Rensselaer Republican, Volume 12, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 August 1880 — Garfield vs Hancock. [ARTICLE]

Garfield vs Hancock.

Bro. McEwen for the Democracy declines a public discussion ot the dent tendered by tkc Republic™ committee. And begins s newspaper controversy snd presents as affirmative testimony for Hancock tbe fptiowirrg dispatch: IIEADQUASTEES SECOXD COWS,. G f r V**E*°{ army of rais Potomac, *» » Major General Georgs G. Meade, Consmandlng Army or tho Potomac: —Tbe troop* under my comma** **- pulsed the eoemy’s assault, and Imv* ffaluod a victory. The eaemv are ffyiagi» sErtlrartfoaaW. tJ. HANCOCK, Major General. To this th« Democratic National oonvenlion responded. DsaoCBATK National Convention,! CniCAUO. August IS, ISM. | Resolved, That this Convention does explicitly declare, ss the sense of tbe American people, that after four your* of failure to restore the Union by the experiment of war, justicehumanity, liberty and the public welfare demand that Immediate step* be made for a cessation of hospitalities. We then opposed tbe Democratic party and not Hancock. W* no# oppose Hancock because be olings to that faction in politics, which said in its last convention “We pledge ourselves anew to the traditions of tlie Democratic party.”

The next item going to shew Hancock's fitness for chief magistrate was Order No. 40 and Jsre S. Black’s ssootion of the same, in these words: Washington, November So, 1867. Mr Dbas General: This moment I read yonr admirable order. * • • • * * This added to your brilliant acbloveneats as a soldier, will leave you without a rival In the affections of all whose good will is worth having, and give yon a place In history which your children will be proud of. J. 8. BLACK. To the same order were made other responses from less treason. fttq s» Pvirofrtiiti tourney Here is what Forney saidofHanoock, January 10, 1868: / “Hancock, a Johnson General, assumes command in the Fifth Military District—Louisana —and forthwith down go the colon of the Nation.” j : > On January 17, 1868, lie wrote to his own paper the Philadelphia Press, as follows:

“Louisiana and-Texas seem to be reserved ss the espeoial trophies of General Hancock’s statesmanship. Since his advent there has been nothing but confusion worse confounded. Every mail bring* tidings of some new rebel outrage. Even old conservative newspapers like Fake's GaM\ton Bulletin do not withhold the facts provingYhe calamities of Hancock’s administration in -Texas.” The same Forney is writing the life of Hancock and we hop* he will copy in full his own opinions in 1867 and 1868. “General Hancock Wrote a letter In 1868 cordially indorsing- the noninaUon of Seymour and Blair and declaring that he would “commit a crime against bis country if be did not acquiesce In thp work of t .c convention whi.h made the nomination. con vention declared in its platform: “\Vc regard ftie reconstruction acts (so-called) of Congress, as usurpations and unconstitutional, le.oluUouary and void.”'

The civic record ot General Hancock is short but we propose to give him the full benefit of it. A constitutional convention was in session in the state of Texas dur--0 ing Hancock’s ciuM career. They appointed of seven discreet members to take evidence and report on Hancock’s conduct Trym r 9, The was lengthy add was unanimously adopted as the sense of the convention and Ihe fol* lowing charge it seems to us will osffet the report of the Poland committee.

Sis • l Ivv • Itii b;oome*ai difficult to locate the responibiilty of the iucreaee of crime. Before General Hancock assumed command of the . Fifth military district, there existed, to a degree, somewhat of a regard and respect for human life in Texas. • • * • * During the three months of the admlhlsratlon of Governor Pease, protected and stengthened by Gens. Sheridan and Moyer, before Gen. Hancock took command of the distdet, the murders committed in Texas averaged nfbe per month- • •••*••• After the Issuing snd publication of General Order No. 40, by the headquarters of the Fifth military district, dated November SO. 1887, a decidedly different snd troublesome spirltmanifested itself all over the State. • * • The reports show that since the inauguration of the policy of General Hancock, supported by President Johnson the murders committed in Texas have reached the average of fifty-five per month. *••••*•• And It is the commander of the Fifth military district who Is responsible to the people tor at least two-thirds of the 800 murders whiph bn ve been committed in Texas since the Ist of December 1807. • • • • • Hancock has neglected to perform bis duties. And, knowing what we assert and maintain la the face of the world, we piaoe the cause and responsibility tor the death of hundreds of loyal citizens of Texas upon hlsiHaaeoek’s)shoulders. It is a Responsibility which should oover his bis name with infamy and his memory in years to come with curses an execrations. [Signed] c. Caldwell, Chairman. J. G. Ball, G. W. Whetmore, D. P. Cola, A. J. Evans, A. Bled son, J. W. Sumner. Those old Union residents of Texas tell a true story of Hancook and his pet order No. 40. The old rebels then and cow support Hancock because of order No. 40 which was intended to at once restore the rebels to power. It. was inf*moos in its conception aud most shameful in its effects. The committee made a inll report of tbe evidence and the State Constitutional 6on vention approved its troth with unanimity. Congress however rot. ed tbe report of tbe Poland- committee untrue. We will close thircomparison of records with a few words for fieldIn general orders No. 281, dated at Chattanooga, Tenn., Oct. 10, ISG3j Genra! Uosencraus said;

atien, the General oownaUif nH«r« bin wise tmMb and mMhu labors, as wall as ittP Mi nlliiU*y t good jsdfisrati &nd (Acimj Hancock’s eulogist Judge Jere Black writes to the Philadelphia Timet as follows: Tear upramd determination to am that Guml Garfield thou id be defended against all nnjuat aspersions upon his personal character Is equally pleasant reading to me, for 1 bare been Us devoted friend for many years, aad I am resolved that 1 never srUlheliere that be does not deserve the aSbotion I bare bestowed upon Urn. If he would carry the priaciples which regelate Us private life iato his public eeadaet he would ntahe the beet eUef magisistrata we have ever bad. Gen. Durbon Ward, a prominent Democrat in a speech July 31,1880, said: “Tha last msa on that field was Qeneral Garfield who bad staid there when the balaooe of the Staff ofßosenorans was gone. I shall never under valne Garfield.” Springer a leading Democratic

Congressman says: “The greatest Republican member of the lower house of Congress. I know there is no Republican member of the lower boose abler than he. I see the newspapers are making charges against his ohsraoier bud cannot say to you that they are in any wise true.” Congressman Felton, Democratic Congressman from Georgia says: “I know General Garfield and he Is a gentleman of good morals and has a good intellect.” The court of the people will now bear from the Sentinel farther evidence or the decision will hare to be for Garfield.