The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-08-03
TELEGRAPHIC
GEN. HAxCOCK's LETTER.
= Man Fl, 80 sic tn.
= Correct Conception of tie
Duties OF the President. the
Army and sfse People.

| = Correct SO8Se ksttOh va IL
Duties OF the President. she
/ Army and siie People.
New York, Sl.-General Hancock
letter, dsted Carondelet p. O., st. Louis
No. December 2Sih, 1876, in reply
two letters from General Sherman Q
Inc situation, Is given TO the public
After acknowledging General Sherman
letters and excusing his delay 10 ans 81
Il ing the first, and some remarks on In
weather, in which he says St. Louis
the coolest place IN winter and the h9tie:
in summer Of any be had encounter, d i
the temperate zona, he goes on t. say:
| When l heard the rumor that l wa
ordered 10 the Pacific Coast, thought
probably true. Considering past discus
ion ss to that subject, the possibllitie
seemed TO me to point that way. Had
been true l should of course have pre-
isented no complaint; nor made reslstanei
of any KIM. l would have gone quickly
If not prepared to go promI tiy- L GER
| taiuly would have been relieved from the
| respou sibilities and anNietles concerning
presidential matters which may fail t.
those near TO the throne or IN authority,
within the next four months, SIS we'll as
| from other incidents or meters which l
could not control and action concerning
which l might not approve. was not
exactly prepared TO go TO the Pacific,
however and l therefore felt relieved
when | received your note informing me
that there was no truth IN the Tumor.
Then did not wish to appear 10 be es-
Gaping from responsibilities and possible
dangers which may cluster around mill
tary commands in the east, especially in
the critical period fast approaching.
"All's well that ends WE'LL" the whole
matter of the presidency seems to me to
be simple and to admit OF peaceful So
luton The machinery for such a con-
iingency as threatens TO present itself mas
been all
Here break in the dispatches occurs.
-EDs. HERALD
A person is provided to exercise presi-
Dental authority for the time being, or
until the appearance Of lawful prsi-
dent or for the time laid dcwn IN the
Constitution. Such courses would be
peaceful, and have a firm belief lawful.
1 have no doubt Governor Hayes would
make sn excellent president. l have
met him and know of him. For q
a brief period he served under my com
mand, but as the matter stands 1 can't
see any likelihood of his being duly de-
clared elected by the people, unless the
Senate and House come 10 be in accord
as TO that fsct, and the House would o.
course not otherwise elect him. What
the people want is a peaceful dttermina-
ten of this matter, as fair determine
ton as possible, and lawful one, no
other determination could stand the test
The country, if not plunged into revoiu-
ton, would become poorer day by day.
Business would languish and our bonds
would come to find deprecated msrket.
l was not in favor of military action
in South Carolina recently and il Gen.
Ruger had telegraphed to me or asked
for advice / would have advised aim not
under ar = circumstances to allow himself
or his troops to determine who were the
awful members Of q slate legislature.
could not have given him better advice
t1sn 10 refer him to the special message
Of the president in the case Of Louisiana
some time before. But in South Caro-
Llama he had the question settled by
decision Of the supreme court of the
state, the highest tribunal, which had
0cted on the question so that his line
Of duty feemed even to be clearesr than
IL the Louisiana case. If the federal
court had interfeTed and overruled the
decision of the state court, there might
have been a doubt certainly, but the
federal court only interfere1 to complI-
cate, not to decide or override.
Anyhow it is no business of The army
10 enter upon such questions, and even if
it might be go in any event, if the civil
authority is supreme, az the Constitution
declares it to be, the South Carolina case
was one in which The army had plain
duty. Had General Ruger asked me for
advice and Ihad given it should of
course have notified you of my action
Immediately so that it could have been
Overruled if it should have been deemed
advisable by you or Others superior in
General Ruger did not ask
for my advice, and l inferred from that
and other facts, that he did not desire it,
or that, being in direct communication
with my military superiors at the sest of
who were nearer to him in
time AID distance than 1 was, he deemed
it unnecessary. As General RUger had
the ultimate responsibility of the action,
and had really grester danger to confront
in the final action in the matter,
did not venture 10 tmbarTaSs him by
He was q department
aud lawful he4d Of military
with limits of the
but besides knew that he
had been called TO Washington for con-
sullation before taking command, and
was probably aware Of the views Of the
Admin. trAtion as TO the civil affairs in
his command. / knew that he was in
direct communication with my superiors
in authority in reference to the delicate
subjects presented for his consideration.
or had ideas of his own which he be-
lieved to be sufficiently in accord with the
views of our common superiors to enable
him TO act intelligent!y according to his
judgment, and without suggestions from
those not on the spot and not as fully
acquainted with the facts as himself. He
desired to be free to act, as be had the
eventually greater responsibility, and so
the matter was governed as between him
and myself.
As l have been writing this freely TO
you, l msy still further unbosom myself
by stating that l have not thought It
lawful or wise to use federal troops in
such matters as have transpired east of
the Mississippi within the last few
months, save so far as they may be
brought Into action under tbs srticle of
the Constitution which contemplates the
meeting of armed resistance or invasion
OF a state more powerful than tie state
authorities can subdue By ordinary pro-
cesses, and then only when reque ted by
the legislature; or, if it could not be cen
vened in session, by the governor. And
Y hen the president of the United States
inie-vened in this manner, it Is state of
war, no. peace.
The army is laboring under disa1
yantages and has Been used unlawfully at
times, in the judgment of the people-in
mine, certainly; and We have lost great
deal of the kindly feeling which the
community at large once felt for US. at
Is time 10 stop AID unload" officers in
command of troops often find it difficult
20 act wisely and safely when superio-s
in authority have different views Of the
law from theirs, and when legislation has
sanctioned action seemingly IN conflict
with the fuudsmentsl,law and they gen.
orally defer to the crown judgment OF
their Supporters. Yet superior officers OF
the army are so regarded in such great
crises, aud are held to such responsibility,
especially those at or near the head of it.
| that it is necessary on such momentum:
occasions TO dare TO determine for them
selves what is lawful and what is moi
lawful under our system. 1t the mill
tory authorities should be invoked, as
Il L 81 1. IL