The daily gazette., 1880-07-06

ALWAYS a DEMoCRAT.--Col. Johr
W. Forney says, all the great Repub
lican war leaders slowed Hancock ths
more because he never denied he wa
a Democrat" That, however, wal
the reason why the Republican ofict
seekers required Grant to turn Han
cock down and keep him out of his le
gal right to the Major Generalship ant
give it to junior officer. "He neve
denied he was Democrat" +" hence
when sent to New Orleans he refused
| to govern his military district by mill
tary law and when men were sent tc
him accused Of ofEenses, he ordered
that the Civil Courts be opened, and
told the people he would not assume
the functions Of the civil officer. He
did not understand the Constitution OF
the United States, to place civil pow
or in the hands of army officers. On
the contrary with the example Of An
drew jackson before him in the same
city in 1916 he felt It his duty to sus-
tain the Civil Courts, and assist them
to execute the civil law. Senator Bay
ard in his speech on Friday night at
tributed Hancock's domination at Gin
cinnati to the fact that he was too
much of Democrat to follow the ex-
ample of other Military Governors,
and refused to trample civil law under
foot and establish military law. Com
menting ON this speech the New York
Werd with great propriety says:
"The conduct of General Hancock
cheered the conservative sense Of the
country dozen years ago with the
consciousness that the republic had at
least one conspicuous and successful
soldier who was fit to be intrusted with
the administration of government of
laws. 1t is striking contrast which
Senator Bayard points out. between
Hancock at New Orleans and Sheridan
at New Orleans. Hancock as a mill
tary governor made it perfectly plain
to people whose political perceptions
had been confused by four years OF
war that controversies in time of peace
must be settled by the courts, and
that the feelings Of citizens were not
matters for investigation by military
methods. Sheridan as q military rul-
er actually asked the Government to
issue a general decree Of outlawry to
be enforced against a whole commun-
ity at his pleasure. This contrast
shows that there were conspicuous
and successful soldiers Of the Union a
dozen years ago, who were not only
unfit to be intrusted with the admins
tration of government of laws, but
who had not the faintest conception of
the nature Of government of laws
1t is easy enough in 1880 to see and to
say that General Hancock's course in
Louisiana was the only course proper
to be taken by an American General
in command of a district of the United
States. The fact remains that General
Hancock was almost the only Ameri-
can General who took this course, and
who gave clear reasons for taking this
course, in 1867. He refused to become
a military satrap," and it is not only
consistent, therefore, but it is in the
highest degree appropriate, that the
party which opposed the erection OF
military satrapies in the United States
should choose General Hancock as its
candidate for the Presidency. It must
be admitted by everybody who can re.
member and who will reflect upon the
feeling of the country in 1887, when
General Hancock took command of
Louisiana and Texas, that the compar.
ison which Senator BayaTd draws be-
tween Hancock's course and that OF
Washington in the points Of "consci.
ence and self-control" is not over
strained. 1t is distinctly because Gen
Hancock does not represent "govern-
ment by major-generals;" it is distinct
ly because he does conspicuously rep
resent the traditional opposition OF
Americans to government by major
generals and to all arbitrary and CEN
tralized government, that he has been
nominated and that he will be elected
to the Presidency by the opponents OF
government by major-gsnerals and OF
all arbitrary and centralized govern.
ment. OF this opposition Senator
Bayard for ten years past has been the
recognized leader in the Senate of the
United States. His admirable speech
at Wilmington shows eonclusively
that, unless we are to except Senator
Bayard himself, there is not man in
the Union to-day more fit to be made
the champion of the rights of citizens
and of the rights of States under the
Constitution than General Hancock. 1t
is on all hands agreed that there IL not
man in the Union to-day who has
deserved better of his country"