The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-10-10
GRANTS CONTRIB UTIoN TO 70
LITICdL LTTERA TCRE,

ORiNI' y tONIhfBtJfON ~ ~
LI7IClL LITERATURE.
When General Grant, in the quiet of his
Galcna home, had his talk about Hancock
he discredited and dishonorcd himself. if the
And Mr.. Fowler did Grant a positive wrong
when he reported the alleged conversation.
That the report was incorrect in many par
ticulars was demonstrated by the cxplana-
tions subsequently made by Grant himself.
This contribution to political literature can
add nothing to Grants reputation On the
contrary, it will lower him in the eyes of
many people who have been disposed to rc
gard him with the greatest respect. The
personal disparagement of General Hancock
meets with no favor among the better class
Of Republicans. General Grant was promi
ncnt actor upon the stage pending the re-
construction measures In Louisiana, and
when he denounced General Hancock he
either forgot the fact Of the history of that
time, or, for a partisan purpose, deliberately
falsiled history. All the correspondence
that took place between General Hancock
and General Grant in 1868, when the former
was in command In New Orleans, proved
that Hancock had only removed mon from
office for disobeying an order which had been
previously issued by General Sheridan, and
at one stage of the case Hancock's order was
approved. Subsequently the removed OIL
GERS were rcnstated upon their own petition.
There was no secret history to tell, and when
Grant told Fowler about it with an air of
mystery he knew he was not speaking by
the book.
Every well-wisher of Grant must regret
own character as well as to his old comradc-
in.arms as to speak of Hancock as "vain,"
crazy" and ambitious " to be President.
| This coming from man who had twice been
President of the United States, who had
| signed the bill which increased his own
| salary to $50,000 and who would gladly
| have accepted nomination for third term,
was piece of assurance which, to say the
least, required vast amount of cheek.
But General Grant went further than this
In his desire to serve his party by abuse o
Hancock he impaled himself upon the altal
Of Inconsistency. After Hancock had beer
nominated. and when Grant was sulking he
cause he had fallen short of the prize a
Chicago, he had talk with l.. G.. Entright
an old friend, which was reported in detail
in the public journals, and which was neve
contradcted or explained by Grant, as hi
interview with Fowler was, in which III
spoke freely of Hancock and said that, in hi
opinion, mo better or safer man could b
elected to the Chief Magistracy," and fur
ther said:
1t cannot he denied that The Democracy have Mt las
come to their and well improved their opror
tunity. 1t Is the first time, in fact since circnn
stances led Inc out of the party that 1t has made
nomination for which there was such show OF sue
cess and this time shouldn't wonder IL they had III
the right nail square the head, and oiIthe WHOLE
between ourselves and the liorse-track, l cant 81,
that i m sorry for IT,
And now Grant stands upon the record a
falsfying himself, when in the Fowler III
terview he said:
When the Army of the Potomac was hunting for
commander II took almost teverybody-even came oy,
into the West for 0nicers--but nobody sug
ges;ed Hancock for the place. After he received t
vote In 1864 he had ''the bee'' In his bonnet n,
s,iape! everything to gain Democratic AMI sonthei
favor. He has watched ami planned ana waited, u
at last he has received the Democratic nomination
''Generai, do You think he is In sympathy with Il
South ?'' 'IIe is crazy to be President. lie Is an
bilious vain, AMI weak. They will easily ccntr
C him.
= When General Grant commended IIancoc
: as one of the safest men for the PresidenC
!. he spoke voluntarily and for himself Whe
; he condemned Hancock he was prompted /
= the politicians, for this interview with Fowl'
follows Immediately upon the heels of n col
e ference with Garfield, Conkling, Logan, Al
G Cameron, when all had gathered at Garfield
own home in Mentor to devise ways and meal
to save the Republican candidate for Preside
in his own State.
- General Grant will live to regret this who
business. 1t cannot injure Hancock, but
will put Grant upon lower plane than h
friends supposed he could have Occupie
10 He has raised question of vcracity with
:, man who has never yet been accused of
js dishonorable act in war or peace, and
As seems to have forgotten that when a Gener
oo named Grant, and q President named JOh
son, had an issue of veracity, that the Ge
- eral was smirched more than the Preside