The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1880-08-27
General Hancock-s Letter 70 General
Sherman.


Ter concerning which the Radical press
have raised such a hullabalOo. declar-
inc that II was full Of reasonable sug-
gestions and 50 on. II Il a good letter.
written by patriot then. aud "A patriot
now. and viii repay general pcr,isal:
CARo~DoLEr POT
Sr. LOrIS. No.. dec -, l3.b
nv DEAR GkNEnALs Your ictter ~ the attn
inst. rescued me IN New York on the 9TH, the
day before left for the West. l INTENDED ~
reply IL before leaving. bsif carcs incident ~
departure lnfeffcred. Then. IA gain. since my
arrival here, have been 80 occupied with per
sonal affairs ~ h business nature thar ! have
deferred wiring from day 70 day until this
morning and now mud myself IN debt 10 you
anatner letter, IN ACKNOWLEDGE ~ Your
favor uft the Eth, received "A lew days since 4
have concluded % leave here the 2sth tVlnor-
row afeInoli.i, - that may 10 Ia = CIV York
On inc 3st inst. ~ has been culd nnd dreary
since my arrival here have worked like a
Turk n presume thar means hari work la
the country in making fences. cutting down
trees. repairing buildings, etc.. etc. ana am ~
least ahlc ~ say that -. Louis J. the coolest
place Ia the winter. and IL - The hottest la
summer. ~ amy that have cncOuntcrci IN a
temperate Zone I have known -. Louis VA
Decsmber ID have genial weather throughour
the month. This December mas been fri-d.
ar tine river mas been frozen more solid than
have ever known ~. When heard the ru-
NOR that was ordered 20 the Pacific coast.
thought i probably true. considering the past
discussion On that subject. The possibilities
seemed "a me to point that way. Had II been
true. should ~ course nave presented no com
plant, nor made rcsistanceo OF amy kind would
have gone quickly. Al not prepared 10 70
promptly. J certainly would have been
lctcu from responsibilities and anxicties CON
corning Presidential matters which may fall
20 those near 10 the throne In authority I
within the next four months. as well from
other incidents or matters which could not I
control. and action concerning which might
not approve. was not exactly prepared 70 Z
20 10 tbs Pacific. however, aud I therefore (
felt relieved when ! received your note i'm
forming me that there was NJ tuffh In the \
rumofS. Then did mot wish 10 appear to be \
escaping from the responsibilities and pos \
sloe dangers which may cluster around milf 4
tary commands IN the East. especially Ia the 4
critical period fast approaching AIRS wen \
that ends well. The whole matter OF the Il
Presidency seems 20 me - be simple and 70 \
admit ~ peaceful solution. The machinery
for such O. M lngcncy ~ threatens 70 present X
Itself has b en- all carefully prepared Il only 4
requires ubricatiOn owing 10 disuSe. The \
army should have nothing 10 DO with the clcc-
ton or inauguration OF Presidents The pct,-
re elect the Presidents. The Congress de-
elarr< IN joint session who ne T.. We IL the
army have only 10 obey his mandates. and are
projected in doing only So far a. they may
y lawful our commissions express that. \
like Je-ers0ns way OF Inauguration IL suits
our system lie rode alone on horseback 20
the Capitol. u fear II was the -Oli CAPITOL.
duly sworn; then rode 20 the Executive Man
sion and took possession. He lnaII gurlted
himself simply ~ taking the oath Of oiice.
There is No other legal Inauguration In our
system The people or politicians may insrf-
tute paraics In honor Of the csent. and public
officials may aid 20 the pageant BY assembling
troops and banners; hut all that only
properly after the Inauguration. not before.
and u T. mot part ~ H.. our system does NOT
pro, isie tnat one President should inauvursste
another. There might be dan ger In thar. and IL
was >tudi0u-iy left out 81 the charter But
you are placed in ON exceptionally important
position IN connection with coming events
The Capital u IN my turl-dlct ion al-o. but 1
am a subordinate and not ON the spot. and IL I Il
were - also would be my superior in author
ny. for there - the station OF the Gcnemlrin-
Chief TN the principle that a regularly
elected Presidents term 81 ONCE expires with
the ~ o. March tof which ! have not the
slightest doubt and which the laws bearing
On the subject uniformly recognize. and in
consideration of the possibility that the law
rnlly-eiecfed President may MT appear until
the 9Th ~ March. great deal Of re-ponsibil-
ny may necessarily fall uTon you. You hold
over. You will have power and prestige 10
support you.
The Secretary Of War. too. probably holds
over. but. IL no President appears. he may
not be able 10 exercise functions in the name
o. q knovn superior-a lawful President.
fou act on your own responsibility. and by
virtue ~ commission only restricted BY the
piece 81 a President You are not. III
neither candidate has Constitutional major
ity ~ the Electoral College or the senate and
House on the occasion of the count do not
unite In declaring some person legally elected
~ the people. there i . lawful machinery nl-
ready provided 20 meet that contingency aud
been recently used. no occasion presenting
itself. but our forcfathers providcdit- II has
been exercised. and has been recognized and I
submitted to a. lawful every hand That
machinery would probably elect Mr. Tidcn
President. and Mr. Wheeler Sicc-Prc~ident.
That would he right enough; Tor the
Law provides that. i'm failure TO elect .
duly by the people. the House shall inn ,
mcdiately elect the President and the senate ,
the Nice-Presdent. Some tribunal must de-
eide whether the people have duly elected ,
President presume. ~ course. that u Is i'm I
House. or why are they present 10 witness the
count II not 10 sec that II Il fair and justY IL
failure % agree arises between the two bod
ies. there can be no lawful Affirmative decis-
Ion that the people have elected President.
AMI the House must then proceed 70 act. not {
me senate The senate elects vics-Presi-
dents not Presidents. Doubtless In case OF /
failure by the House to elect President by
the tth q March. the President OF the senate .
son 20 exercise Presidential authority forthe
time being. until the appearance Of the ,
awful President. or for the time laid down In
the Constitution. such courses would be-
peaceful. and. have firn belief lawful /.
have no doubt Governor Hayes would make an :
excellent President have met him and :
under my command. Hut, the matter
stands. can't see any likelihood ~ his beng /,
s ay nee, ,n elected ny nc people nnlrs. me
that fact, and the House would Of course not
otherwise clcct him.
What the people want + q peaceful deter
minatiOn OF this natter ns fair q determine i
ton a. possible and q lawful one. No other /
determination could stand the test. The cOun- !
Try. II not plunged into revolution. would be- 4
come poorer day by day: business would Ian !,
euIsh. and our bonds would come home 20 find
q d-prcciafcd market ! was not in IA
vor ~ the military action In south Carolina
recentlv, aud. III General Kruger had tcs-
eEraphci ~ me or asked Tor advice, would
have advised him not. under any cirrun-
Stances 10 allow himself nr his troops 10 de-
termine who were the lawful members OF n
state LEGISLATURE ! could not have given =
him bctfcr advice than a. refer him % the
spectral message ~ the President IN the of z
Louisiana some time before. hut In south Z
Carolina he hsd Ind the question settled BY a 7