The daily gazette., 1880-08-13


cooks military life he has held the
views that he expressed in his letter
to Gen. Sherman, and they do not
differ from the principles promulgated
in order No. 40 Wherever he is
called on to speak or to write we find
him expressing the same sentiments.
So that they are not the caught up
ideas Of q day or q year 10 suit the
occasion Of party. II rs pleasant to
look back and call TO mind the letters
and speeches Of Hancock.
The Baltimore Sun calls attention to
the views of General Hancock, ex-
pressed at a banquet given to the great
Order Of Independent Odd Fellows in
Baltimore in 1866. General Hancock
had been placed In command Of the
Department that included Maryland.
The banquet was given by the Mer-
chants of Baltimore to the Grand
Lodge of l. o. Of o. r., Of the United
States, then for the first time brought
together after the separation occa-
stoned by the war. The banquet took
place on the 2sd Of September, 1855.
Gen. Hancock was present by invita-
tion, and in responding to the toast,
''The Army and the Navy" he spoke
Of the war that had been brought to
close but few months before, aud of
the peaceful disbanding Of 800, 600
men, who had gone rejoicing to their
homes to return to civil pursuits, and
avowed himself as ready as they were
to see the sword laid aside and the
plane, the saw, and the hammer re-
sumed. In allusion to the invasion of
Mexico by the French during our civil
war, as directed by Louis Napoleon,
he spoke as follows:
SIT may be urged that we have
grievances to redress. believe these
grievances can be settled by time
alone. The power Of the government,
as shown in the late contest, il q star
in our escutcheon whose rays extends
sufficiently far to even give light 70
London and Paris. The Rio 0rande
is but short distance in comparison,
and l firmly believe from my own
knowledge Of the country and expert
ence therein, that the emperor of the
French will be glad to vacate Mexico
if he is allowed time to do so with
honor"
The French Emperor did get out Of
Mexico without any display Of mill
tary force on our part, as Gen. Han
cock predicted he would. Whether he
got out with honor is another ques-
tion. Referring next to the applause
given to the army for their prowess in
the war, he said that they were still
more worthy of applause for the readi-
ness shown by all of both services in
laying down the power cemented In
war, now that the restoration Of peace
makes its exercise no longer necessary,
He closed his speech with declaration
of the views he entertained of his own
duties, and breathing the very spirit
of those he he hesubsequently enunciated
while in command OF Louisiana. He
said I:
"For myself shall hail the day with
pleasure when in the State Of Mary
land there will be no longer necessity
for provost marshals to assist in the
maintenance of order and authority.
Knowing that the day will come, |
shall endeavor SO to pave the way in
my command In loosening the reins Of
military authority and allowing the
civil authorities to exercise all power
which they are willing or competent to
administer, so that the transition from
the laws of war to those of peace shall
be so gentle that no shock may be OBJ
served when our functions are ended,
and that the harshness of military rule
may be forgotten. Since the policy Of
the government is TO trust to the honor
of the Southern people in the reorgan-
izatiOn of their government, rather
than to guard their actions by military
rule until later day, it is the more
necessary that charity should reign in
every heart, and it affords me pleasure
to he here at this feast tonight to as
sist In doing honor to an order which
has not forgotten that in war, as In
peace, there is fellowship in charity"
Finally, reverting to the sectional
feeling engendered by the war, he put
in the following eloquent plea for. re-
Cancellation and brotherhood 'Iet
the North" said he, 'slet the North
forget that the South has been bur.
dened with slavery, and let the South
recollect that q Mason and Dixon's
line is no lonfier o boundary Of interest
or prejudice. And let the churches,
whose highest duty is to innulcate
charity and goodwill among men, for
get that there 10 North or South. hut
worship in fellowship as they worship
one God"
If the North and South had beer
mutually governed by principles like
these, the reunion Of the once divided
sections would have been more sasil,
effected and more healthy and profita
| bic results been secured to both thar
was possible under the poIiov suhaa-