was preparing
the facts carefully II would hardly bo fair TO
anticipate him. That might imply permits
sion TO Dr. Fowler to publish his report OF tho
eonversation whom the speaker alluded to had
made the speech. have not noticed that he
has yet made II, but he probably has, or DR..
Fowler would not have published this article
Reporter--Wherein Is the statement OF DIR.
Fowler Incorrect, generalp
General Grant-It Is inac urate In many
respects He reports me, for instance, ms fol-
lows: Down 10 1864 no (Hancock) seemed
like man ambitious TO do his duty NJ IN OFF,
Ger, but In 1864, when Mcclellan was nomi-
mated, Hancock received ono vote, aud that
greatly excited and changed him. lie was so
delighted that ho smiled all over. 1t crazed
him. Before that we got on well. After that
ho would hardly speak 60 me. was working
TO enforce the laws Of congress. and he was
working for the presidency. Perhaps he
thought / did not praise him enough but
anyway no hardly spoke to mo.
said substantially that up to 1864 l didn't
suppose Hancock had thought OF the presi.
dency, but at the democratic convention OF
that year he got vote, not one vote, as DR.,
Fowler has II, which makes mo imply that he
got tho support of but one delegate. aud
from that timo he has had tho presidential
bee in his bonnet. When me. him after.
ward his smile was so broad that you could
almost see II when his back was turned. do
not know that ! said he thought did not
praise him enough, though possibly that may
be the fact Hancock is pan who likes TO
hear himself praised and sometimes com.
planned that ho was not complimented highly
Enough
Reporter How about his promotions2
General Grant, stated to DR.. Fowler that
Hancock was promoted to be brigadicr aud
maior.general IN the regular army on my
recommendation. ! recommended him and
Sheridan at the Same time 1lancock's ap'
pOintmcnt was made rs once, but Sheridan's
was delayed for a time. Ono of Hancock
promotions was made after the war, and
think il was after tho Chicago convention
that lao was made q brgadier. When roc
ommondcd him ior mnjorgeneral le had been
very cold toward me and hadn't spoken to me
At II -. ia,
matter, unless ho thought had not consulted
him in making his assignments toIluty. When
promoted he wrote me q manly letter, In which
le said substantially that he believed he was
entirely indebted 10 me for II, though he had
thought was not willing to do him justice
This convinced him that he had been mis-
taken. lie was made q maior.general when
was made general. DIR. Fowler does not gel
hold OF the points about order No. 40 correctly
BY tho various reconstruction acts congress
for consistenoy's sake, suppose stripped m'
of all authority over the district commander
bn their civil duties except In the matter o.
Tho appointment and removal OF civil ohlcer
in the reconstructed states, As was senior
my authority was superior TO others. DR.. Fow
1erquotes me as saying that the Louisiana lcgis
lature passed n law authorizing the issue o.
81 100000 of lovoe bonds. This may have
said, but If did II was u mistake, the amount
being $4,000,000. In regard TO the statement
also that tho Louisiana commissioners agreed
Ia pay Reyerdy Johnson and other lawyer
$780, stated what,I understood, aud not
fnct within my own personal knowledge. Th'
next paragraph OF DIR. Fowler's report Is wid
of the mark. / am made to say he (Presi
don't Johnson) called Hancock to Washington
to instruct him In defeating tho laws OF con
gress." l of course do not know why johnson
called Hancock. could only surmise. / know
Hancock came. A mistake also occurs In tn
following paragraph, wherein j am made L
Say "he (llancock) went south aud removes
the governor and commissioners tina
General Sheridan had appointed. i Instant.
telegraphed him not 10 appOint TO ofhce an!
man who had boon removed, aud to give hi
reasons by mall for removing tho mon. Whel
Hancock went south l published an ordo
prohibiting him from appointing anybody L
office who had been removed by his predecss
sor. THIS, suppose, ho did not Ike, but m
object was TO prevent the possibility OF th
men being put IN place who had arranged 10
the negotiation u those bonds, even for ON
hour. l had intended TO tell Hancock Al
about 1t as / bad johnson, but seeing durn
my interview with him that h
was pot disposed to listen to m
dvice | did not tell him. Afier he hnd beo
down south some time he made pretty cloa
sweep OF the officers who had been appOinle
by General Sheridan. / then telcgraphed /
him to suspend his orders Of removal aud ro
port TO me by mail, There was an order ca
listing, If remember Alright, prohibiting tll
hse OF the telegraph when the mail coul
be employed. HO replied In very Ion
dispatch, costing, IL l remember correctly
about $3.50. l Informed him ] was not salts
fed but ii he had any further reasons 10 com
munioate to do so by mail. He again repliet
by telegraph, but gave nothing new, say
Ing simply that his usefulness would he de
sroyed II he was not left free to act. and tha
unless he WAS left FREQ to act lac should ask &
be relieved / ordered him TO revoke hi
OrdGr-making removals and TO make no nor,
He then asked TO be relieved aud l relloyo
him. i always regarded his mere declaration
~ order No, 40 that tue military should b
Subordinate TO the civil power ~ somethin
thar everybody accepted aud nobody disputed
AS officers we were sworn 10 oboy ou
supeTioIs. Congress was our superior aud ha
made the laws, and these laws made tho mi
tary subordinate. We were acting unde
them, but his order made the laws sub0rdnat
TO his own opinions
Roportor-Tho latter part Of the Interview
general, purports to give your feelings owe
lho result at Chicago. How Is that1
General Gmnt--Woll, correct In suhstanc
but expressed as i would hardly express IL
said that no man felt more relieved at III
hna result OF the Chicago couyoution tha
myself 1 would have declined 10 permit On
use of my name had il not boon for the cha
meter Of the men who were urging H. but / 81
not think IL would be fair toward them 10 Il
so 1T is also true, us stated by Dr. Fowle
that / believed / could break up Oh