The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1880-08-12
THE HANoock-sHERMAN LETTER.
"a Document About which the Republic
can Press had Much To Say--Gen. Ham
cocks Position I'm 1876.
CARoNDELEr PosroFFICE. }


can Press had Much to Say--Gen. Ham
cocks Position I'm 1876.
CARONDELET PosTOFFICE,
ST. LOUIS, Mo-. Dec. %, 1876.
Ny Dear Generdl-YOur favor of
the fourth instant reached me in
New Y ork on the fifth. the day be-
fore | left for the West. | intended
to reply TO il before leaving, but the
cares incident 10 my departure in
terfered. Then, again, since my ar
rival here | have been SO occupied
with personal affairs of a business
nature that / have deferred writing
from day to day until this moment,
and now | find myself in debt to
you another letter in acknowledge
ment of your favor of the seven
teenth, received few days since.
have concluded to leave here on the
evening of the 18th (to-morrow). so
that | may be expected in New York
ON the 31st instant. Ii has been cold
and dreary since nv arrival here; [
have worked like Turk presume
that means hard wOrk-in the cOun-
try in making fences. cutting down
trees, repairing buildings, ETC., and
am at last able to say that st. Louis
is the coolest place in winter, Is it is
the hottest in summer, of any that
have encountered in a temperate
zone. | have known st. Louis in
December TO have. genial weather
throughout the month. This De-
cember has been fierce, and the river
has been frozen more solid than
have ever known it.
When | heard the rumOr that
was ordered to the Pacific coast |
thought it probably true, consider
ing the past discussion on that sub
ject. The possibilities seemed to me
to point that way. Had it been true
should, of course, have presented no
complaint, nor made resistance of
any kind, would have gone quick
ly, if not prepared to go promptly.
certainly would have been relieved
from responsibilities and anxieties
concerning presidential matters,
which may fall to those near the
throne, or in authority, within the
next four months. as well as from
other incidents or matters which
could not control, and actions con-
corning which might not approve.
L was not exactly prepared to 90 to
the Pacific, however, and | there
fore felt relieved when | received
your note informing me that there
was no truth in the rumOrs. Then
did not wish TO appear to be escap-
ing from responsibilities and posi-
BILE dangers which may cluster
around military commanders in the
East, especially in the critical period
fast approaching. ALPS well that
ends well.
The whole matter Of the presi-
dency seems to me to be simple, and
to admit of a peaceful solution. The
machinery for such a contingency as
threatens to present itself has been
all carefully repaired. 1t only re-
quires fabrication, owing to disuse.
The army should have nothing to do
with the election or Inauguration of
presidents. The people elect a pres
ident; congress declares in joint
| session who he is. We of the army
have only to obey his mandates, and
are protected in so doing only so far
as they may be lawful. Our COM
| missions express that.
l like JeffersOn's way of Inaugural
ton. 1t suits our system; he rode
alone on horseback to the Capitol.
q fear it was-old CapitOl.) Tied his
horse to rail fence, entered and
was duly sworn; then rode to the
executive mansion and took possess
sion. He inaugurated himself simply
by taking the oath of office. There
is no other legal Inauguration in our
system. The people, or politicians,
| may institute parade i'll honor of
the event, and the public officials
may add to the pageant by assem-
bling troops and banners but all
that only comes properly after in
uguratiOn-nOt before, and it is not
part of it. Our system does not
provide that one president should
inaugurate another. There might
be anger in that, and it was stu
diously left out OF the charter.
But you are placed in an excep-
tionally important position in con-
nectiOn with coming events. The
capital is in my jurisdiction also,
but l am subordinate and not on the
\ spot, and if L were so, also would
be my superior in authority, for
there is the station of the general-in-
chief. On the principle that regu-
larly elected presidents term OF
office expires with the third 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 fifth of March, Il great deal
of responsibility may necessarily
fall upon you, You hold over; you
will have power and prestige to
support you. The Secretary of War
too, probably holds over, but if nc
president appears he may not be
able to exercise functions in the
name of the president, for his proper
acts are those Of 4 known superior
and lawful president. You act Oh
your own responsibility and by vir.
tue of commission, only restricted
by the law. The Secretary of Wal
is the mouth-piece of president
you are not.
If neither candidate has a consti
tutional majority of the electora
college, or the senate and house OF
the occasion of the count do not
unite in in declaring some person le
gally elected by the people, there i:
a lawful machinery already pro
vided to meet that contingency anG
decide the question peacefully. L
has not been recently used, no occa
sion presenting itself, but our fore
fathers provided it. 1t has been ex
ercised and has been recognized anC
submitted 20 as lawful on every
hand. That machinery would prob
ably elect Mr.. TiIden president anG
Mr. Wheeler vice president. THAI
would be right enough, for the law
provides that in case of failure tC
elect duly by the people the house
shall Immediately elect a presiden
and the senate a vice president
Some tribunal must decide whether
the people have duly elected presi
dent. Ipresume, of course, that it il
in the joint affirmative action of the
senate and house, or why are they
present to witness the count, if no
TO see that it is fair and just? If fail
ure to agree arises between the two
bodies, there can be no lawful af
firmative decision that the peopl,
have elected a president, and The
house must then proceed TO act, no
the,senate. The senate elects. vic,
presidents, not presidents. Doubt
less. ia case of failure by the hous,
TO elect a president by the 4th. o