The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-07-10
Not Pleased with Hancock.

Mr.. W. IL. Royal, one OF the
Virginia delegates to Cincinnati, has
written a letter to his paper, the
Richmond Commonwealth, in which
he says:
l have been warning the public
through the columns of the Common
WedLth for months against the danger
of nominating soldier. l have been
urging upon it that the true strength
of our fight was the fact that we are
fighting for a government of civil
law as against government of force,
and that to make soldier our nomi-
nee was to emasculate in some degree
the strength of our claim. The en-
thusiasIn which we have witnessed
here land it has been something
wonderful since the nomination was
made has not changed my opinion
upon this point.
Holding these views, | was the last
member of the Virginia delegation
to consent to General Hancock's NOM
inatioD, and | never did give my
assent to it until he had received
votes enough to nominate him. The
pressure which / had to resist to this
end was as much as | was able to en-
dure. The call of the roll of states
was hardly finished, when it was OBJ
vious that General Hancock would be
nominated. Wisconsin, which had
been divided, had moved to change
her vote and make it solid for Han-
cock. This was the beginning of the
general stampede. State after State
arose and announced that her vote
should be changed and made solid
for Hancock. Every person in the
immense hall was on his feet cheers
rent the air. The Louisiana banner,
bearing a superb port RAFT of the Gen
eneral, was rushed to the stand and
waved over it; the small banners
that marked the location of the dele
cation from each State were snatched
from their fastenings and carried for
ward by enthusiastic men, and
grouped around the Louisiana ban
ner; the whole enormous mass of
human beings was absolutely mad.
There aOGs no sense, no reason, nc
judgment any1Ohere.
The members of the Virginia dele
cation, equally carried away by
enthusiasm, wanted to have Vir-
ginia's vote declared unanimous fer
him. All of them except myself had
agreed to it. NV intimate friends on
the delegation crowded around me
and urged me by every consideration
to come in. refused to allow my
INDIGNANT In ha narrio6 off ita foaf
AT last / was told that he had receiv-
ed the necessary 492 votes, and there
fore was nominated. | then told our
chairman, Mr.. BOcock, that he might
announce that Virginia gave her %
votes for him. The confusion was so
great that Mr.. Bocoek could not get
the attention of the Chair. He had
to go to the desk. 1t then occurred
to me that possibly there was mis-
take, and | went to the clerks desk
and counted the vote, and found that
he had received only 40 votes. l
rushed to Mr.. BOcock and got near
enough to exclaim to him, just as he
was about to announce Virginia as
unanimous, that | refused to vote for
General Hancock. and he accordingly
cast her last ballot-twenty-e one for
Hancock and one for Field. Soon
after that another State changed, and
another, aud he had the necessary
number, whereupon told Mr.. Bah
cock that he might announce thatVir.
gina as unanimous, and it was then
done. The Louisiana banner BEARING
the Generals portrait being brought
TO the stand and WdUed IN the face Of
the convention, caused the nomination.
A frenzy seized every one. Every
one thought it indicated that he was
nominated, whereas he lacked $50
votes. Every one was then in
hurry to have his vote changed for
Hancock. But for this singular
coincidence | do not believe Gen.
Hancock would have been nomina-
ted.