Morning journal and courier., 1880-10-06
THE REAL HANCOCK.

very timely and interesting interview is
 that reported by Rev. Dr. Fowler. recently 1 editor of the Aduocate, a leading Methodist 1 paper published in New York, and now Mis- sionary Secretary of the Methodist Episco- pal Church. General Grants opinion of General Hancock and his explanation of the true inwardness'' of Hancock's famous Order No 40," as reported by Dr. Fowler, are important contributions to the campaign. General Grant comes to the same conclu- | sion concerning the ability and political ac I tion of the Democratic nominee for the pres | idency that others familiar with Hancock's career have reached. He was fair corps commander, says General Grant but was never thought of for any other place Down to 1864 he seemed like a man ambi- tious to do his duty as an officer, but in that year, when Mcclellan was nominated by the Democrats, Hancock received one vote, and that vote made great change in him. The presidential bee had got into his bonnet, and it made of faithful officer scheming poll. tician, ready to do almost anything to gain Democratic and southern favor. General Grant says of him "He Is crazy to be
 President. He is ambitious vain and weak.
 They (the southerners) will easily control him.'' There is too much reason to believe that this is a correct judgment of ''the Su- perb.''
 The part of the interview most interesting and most important is that relating to the inner history of the order which made Han cock the nominee of his party. It seems IL. ~
 pertinent of Louisiana, had discovered a plan of the Governor of the State and some Commissioners to defraud the State, and summarily removed them and ap- pointed good men in their places. Those re- moved made strong effort to get back, and Andrew Johnson sent for General Grant and asked him to reinstate them. General Grant refused and Johnson then removed General Sheridan and appointed General Hancock whom he called to Washington to instruct in defeating the laws of Congress concerning reconstruction. As soon as General Grant learned that Hancock was in Washington he called on him, and the conversation that took place showed Hancock in his true light. The following is General Grants statement of it, as reported by Dr. Fowler: ''I said: Gen eral, you and I are soldiers-army officers. We have life positions. We serve under suc- cessive Administrations without regard to party. It is our duty to enforce the laws of Congress We are not responsible for the wisdom of the laws; Congress bears that re- sponsibllity. We simply enforce them He said: Well, am opposed to nigger domination I said: General it is not question of nigger domination. Four mil lions of ex-slaves, without education or prop erty, can hardly dominate 30,OOO,00O of whites with all the education and property
 It is question of doing our sworn duty. He said: Well, I'm opposed to nigger dom ination.''
 General Grant saw he could do nothing to influence this soldier who had turned polite
 ian and was determined to please the Demo-
 cratic party and the South. Hancock went
 South and removed the Governor and Com
 missioners whom General Sheridan had ap- pointed. General Grant instantly telegraphed
 him not to appoint to office any men who had
 been removed and to send his reasons, by
 mail, for removing the men. He telegraphed,
 in long reply costing the government $25o, his reasons. General Grant telegraphed him that the reasons were not sufficient; to send
 by mail other reasons. He again telegraphed about the same points, only not quite so long, costing only $15o. He telegraphed that if he could not have freedom to act his
 usefulness would be destroyed. General
 Grant telegraphed him to revoke his order. Hancock then asked Johnson to relieve him, as no one else could.
 This, General Grant says is the inner history and spirit of ''Order No. 40." He further says: t'This order resulted in the loss of many lives. I know of cases and can
 give them. His statement that the civil au- thorities are supreme is truth admitted by
 all in time of established peace, but I
 demonstrate that he did not subject the mill
 tary power to the civil, but that he used his
 military power to overthrow the civil. Should such man be made President of the United States?