The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1880-03-31
GEN. HANCOCK AS A CANDIDATE.

Democrats are able to send a Hancock
delegation TO the Cincinnati Conven
ton, the General will at once become
a formidable candidate. If his own
State, remarks the Tribune, is solid
behind him, he will be likely to gath
err recruits from all 9th Ell
quarters. And then the Tribune
gees on to say that his sudden deyel'
opment as a probable candidate is
one more evidence Of the rerivifying
effect which the prospect Of a third
term has upon the Democratic party.
The Tribune is an uneompromisiag
opponent of Gen. Grants pretensions
to the Republican nomination, and i,
is disposed to attribute all symptoms
of gathering strength in the Demo
cratic party to the influence of the
third term movement. But this is
hy 20 means what gives Gen. Han.
cock his great strength. 1t is very
true that his candidacy would give
peculiar point to the opposition to
General Grant. 1t would he the
candidacy of the exponent of the
idea of the supremacy of the civil
law, and of the maintenance Of con
stitutional Union with Government
of reciled and limited powers, in
opposition to the candidacy of the
exponent Of the idea OF military 81
premacy, personal government, and a
consolidated nationality with Gov
eminent released from the letters of
constitutional limitations. Bat Gen.
Hancock, On these points, would
equally antagonize any Republican
candidate, because any Republicans
candidate must represent the pur-
poses which the Republican party
have in view, and the ideas by which
that organization is now governed
The issue has been broadly present
ed to the country by the outspoken
declarations of the Republican lead
ers; by the Republican journals, and
by the partisan decisions of the Su.
pieme Court.
Ii cannot he averted. The Repub
,icans are determined to pre- s it; the
Democrats ARE ready TO accept it. 1t
will constitute the main issue of the
contest of 1880, whether Gen. Grant
or any other man shall be the Repub.
Iican candidate. AS we have already
shown, Gen. Hancock is a man who
can CON bine in one harmonious body
Of support all the elements of politi
cal opinion which, differing as they
may on other points, are agreed on
this one. 1t is impossible to assume
that is true of any other prominent
ncrat. Recent developments
show that Democrats throughout the
country are rapidly coming TO an APP
probation Of this truth. T.e crush
ing defeat Of Mr.. Tilden's scheme to
control the Pennsylvania convention
is peculiarly significant, because it
was not only defeat of the support
ers of Tilden, bat it was Il triumph of
the supporters Of Hancock. The re
suit is, by some of tue newspapers,
regarded as victo-y Of Senator Wal
lace over Speaker Randall, but it la,
amuch wider meaning than this. It's
meaning is that Randall is weak be
cause his candidate is weak, anu Wal
lace is strong because his candidate is
strong. There can he little doubt
now that Pennsylvania will elect u
full Hancock delegations result
which caunot fail to have an immense
influence on the country. The vote
Of New York for Tilden would be rec
ognized as only the voice of politi
ca; machine, tue fact remaining that
Mr.. Tilden cannot carry the State, al
though it is thoroughly Democratic.
The vote of Pennsylvania for Han
cock would be recognized as the voice
of the party, giving expression to it's
preference for candidate who, In all
probability, could carry the State, al
though it is regarded as essentially
Republican. Louisiana, also, will in
all probability choose Hancock del
egation. So, probably, will Missis
sippi, and Texas, and Arkansas,
North Carolina, South Carolina and
Alabama. Indeed it is hard to con.
ceive why the Democracy Of any
Southern State should hold aloof
l.
Tribune is right when it says that
Gen. Hancock is fast becoming for
midable candidate. He is formidable
not only to his Democratic competi
tors, but the Republican party, who
see in him man against whom their