The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1880-10-15
GEN. GRANT.

Ehe INSIDE History OF the Celebrated
Order No. 40. Showing How Ham
cock Tried to Undo the Reconstruc.
ton Policy.
The Cincinnati Gazette prints the re-
port Of an interview between the Rev.
G. FL. Fowler, D. d., and Grant, which
gives some startling points in connection
with the inside history of Hancock's
Order No. 40. Gen. Grant talked freely
to DR.. Fowler, and, after the interview,
gave his written consent to its publica-
ton under certain restrictions as to time.
The conversation took place in Grants
library at Galena on the 21st of Septem-
Der. Speaking Of Hancock, the ex-
President said "Down to 1864 he
seemed like man ambitious to do his
duty as an officer. When Mcclellan
was nominated, Hancock received one
vote, and that greatly excited and
changed him. He was SO delighted that
he smiled all over. 1t crazed him. Be
fore that we got on well. After that he
would hardly speak to me. I was
working to enforce the laws of Con-
gress, and he was working for the
Presidency. Perhaps he thought did
not praise him enough but, any way.
he hardly spoke to me. 1t was on my
nomination that he was made Br1gadier
in the regular army, when I was made
General Stanton told me it was a COM
pliment to me, and that I could name the
men to fill the vacancies in the Liuten-
ant Generalship and Major Generalships
caused by promotion. Nominated him
for the vacant Major Generalship in the
regular army. He acknowledged it
manfully. He was very fair corps
commander, but was never thought of
for any great place. When the army of
the Potomac was hunting for comman-
der it took almost everybody, and even
came over into the West for officers, but
no one ever even suggested Hancock for
the place. After he received that vote
in 1864, he had the bee in his bonnet,
and shaped everything to gain Demo-
cratic and Southern favor. He has
watched, and planned, and waited, till at
last he has received the Democratic
nomination"
General, do you think he is in sym
pathy with the South ?"
He is crazy to be President. lie is
ambitious, vain, and weak. They will
easily control him."
"Do you think, General, that his eel
ebrated Order No. 40 represents the di-
rection of his sympathies %
"Well, [ will give You the true inner
history of Order No. 40. Congress was
striving to prevent Andrew johnson
from undoing the Reconstruction laws.
Whenever Congress passed law John
son bent his energies to defeat its en-
forcement, and would find pretexts to
dodge round it Then Congress would
pass another law to hedge him up there.
So it went On till Congress had taken
from him all control of the Generals
commanding the seven districts of the
South except the power to recall them
and appoint others in their place. These
commanders could remove any civil off
Ger Of any grade, Judge or Governor.
When [ was made General and they
were determining my powers and duties,
they gave the Generality accident, I
think, or without seeing all it involved
co ordinate power with these district
commanders, and, as [ was senior, it
gave me authority. Gen. Sheridan was
sent to the Department of Louisiana
and Texas. He is very shrewd and very
keen. He kept his eyes open, learning
rapidly the men who were not worthy to
occupy. their places, and discovering
competent and worthy men to put in
their places The Legislature of Louis
lana passed law authorizing the issue
of 81, 600, 900 of levee bonds, ostensibly
for the levee. They conditioned their
sale on their bringing to the State not
less than so per cent. of their face. The
Governor and three Commissioners were
to place the bonds on the market; but
they soon found that the bonds would
not bring more than 40 per cent. To
avoid the law they invented the plan of
borrowing money and using the bonds
as collateral. They could borrow about
"a or 35 per cent. of the face Of the
bonds Just at this juncture, to pre-
vent these men fro;r defrauding the
State, Gen. Sheridan took off the heads
OF the Governor and Commissioners so
quick that they did not know what allied
them, and appointed good men in their
place. For some reason, the removed
were very anxious to be reappointed
They employed Reverdy johnson and
another lawyer to work for them,
agreeing to pay them $25O,O00
if they were reinstated. This
is a great deal of money for four men to
pay for positions, unless there is some
special gain in the case. Reverdy John
son came to me, but I was SO stupid and
stubborn that 1 could not be induced to
reappoint them. He then went to An
drew Johnson and made his case, and
Andrew johnson sent for me and asked
me to reinstate these men. I refused to
do SO. He said 'Reinstate them, even
if it is only for one day. [ will promise
that they will resign thought John
son might not know of the motive why
they were so anxious to be reinstated.
and, thinking would do him great
service in keeping him from great blum
der, I told him zone hour would do these
men as we'll as one day, and I unfolded
their intent. But Johnson insisted on
their being reinstated. I refused and
excused myself.
johnson thenremoved Gen. Sheridan
and appointed Gen. Hancock. He called
Hancock to Washington to instruct him
in defeating the laws of Congress con-
corning reconstruction. AS soon as I
learned that Hancock was in town I
called at his hotel, instead of sending
for him. I WANTED to see him privately
in his own room. I found him in his
room, perhaps before he had his break
fast. said
"General, you and I are soldiers
army officers. We have life positions
we serve under successive administra-
tons 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-
syonsibility. We simply enforce Them
"He said: We'll, / am opposed to
niger domination.
st said General, it is not question
Of ''nigger domination. -Four millions
of ex-slaves, without education or prop
erty, can hardly dominate 80, 600, 600 of
whites with ali the education and prop
erty. 1t is question Of doing our
sworn duty
"He said: Well, I'm opposed to
niger domination