The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-07-17
A PEN PICTURE.
Gath's Description OF the Next Presi.
dent

"Gath' George Alfred Townsend), who
visited Maj General Hancock At his head
quarters on Governors Island day or two
ago, draws the following pen picture of our
next president
He wore, rs is obligatory on such occa-
sions, II rich blue suit, full epsulets of gold
and rich belt and side arms and on his nose
was pair of common horn eyeglasses. His
mustache was trimmed French or Spanish
style, and, with his rather heavy
throat, small, narrow ears and level
military eyes, thought | had seen pict-
ures like him of modern French marshas
and generals, such as Bazaiue. The charac.
ter of his features indicates Just what he has
been "a well concentrated military officer, of
original good health, of whom the discipline
of West Point had brought out at his hand
soonest, till under the lsbors of real warfare
and the relaxations and Inequalities of
peace, increasing age had given more fluid
and flesh to his body, and he Is now a rather
portly man, though full everywhere and not
with paunch. His shoulders and figure are
very straight, his eyes are those of Observa-
blOH blSpheNu WibuOub iHuCu luCluCuLdl
expression, such as would follow from much
reading or reflection; or from Quarrelsome
nature, or excessive ambition. Nature and
his parents gave him good health he gave
himself wife only; his employment was to
his liking, and therefore his life, notwith-
standing its sutierings and successes,
has been congenial. He has forehead
BY no means high, yet modelled on
AZ I..o &c hool 80 .l,c L.
ing compressed there, though in harmony.
His blue eyes are guarded by pair of stiflish
lashes, which, without being soft or beautiful,
give fine regularity to this part of the face,
coupled with decision and sometimes stern
ness. tie seldom smiles and never laughs.
He seems to measure what is going on with
these lashes placidly, and when they rise and
open more than usual the mettle in the man
then is seen to be formidable, He has q
straight nose not particularly striking or
large, a chin well rounded but not heavy,
though the chops and throat cone up to its
assistance and show the bull dog lying about
the jaws and neck. His hair is yet smooth
and of a light brown color, a little warmer
than sandy, and some gray now appears
both there and in the goatee and
mustache, but not enough to expunge the
phantom of the young officer at the out
break of the rebellion, who bounded from a
quartermsster's captaincv to brigadier gen.
eral of volunteers. The bodily parts of
Hancock are equally large and harmonious;
it is easy to be seen by his fine, straight figure
neither rigid nor plant, but solid-seated
on horse, and with his cool but watchful
face dominating, it would look to be one of
the SPLITS Of battle. The army, indeed, has
taken healthy subject from nature and
mounted it TO her uses and history.
| With a warmish nature but cool habits,
the man has never lest sight either of his
profession or his responsibility, and, may
add his self-respect, and they have finally
made out of a good, beofy son Of Penn
sylvania soldier and gentleman. Men
with perhaps more military talent have
yielded TO the destinations of conviviality, or
to rivalry gossip, or rancors, and have failed
of their great promise while this man, who
was only fine looking officer for years,
gravitsting toward family life restraining
his ardor in any particular direction,
and always making the best,
if not the most of a battle opportunity, has
come to be the leading major general in the
army, and without stain, so that he was eli
gible for a great party as its presidential can
didate. If he had allowed one enemy to dis
turb his head, one appetite to outgrow itself,
we should never have heard his name at the
head Of national ticket. Though his name
is Winfield Scott, he has avoided the ego
tisms and complacency OF that prodigious
old man. By no means a negative parsonage,
Hancock has yet placed obedience higher than
genius, and this has kept him from saying
anything which might annoy his party. l
ment yesterday, who said: "They may talk
personalities as much as they like they will
find no stigma on Hancock. He has been
pure man in his family and military life,
and those are the only two lives he has led"
The same officer remarked: 81 think both
nominations have been good ones in this re-
spect at least, that they have broken two old
machines TO pieces. 1t was time for new
dispensations in both parties"