The daily gazette., 1880-07-07
SECOND EDITION,
From the N. Y, Herald.
.,'a 80" ''wAsHiNcToN.
A "REMINISCENCES OF THE LAST
PRESIDENTIAL sSTRUGGLE. sh

" n'boo "WAsHrSeroN, July 8, 1890.
THE TR6GBEEs IN 1s76-PosiTIoN OF
Z aRNERAI.HANcOCK AND THE SCARE
1T GAVE fGENERAI.3 .3EsHERMAN-THE
PROPOSED ARsE ARREST VI VI, MIR. TILDEN.
, The statement Of wnat General Han
cock said he would do in the event of a
division of the House and Senate In 1875
on the manner in which the electoral
70 should I, be counted is deprived of
much, If not all, of its Importance In
view Of the actual facts. General Sher-
man in tbs latter part OF November be-
gan concentrating troops in Washington,
for what purpose is not definitely known
to this day. Only the day before the ar
rival of the artillery COMPANIES, and
while they were fpiroute to this city, be
emphaticaDy denied that troops were
coming here. Their movement was IN
obedience to his own orders. He had
suspicion that another rebellion was go
ing lake place and that the PresideD-
tial issue might be.undeeided On the 4th
of March, when Presidents Grants term
lswould expire, ln,this dilemma 1t was
GeneralShermap's opinion that he should
be prepared, to, protect and defend the
win nf Congress. Itlis not even undrr7
stood here that Congress had assembled
| when General Sherman wrote a personal
letter to General Hancock asking his
views upon the situation. The reply
it is said, gave General Sherman a great
! er scare than; he ever before experieDc-
ed, for, having asked an expression Of
| opinion General Hancock hypotheti-
| cally answered that II the Senate was to
assume that Mr.. Hayes was elected and
| the House should declare that Mr.. Til
den was elected, and the limit fixed by
l law for the term OF General Grant had
/ ex pired, then If Mr.. Tiiden should take
the oath OF office he would respect him
| a the President of the United States
/ Having obtained this expression from
General Hancock personally and conf
i d, ntially, General Sherman coul1 do no
| moro than lock it up among his private
papers. II complicated matters, how
,ver, here in Washington, and all tina.
| was heard was that, In the event of
trouble, General Hancock could not be
relied upon. 1t was not pretended that
the inclination of General Sherman To
Mr.. Hayes was right, hut rs General
Sherman is reported to have said the
| government had got to be preserved and
somepody had got to act promptly, and
| uD TO the 4th OF March he was certain oil
President Grants support. Still II was
matter of political preference whether a
citizen Should staud by the course OF the
Senate or the action of the House. L,
was General Sharman's opinion that II
force had TO be used then the side which
had the most effective army would be
, recogni xed and order and good govern
ment .would follow. Still the presence
OF General Hancock in New York surely
troubled General Sherman. 1t was pro
posed to releve him Of the command OF
the military division of the Atlantic and
order General Mcdowell to New York,
ira snsfer,ing General Hancock to San
| francisco. While this was uuder con-
sid. alton the Electo, al Commission bill
was first suggested and the necessity fol
the change was believed TO have passed
In this connection another story is re-
viyed, that which contemplated the ab-
duction of Mr.. TIlden in the event be
shonld attempt to assert dimself as Presi'
dedt of the United States, which act " al
to be executed by the civil authorities
with a force of marines, the draft to in.
"Iude those at Boston, Philadelphia and
Washington as well a. those at Brock
Iva, which force was to be ready to
answer the United States Marshars cal
for aid. The United States troops were
not to be called Tor.