The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-08-12

would make an excellent President, l
have met him and know of him. For a
brief period he served under my com
mand, But as the matter stands l can
not see any likelihood OF his being duly
declared elected by the people unless the
Senate and House come to be in accord
as to that fact, and the House would OF
course not otherwise elect him, What
the people want is peaceful determine
ton of this matter, as fair a deterMina'
ton as possible and a lawful one. No
other determination could stand ,ue test.
The country if not plunged into revoIu
ton, would become poorer day by day,
business would languish and our bonds
would come home to find a deprecated
market.
| was not in favor of the military &C.
ton in South Carolina recently and If
General Kruger had telegraphed to me or
asked for advice | would have advised
him not under any circumstances TO al
low himself or his troops to determine
who were the awful members Of a State
Legislature. l could not have given him
better advice than TO refer him to the
special message of he President" in the
case of Louisiana some time before, But
in South Carolina he had the question
settled by a decision of the Supreme
Court Of the State, the highest tribunal
which had acted on the question, so that
his line Of duty seemed even to be
clearer than in the action in the Louis
lana case. If the Federal court had in
terfered and overruled the decision #
the State Court there might Lave been a
doubt certainly but the Federal Court
ouly interfsred to complicate, not to de
eide or override. Anyhow, 1t is no bust
ness of the army to enter upon such
questions; and even if it might be SO in
any event, if the civil authority is
supreme, as the Constitution declares 1t
to be, the South Carolina case was one
in which the army had a plain duty.
Had General Ruger asked me for advice
and if l had given it, l should of course
have notified you of my action imme'
diately, so that it could have been
overruled if it should have been deemed
advisable by you or others superior in
authority. General Ruger did not ask
for my advice and | inferred from that
and other facts that he did not desire it
or that, heing in direct communication
with my military superiors at the seat of
Government, who were nearer to him in
lime and, distance than | was, he deem
ed it unnecessary. As General Rlger
had the ultimate responsibility of action
and had really the greater danger to
confront in the final action in the mat
ter, / did not venture to embarass him
by suggestions. He was a department
comm nder and the lawful head Of the
military administration within the lin.
its of the department, but besides |
knew that he had been called to Wash
ington for consultation before taking
command and was probably aware o the
views of the administration as to civil
affairs in bis command. | knew that he
was in direct co muhication with my
superiors in authority in reference to the
delicate subjects presented for his con
sideration or mad ideas of his own
witch he believed to be sufficiently in
aG ord with the views Of our common
superiors to enable him to act intelli
gently according to his judgment and
without suggestions from those not on
the spot and not so fully acquainted
with the facts as himself. He desire d,
too, to be free TO act, as he had the
eventual greater responsibility, and so
the matter was governed as between
him and myself.
AS | have been writing thus freely to
you | may still further unbosom myself
by stating that l have not thought it
lawful or wise to use Federal troops in
such matters as have transpired east of
the Mississippi within the last few
months, save so far as they may be
brought into action under the article of
the Constitution which Contemplates
meeting armed resistance or invasion of
a State more powerful than the State
authorities can sabdle by the ordinary
processes and then only when requested
by the Legislature or, if it could not be
convened in session, by the Governor
ami when the President of the United
States i~nteryenes in that manner it is a
state Of war, not peace.
The army is laboring under disadvan.
tages and has been used unlaWfully at
times in the judgment of the people lin
niue, certainly and we have lost a
great deal Ct the kindly feeling which
the community at large once felt for us.
1T is time to stop and unload" Officers
in command of troops often find it diff.
cult to act wisely and safely when the
superiors in authority have different
views of the law from theirs and when
legislation has sanctioned action seem
ingly in conflict with the fundamental
law and they generally defer to the
known judgment of their superiors. Yet
the superior officers of the army are 80
regarded in such a great crisis and are
held to such responsibility, especially
those at or near the head of it, that it is
on such momentous occasions
to dare to determine for themselves
what is lawful and what is not lawful
under our system. If the military au.
thorities should be invoked, as might
possibly be the case in such exceptional
times when there existed such divergent
views as to the correct result, the army
will suffer from its past action if it has
acted wrongfully. Our regular army has
little hold upon the affections of the
people of to-day and its superior Officers
should certainly, as far as lies in their
power, legally and with righteous intent
aim to defend the right, which to us is
the law and the institution which they
represent. 1t is a we'll meaning %institu-
ton and it would be we'll if it should
have an opportunity to be recognized as
a bulwsrk in support of the rights ofthe
people and of the laws.
am, truly yours,
[Signed WINFIELD s.. HANCOCK.
To W. 7. Sherman, commanding the
Army Of the United States, Washing
ton, D. G.
GARFIELD A HYPROCRITE.