Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1880-10-20
GRANT ON HANCOCK.

GRANT ON HANCOCK.
An Estimate of the Character of the
uemocratic Presidential
Candidate.
Ne Has kone Had she "ptesidensiI Bee in Mis-
Bohhew... Something about Ms Career
In Louisiana.
Rev. DIR. Fowler. missionary secretary
of the Methodist Episcopal church, has
Gen. Grant which has raised something
of breeze in political circles, on ac-
count Of tke fact that it relates principal
| ly to Gen. Hancock, of whose character
and Louisiana career a rather free esti-
mate Is gwen. The interview was an
informal one in Gen. Grants Galena
home, and occurred ON the 21st Of last
month. The general spoke rather more
freely than perhaps he would have done
had he been talking to regular re-
porter. The conversation seemed to
have made some impression upon DR..
Fowler, for he soon after wrote to the
general for permission to publish the
| substance Of it, and the latter replied
| that he preferred that it should not be
published until campaign speaker,
| to whom he had made similar
statements and who had undertaken to
verify them, had made them public.
Whether the speaker had made this
statement, and Dr. Fowler had, there
| fore, considered himself authorized to
| publish his report, the general said, in
q conversation with a Chicago reporter,
on Tuesday, that he did not know. It
appears, from the interview with the re-
porter just named, that DR.. Fowler,
writing from memory as he did, made
| some mistakes in his statement; these
the general corrected. The leading
| points of the document, as thus revised,
are as follows:
Down to 1864 Gen. Hancock appeared
ambitious only to do his duty rs an
officer in the army; but in that year he
received vote in the Democratic
national convention for the nomination
for the presidency, and "from that time
he has had the presidential bee in his
bonnet-his smile, after the convention,
was SO broad that one could almost see
it when his back was turned. Hancock, )"
| said Grant, "is a man who likes to hear
| himself praised, and he sometimes conl-
planned that he was not complimented
highly enough" He was ambitious of
promotion in the army, and thought
Grant stood in his way; but when Grant
was made general, and Hancock received
major generals commission upon
Grants recommendation, he wrote his
superior a manly letter, thanking him
for his kindness, and acknowledging that
he had misiudged his feelings toward
| himself
Respecting affairs in Louisiana and
Hancock's career there Grant is repre-
sented as saying:
The legislatrra passed law authorizing the
| issue of S4,000,000 of levee bonds, ostensbly
| for the levee, copditioned on their bringing to
the state not less than 80 per cent. of their face.
| The governor aud three commissioners were 20
| 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 invent
| ed 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 prevent these men
| from defrauding the state, General Sheridan,
who was commander of that department, took
| off the heads of the governor and commission
ers 30 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, it was said, S250, 900 if
| they were reinstated Reverdy Johnson came
| to me, but was SO stupid and stubborn that
| could not be induced to reappoint them.
He then went to Andrew 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, if it is only
for one day. Twill promise that they viii re-
Of the motive why they were 80 anxious to be
reinstated, and, thinking would do him great
service in keeping him from a great blunder,
| told him cone hour would do these men as well
| as one day." and / unfolded their intent. But
johnson insisted on their being reinstated.
refused and excused myself.
johnson then removed General Sheridan and
| appointed General Hancock.
Before Hancock left for Louisiana
Grant called on him and said:
General, You and are soldiers-army Of
GERS. We have life positions; we serve under
successive administrations without regard to
party. It Ia our duty to enforce the laws of
! congress. We are not responsible for the wis
dom of the laws; congress bears that RESPONSE
bhlty. we simply enforce tnem.
He said: "Well, I am opposed to niger
| domination"
10 further remonstrance from Grant
| he made the same reply:
When Hancock went south published an Or
der prohibiting him from appointing anybody
to Office who had been removed by his .prede-
oessor. Inns, lmppose, ne did not nke, but my
n sp hena t = n nlsce vho bsd ..noc u tnr for
the neeotiation of those bonds. even For one
hour. After he had been down south some
time he made pretty clean sweep OF the officers
who had been appointed by General Sheridan.
| I then telegraphed to him to suspend his
orders Of removals and report to me by mail
(There was m order exciting, II rcn,ber Alright,
prohibiting the use Of the telegraph when the
mail could Be employed.) He replied in very
long dispatch, costing, il remember correctly,
about $3.50. informed himI was not satisfied,
but il be had any further reasons to communi-
cate to do so BY mail. He again replied by tel
| cgraph, but gave nothing new, saying simply
that his usefulness would be destroyed il he
was not left free to act, and that unless he was