New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-08-01

eccentric President 10 the administration OF the
States Of Louisiana and Texas, aud 20 do what no
could IN obedience to the known pretudlces OF tne
President to nullify within his the acts
Of a Republican Congress. General Ord and Cen
eral Candy and General Phil Sheridan were not
found TO be available timber for work Of this sort,
but General Hancock Immediately justified the
sagacity of the President who chose him Tor TINS
service by issuing series OF Democratic circulars
under the Qirise of general orders, informing the
rebel leaders Of those States that, so FAR rs he was
concerned they might do Just about "a they pleased
without fear Of interference from the military au-
thonties.
PLACING HIS SWORD AT Mr.. TTLDES's DISPOSAL
This of course constitutes a strong claim up on the
Democratic party of the North and upon the con-
solidated States of the South But thus 1t appears
was not enough; and here / enter upon subject
which seems to Inc one Of the gravcst which nave
ever been submitted 70 the judgment OF the Amer-
can people az Presidential election IL Is matter
which involves the very structure OF the GOVERN
ment being the first instance In our history where
the sword has presumed to usurp the tuncl ons OF
the Legislature and the Judiciary. shortly alter
the nominations were made at Cincinnati II began
TO be rumOred that the Influences which were
brought bear upon the Southern delegates 10 sOd-
| ify them for Hancock were of very peculiar
| nature 1t was asserted that Senator Eaton. OF
Connecticut. had given out that at the time the re-
sult of the last Presidential election was disputed
and in doubt, and while the subject OF the COnsti-
tutIona method of counting the electoral vote was
under scussIOn In Congress- General Hancock wrote
letter To General Sherman announcing that In case
| tha presdent of the Senate should declare Mr.
! Hayes elected and the House of Representatives
should differ IN opinion, he had MADE Up nis mhI1
TO dsTe gard the announcement OF tue fTeslueut ol
| the Senate, and in case the House OF representa-
tiyes should declare Mr. Tilden President, he would
take that declaration as ms RUE Oh Jon'T ~ Gs
position of Mr. 1llden. his story seemed 700 ~
credible for belief 1t outraged every TRADITION OF
| the Republic. 1t was referred TO for some
DAYS merely as a dark rumOr. AT last MT
| Atkins Democratic delegate TO the Clncihhau
Convention from Vermont, declared that the bIory
/ tl,e, . lie IN
eral Hancock, and that t contributed powerfully 10
! his nomination at Cincinnati lie gave as MS au
tbority for the story, General W. L. smith GeheTA
smith was immediately asked as 10 the tTutn 0I IT,
and he confirmed It In every particular ana unheSi
| tatingly justified the conduct of General Hancock
Thus the story stands at present. Genera bancocN
on being asked whether IL Is true or not. declines 10
| answer and says if General Sherman has any such
letter and wishes to publish H. ne can 90 80. u5n
| eral sherman, grounds OF military euqueu anu
proprietv, in regard to which we can nave nothing
to say declines to publish any correspondence Dc
tween himself and General Hancock 90 this subject
In that attitude Of the case the matter must Dc taken
as admitted and confessed. Ii ~ asserted ana de-
Tended by the friends of General Hancock and Is not
| denied by himself We nave Il right, therefore, 10
assume that the story u true:
| | imagine the people of this part Of the country
will think twice before they vote to place III the
office of hIef Magistrate of this Nation man who
can have been capable of such an act as tnls-n ot
which shows his utter incapaclty to appreciate the
very nature of Republican constitutional govern
! ment There are countries, know, where u IS
the fashion for Major Generals declare who shan
he
fashion has never yet taken root the soil OF Anglo
Saxon communities and We are not inclined 10 cur
tvate II. We keep Congresses at great expense 10
| make our laws, and Courts to interpret them, ana
| no Maior-(ieuera however handsome and gallant
| he may be- can have the function IN this DAY ana
generation to decide contested points OF ConsIitu
tonal law ut the invitation OF party caucus or us
| own caprice We have some dozen generai Ohcers
in our Army, and if they should each take It INTO
their heads next fall following the example or Ten
| eral Hancock 10 declare some different friend ana
fellow-citizen elected IL might be cause OF neon
venence. General Hancock might not oVect-oe-
! cause he could declare us own eIecIloh-UuI hM
very sure that General Garfield and General hayes
and tine general public would not approve.
