Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-08-02
POLITICAL.
Another Letter From General
Hancock.
HIS REPLY TO GENERAL SHERMAN.
How He would have Settled the
Electoral Difficulty.
THE RECENT LETTERS OF ACCEPTANCE
What the Leading Journals of the Country
Think of Them.
DISPATCHES OF SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.

DISPATCHES OF SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.l
HANcoCKs LETTER ON THE ELECTORAL DIF-
FICULTY.
New YORK, July 31st.-General Hancock 5
letter, dated at Carondelet Pestofice. st.
Louis, No., December %, 1876, in reply to
two letters from General Sherman on the sit
uation at that time, is given to the public.
After acknowledging Gen. Sherman's letters
and excusing the delay in answering, and
some remarks on the weather, in which he
says st. Louis is the coolest place in Winter
and the hottest place in Summer of any he
had encountered in the temperate zone, he
goes on to say:
When heard the rumor that was ordered to the
Pacific Coast thought it probably true, consider
ing the past discussion to that subject The pos
sibilites seemed to me to point that way. Had it
been true should OF course, have presented no
complaint, nor made resistance OF any KIND. l
would have gone quickly, if not prepared to go
promptly. certainly would have been relieved
from responsibilities and anxeties concerning Presi
dental matters which may fall to those near to the
throne, or in authority, within the next four
months, well as from other incidents, or matters
which could not control, and action concerning
which might not approve, l was not exactly pre-
pared to go to the Pacific Coast however, and
therefore felt relieved WHEN / received your note
informing me that there was no truth IN the ru-
mors Then did not wish to appear to be escaping
from responsibilities and dangers which may cluster
around military commands in the East, especially in
THE CRITICAL PERIOD.
Fast approaching. But ais well that ends well.
The whole matter of the Presidency seems to me to
be simple and to admit of peaceful solution. Ma
chinery for such contingency threatens to pre-
sent itself has been all carefully prepared 1t only
requires fabrication, owing to eisuse. The army
should have nothing to do with the election or in
auguration of Presidents. The people elect the
President. Congress declares III JOINT session VINO
he is. We of the army have only to obey his man
dates and are protected in so dong only so far as
they may be lawful. Our commissions express that.
like Jefferson's way of Inauguration. 1t suits our
system. He rode alone on horseback to the Capitol
Il fear it was the ''0ld Capitof tied his horse to a
rail fence, entered and was duly sworn. Then he
rode to the Executive Mansion and took possession.
He naugurated himself simply by taking the oath
of office There is no other legal Inauguration in
system. The people, or politicians, may insti-
tute parades in honor of the event, and public Off
Gals may add to the pageant by assembling troops
and banners but all that only comes properly after
inauguration not before, and it is not part of it.
Our system does not provide that one President
should inaugurate another. There might be danger
in that and it was studiousy left out of the char
ter but you are placed IN an exceptionally impor-
tant position in connection with coming events.
The Capital is in my Jurisdiction, also, but am a
subordinate, and not OH the spot; and il we're 50,
YOU would also be my superior in authority, for
there is the station OF General Chief. On the
principle that regularly elected Presidents term
OF Office expires with the Sd OF March, Of which
have not the slightest doubt, and which the laws
bearing on the subject uniformly recognize, and in
consideration OF the possibility that the
LAWFULLY ELECTED PRESIDENT
May not appear until the 9Th of March, great deal
of responsibility may necessarily fall upon you.
You hold over. YOu will have the power and pres
probably holds over but if no President appears, he
NAV not be able to exercise his functions in the
name Of the President for his proper acts are those
Of known superior, and lawful President You
act on your own responsibility and by virtue of a
commits, ion only restricted by law. The Secretary
OF War is the mouthpece Of President. You are
not. II neither candidate has 4 constitutional ma
jority Of the Electoral College the Senate and
House on the occasion do not unite in declaring
some person legally elected by the people, there is
lawful machinery already provided TO meet that
contingency and decide the question peacefully. 1t
has not been recently used no occasion presenting
Itself, but our forefathers provided it. 1t has been
exercised, and has been recogniz d and submitted
to as lawful on every hand That machinery would
probably elect Mr.. Tiden President, and Mr.
Wheeler Vice President That would be right
enough for the law provides that in the failure to
elect duly by the people, the House shall immedi-
atey elect the President and the Senate the Vice
President. Some tribunal must decide whether the
people have duly elected President. / presume,
Of course that it is in the joint affirmative action
OF the Senate and House, or why are they present
to witness the count il not to that is fair and
lust? II failure 20 agree arises between the two
bodies, there can be lawful affirmative decision
that the people have elected a President and the
House must
THEN PROCEED TO ACT,
Not the Senate. The Senate elects the yice-Presi-
dent not the President. Doubtless, in case of a
failure by the House to elect President by the 4th
of March, the President OF the Senate Gf there be
one) would be the person TO exercise Presidential
authority for the time being or until the appear
ance of lawful President, or for the time laid down
in the Constitution. Such course would be peace
full. / have no doubt Governor Hayes would make
an excellent President. / have met him and know
of him. For brief period he served under my
command, but as the matter stands can't see any
likelihood of his being duly declared elected by the
people, unless the Senate and House prove to be in
accord 10 that fact, and the House would, of
course, not elect him. What the people want is a
peaceful determination OF this matter, fair
a determination possible, and l.wful one.
No other determination could stand the test.
The coultry, if not plunged into revolution, would
become poorer day by day Business would anguish,
and our bonds would come to find deprecated
m1rllet. ! was not in favor OF military action in
South Carolina recently, and ii General Ruger had
telegraphed me asked my advice, l would have
advised him not, under any cireums ances, to How
himself or his troops TO determine who were lawful
members Of
STATE LEGlSLA1URE.
/ could not have given him better advice than to
refer him 10 a special message Of the President in
the case Of Louisiana some time before. But in
South Carolina he had 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 to be clearer
than in the action in the Louisiana case. Ii the
Federal Court had interfered and oyerruled the de-
cision of the State Court, there might have been
doubt certainly but the Federal Court only inter
fered TO compiica,e, not to decide override. Any
how it is no business OF the army to enter upon
such questions and even il it might be So in any
event. if the civil authority is supreme, the Con-
stitution declares it to be, the South Carolina case
was one in which the army had plain duty. Had
General Rnger asked me for advice, and if | had
given IT, | should OF course have notified you of my
action immediately, that it could have been
promptly overruled ii it should have been deemed
advisable By you or other superior in authority.
General Ruger did not ask for my advice, aud in
ferred from that and other facts that he did not de-
sire it, or that being in direct communication with
my military superior5 at the seat OF Government,
who were nearer TO him in time and distance than |
was he deemed it unnecessary. AS General Kruger
had the ultimate responsibility Of the action, and
had really
GREATER DANGER TO CONFRONT
In the final action in the matter, did not venture
70 smbarrass him BY suggestions He was Depart
ment Commander and lawful head Of the military
administration within the limits OF the department.
But besides, l knew that he had been called to
Washington for consultation before taking COM
mand, and was probably aware Of the views of the
Administration az TO the civil affairs III his com
mand knew that he was in direct communication
with my superors in authority, in reference 10 the
delicate subjects presented for his consideration,
had ideas of his own which he believed to be suii-