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| Field name | Value |
|---|---|
| Collection Reference Number | GLC02992 |
| From Archive Folder | Unassociated Civil War Documents 1865-1929 |
| Title | Winfield Scott Hancock to John W. Stevenson and John P. Stockton accepting his nomination for President of the United States by the National Democratic Convention |
| Date | 29 July 1880 |
| Author | Hancock, Winfield Scott (1824-1886) |
| Document Type | Government document |
| Content Description | Accepts nomination for President of the United States by the National Democratic Convention. Supports the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments to the Constitution. Describes his commitment to the Union and the federal system of government. Argues against corruption as an impediment to the participation of people in their government: "Public office is a trust, not a bounty bestowed upon the holder; no incompetent or dishonest persons should ever be entrusted with it, or if appointed, they should be promptly ejected. The basis of a substantial, practical civil service reform, must first be established by the people in filling the elective offices; if they fix a high standard of qualifications for office, and sternly reject the corrupt and incompetent, the result will be decisive in governing the action of the servants whom they entrust with appointing power." Favors "wise and economical management of our government expenditures" to allow everyone to enjoy the peace and the fruits of their own labor. |
| Subjects | US Constitution Government and Civics Election Democratic Party Politics President US Constitutional Amendment African American History Emancipation Corruption and Scandal Economics Finance |
| People | Hancock, Winfield Scott (1824-1886) Stevenson, John White (1812-1886) Stockton, John Potter (1826-1900) |
| Place written | Governors Island, New York |
| Theme | African Americans; Banking & Economics; Government & Politics; The American Civil War |
| Sub-collection | Papers and Images of the American Civil War |
| Additional Information | John White Stevenson (1812-1886) was President of the Democratic National Convention in 1880 and had been a Congressman and Senator from Kentucky and a Governor of that state. John Potter Stockton (1826-1900) was Chairman of the Committee of the National Democratic Convention in 1880 and had been a Senator from New Jersey. Winfield Scott Hancock was a Union General in the Civil War who lost his presidential bid in 1880 to James A. Garfield. |
| Copyright | The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History |
| Module | Civil War, Reconstruction and the Modern Era: 1860-1945 |