A RISK THE COUNTRY CANNOT AFFORD TO RUN.
But. after all. it is not General Hancock 30 much
As his party we are discussing. and the whole case
may be stated very briefly. The country cannot
afford 10 run the risk of putting the Democratic
party in power at this time Of course It Is unrea-
| sonable to expect and unwse to desire that one
party should remain forever in possession OF the
! Government. An occasional change Is natural and
salutary Let the Democratic party follow once
their better impulses and put their better elements
in control and we might see some advantage TO both
! parties in their dividing the administration OF
! affairs But they should first purge themselves OF
completely with lawessness. and then present them
selves with clear and definite purpose and scheme
| of government. No man living can tel TODAY
what they intend TO do. In Maine they have sur
| rendered to the widest tnhatIOOlsts; ~ Inalana
they are running national banker for NIce-Iresi-
dent aud a tlat-mOneY man TOT Governor. III cuu-
svvania they pretend 10 be arlh-Inen; IN New DIX
they pretend to he free-tTaders In the South no
| man can be "A candidate for office unless he served
In the rebel army; the North the avorte device IS
10 sail their ship with war-tgurehead and acopper
| head crew Their success would mean simply
change and no man knows what the change would
believe the American people have sufficient
| practical sense to let well enough alone Ihey are
! In the enjoyment of peace, freedom and prosperity
except in few States of the South and they do not
wish to adopt the principles or practices OF those
States Their finances are IN admirable CONDITION.
they do not wish them disturbed ana unsettled
| Their civil service was never so houest
and efficient as now" ,sb tn s bun 90 a mUi
untried ofice-seekers. Their revenue system brings
in million day they do not want 1t tlnkered by
Congress. Their debt Is being daily reduced they
do not want its reduction stopped or its ultimate
payment thrown III doubt. Their Government Is
substantially in the hands of the men who nave ~.
been true to It; tney 90 not WISH W 3 90 =.
given TO the men VINO tired Tor years 10 ueS'ioy
There is the issue and ii cannot be avoided by
such lmsy devices as the nomination ~ tui2n
soldier here and there. A candidate may easily he
worse than his party; he caunOt possibly be better
He must represent It's record not MS own ne mus
carry out its policy, and not MS own fortunately
| we nave q man OF the first rank as a parrot ahu
statesman to carry our Sanner but the banner u
self Is the sacred thing. General Garfield repre-,
sents an unbroHen tradition OF loyalty ana goo,l
government. The gallant face of General Hancock
Is a mask behind which the tIeas0hs defeats ana
| hOstilities OF generation hde.
TIE DECOY-sOLDIER GAME WILL NOT WORK.
II is not the first time this game Of decoy soldier
has been tried In 1864 when the world was tremu-
Ions with the shock of the contest which 10 de-
termine whether this Nation should live or die q
| Democratic Convention met in Chicago. soiemnly
declared that the war was failure. and nominated
for President "A Union soldier. OF far greater fame
and popularity than the one they now oher ~. Inc
people, undaZZled by his uniform. chose again I0l
their ruler the PLAN cfiZ IN whose honest hands
they felt the Nation was safe. Only last year. the
| n # IN
haudsomest and most eloquent soldier they could
find. and placed on the ticket with MIN another tx
| ceIlent General. manned the field ot battle.
Evervrbipo was in General EwIng's favor, except
ms principles aud the party behind hlm; but the
people took up a country merchant from Fostor a.
and with him beat General Ewing out Of his cavalry