St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1880-08-21

<A
! for pardon or rcprievc that he placed IL line of
| mounted scntinelS from the White House to the
| place OF execution, that the words of grace, if
spoken ut the last minute, should go surely and
| swiftly. But no such words We're spoken, and
| to the now almost universal regret of the pco-
| pic, Mrs Surratt died.
After the close of the war, in July. 1862 Gen.
| Hancock was assigned to the Middle Military
| Department, with headquarters at Baltimore,
| and i'll August 1866, to the command OF the De-
| partncnt of Missouri. In the latter capacity
| his services We're of great Importance i'll har-
| lnonzing the conflicting elements in Missouri,
| arising out of the occupation of the State by
troops under the State authorities, and the pres
| cncc OF the men OF the Southern Confedcracy,
| who had just returned to their homes. While
| still i'll the Southwest he was also engaged in d
campaign against hostile Indi;ns in Kansas and
Colorado. AT this time it was intended to place
| him i'll command of one of the military districts
of the South created under the RecOnSt tructiOn
acts OF Congress by remainlngi in the field and
taking 10 part i'll political affairs, Hancock, al
| though conservative i'll his views, had won the
| good Will alike of Republicans and Democrats.
| Tic desire to retain it was more inviting t. him
| than the opportunity tJ weld the unlimited
| power which the suggested assignment pre-
| sented. Hence lie sought to-. be excused from
such duty i'll the South, and at first his inelina-
| tions were respected. Subsequently, however,
i'll opposition to his wishes, in the latter part of
1867 he was ASST sgned to the command of the Fifth
Military District, comprising the States OF Lou
| siana and Texas with headquarters at New Or
| leans. Congress had invested gu III ,ou,ti,anuelS
with desuotc ioi ers, aud 1t Was easy for them
to Issue military mandates in the decision of all
| important questions, civil or military, involving
| the rights and Interests OF citizens, instead of
| following the more circuitous but more conSti-
tutonal course of civil methods IN tllig arisis
| he was called upon to decide HhetNGr iii his nd
mipisuatin,l he Wo,iId ltGe the civil authn:+.. .s
| or, dlschHng them, resort T." military commits
ssVns lof f rla o1 all otfenses His preleces-
| sor i'll this command had construed the Recon-
| bn Il,
! district absolute power i'll the States ef Lonisi=
ana and Texas. Hancock held to the supremacy
OF the ciAl; over the military authority.
Gen. Hancock remained in command of the
Fifth Military District only about six months,
| and it was at his request that he was re-
! levcd: ina letter to friend in Congress, an
| to choose between obedience to what he regard
| ed as wrong, or resignation, he closed with the
noble sentiment; "Nothing can intimidate me
| from Going what I believe to be honest and
right" On the 2!th of February, 1868, he ap-
| piled to be relieved from his command. and was
shortly afterWard assigned to the command of
| the Military Division of the Atlantic, where,
with the exception of three years i'll command
| of the Division of pakotu, he has since remained.
| 4 Personal SKETCH,
A volume of aanln and field anecdotes might
be written illustrative of the man but it is not
needed to understand him. Gen Hancocks per-
sonal characteristics might almost be drawn
from the foregoing simple record of his life. He
appears the very beau ideal OF the soldier. His
figure is tall and finely shaped. His eye is clear
blue, inquirinS, benignant i'll repose, but nspir-
ing III danger and carnestness. In manners no
man ever surpassed him. He is the embodiment
| of kngltly courtesy. TO his subordinates he
| was kndliness itself. He put one at his Case.
gave eo.'dtEGe-luaae a man think better of
himself-lnade him think he amounted to more
| than he suspected. This was of the secrets
of HancOck's success on the field. Hancock'S
reproof, on the other hand. was not Il thing to
be wished for twice. He was severe i'll his re-
qnirements, and sometimes made his COlOnels
and Generals wish they were anywhere but un-
der the plain severity of his talk. Yet after the
lesson was taught, the wound was healed hv
some attention SO kindly and graaiole, sht.t the
object Of it fot ct Last tat nc had g;iinedby the
transaction Thus he was tG his suhorlinates.
What he was to his superOrs is matter of his
tory; No more loyal executor OF orders ever he
strobe horse
The sketch cannot better close than with the
language OF Hanc0ck's first division commander
that splendid veteran and stubborn fighter,
who Was hinlgeif generally in hot water with his
official snlerorsT q Gen Badly, Smith.
Said the latter OF HANCOCK: "He was the most
loyal subordinate ever knew He always tried
to carry out his orders i'll their spirit as wei! ID
in their letter, and whatever As might thin! of
own and a part and parcel of HIMSELF
Hon. VIM. HI. English.
William II. English is by birth an Indiana man,
having first beheld the light in Scott county of
educated passing three years at the university
of South Hanover He studied law and was ad-
nitted to the bar besinnins the practice of law
in 1916, though much of his time was devoted to
agriculture. Previous to this he had entered
into political life as q member of the Sfa,... old
Democratic party. He Waa aiefk OF the Indiana
State Iausa OF Representatives in 1913, and from
1874 to 1913 was connected with tile treasury de-
partment; was clerk of the Indiana Constitu-
tiOnal Convention in 1850; was elected to the
Legislature III 1851 serving as Speaker, ard was
elected to the Thirty third C.,nsft.ss as a Demo
crat, by @ vote II eeo4 tO 4U93; was reelected to
the Thirty fourth Congress by q vote of sos1 to
No. ~ 81, ,.&n or
Congress by vote of 10577 to 1927, and was q
fourth time chosen to that Office by g Fsbe OF
e29s to 74s4 for his former e.,il,eslsof, Wilson.
sal6oaS ns i af nt % Wet " HIS rs essaey ss,e W ana
strengthen the party i'll Illinois, where the State
ticket headed by Trumbull has already created
apprehension among the Republicans.
At the opening of the rebellion Mr. English,
who was still in Congress. still favored pati.c;=
tion if possible, anil eIGry measure tending to
that ssa.lt, nli {l,e' sHhfct OF secession ho was
mer political associates from the South as he
had been in opposing the admission of Kansas
as State under the Lecompton Constitution.
| He denounced it from the haginiiits, and made
every EFFORT tG llaee aonIhern members to
abandon ii.
Mr.. English was offered the command of reg
lment by his personal friend, Governor Morton,
but declined, and in person toak NJ active part
in the war; hut is, was a firm and consistent
supporter Of the Union cause.
In 1868 Mr.. English founded the First National
Bank OF Indianapolis, ana until july, 1877, ne
was engaged in various financial enterprises in
that city. At the time mentioned he retired
from active business life.
His wealth is large, and has been accumulated
,,y the business tact which has characterized
| him throughout his career. He is understood
to be worth several million dollars.
He was married to Miss Emma Marduiisa Jack
| son of Virginia, on the lqth OF November 1s47,
ant, no union could have been more felieitous
and happy than this was during its long CON
! tin,,anee This estimable lady died ut Indiana.
polls; Aeyembeg II, 1a1s,