, 1880-10-10

HANCOCK disputes one OF Grants state
ments. Grant said: lie was a. very TALL
corps commander, but was never thought o1
for any great place When the Army Of the
Potomac was hunting for commander II
took almost everybody, and even came over
into the West for officers, but no oneNever
even suggested. Hancock for the place.
Hancock says: "After the failure Of the
campaign, I was detained IN Washington one
month by Secretary Stanton, with view Of
placing me in command of the Army OF the
Potomac, but did not want it, and would
not accept it," It is little singular that this
secret should have slumbered in the breast
Of Stanton so many years and finally
gone down into the grave with him.
It is still more singular that Han
cock guarded the secret SO. faithfully;
strange, very strange indeed, that he should
have kept the world in Ignorance Of the tend
cred honor. as showing, at least, the high
esteem in which he was held by the great
War Secretary. 1t is just little singular
that President Lincoln never knew that
Stanton @detained" Hancock in Washing
ton month with view Of placing him in
command Of the Army Of the Potomac" It
is evident he didn't, however, since none ct
his biographers mention. the subject 1t is
singular that it took Stanton month to
make up his mind to offer Hancock the
peri1ous command. He was not wont to
spend month making up his mind. Gen.
Hancock's language on the subject is Pc
culiar, to say the least. He does not say that
Secretary Stanton offered him the command
Of the Army of the Potomac. He says STAN
ton detained him month, !" NTH a efetu> Of
placing him II. command" etc Grant says:
Hancock was never thought Of for any
great place." Is Grant mistaken2 Did
Stanton think 1t Hancock for the command
OF the Army Of the Potomac? Did he tell
Hancock that he thought Of him for the
great place Did he turn the matter over in
his mind full month. without limiting it to a
person except the. subject df his reverie, and
to Hancock? This Is the only
plausible theory on the subject. It relieves
Grant from the imputatlon OF misrepresenta-
ton which flows from Hancock's counter
statement. and falls just little short OF con-
victing Hancock Of falsehood- It makes Of
Hancock's s statement an ingenious evasion;
that's all. There is another singular thing !
about this business The purpose Of Grants, |
statement on this point was simply to show |
that Hancock was not regarded as a
military genius at the time alluded to: The !
otaffect Hancock's character
,r present standing before the people whit
But Hancock shows his sensihyeness on the
subject Of whether or not he Is great man
" addressing himself to this question first
Grant says :" Hancock was never thought
# for any great place." Hancock rushes
nto print at once, saying, II 1ods thought Of
or great place" He reveals secret which
Stanton appears never to have mentioned to
soul on earth, and which he took care
hould not be preserved in any Of his papers.
IND for what? To crafty feeling of weak
anlty to show that somebody " thought" Of
tfering him "a great place"l In attempt
ng to refnte the 1east important statement
+ the entire interview OF Grant, Hancock
as xpnwittingly pleaded guilty to the truth Of
ne most important ::'He is crazy
} be President. He is ambitious, vain, and
'eak. They [the SOUTH will easily control
im." l.,