The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1876-10-27
Southern Var Claims.
GOVERNOR TILDEN SPIKES THE GUNS OF
THE RADICALS.

NFw YORK, Oct. 24.-Gov Tilden has
addressed to Hon. Abram s. Hewitt a let.
ter dated to-day relating to his position in
regard to southern claims. He vuotes the
fourteenth amendment of tho constitution
points to the fact that it has been repeat-
edly approved by democratic state conven-
tions Of tho south, and was adopted as part
of the platform of the last national demo-
cratic convention, which declared it uni
versally accepted as a final settlement
Gov. Tilden, after citing his own public
declarations on the subject previously made
says /: Should | be elected President tha
provisions Of the Fourteenth amendment
will SO far as depends on me be maintained
executed aud enforced in perfect and abso
lutte good faith No rebel debt will be as
sumed or paid, no claim for the loss or
emancipation Of any slave will be allowed.
no claim FOR any losses or damage incurred
by disloyal persons, arising from the late
war, whether covered by the fourteenth
amendment OF not. will be recognized or
paid. The cotton tax i'll not Ie refunded
l shall deem it my duty to veto every bill
providing for the assumption or payment
of any such debts, losses, damage claims or
FOR the refunding of any such tax. Tho
danger of the National treasury is not
I from claims of persons who aided the re.
belllon bat from claims Of persons residing
in tho southern states Of having prOperty
III those states who were or pretended to
he, or who for the sake of aiding claims
now pretend to have been loyal to the gov.
ernment Of the union. Such claims even
OF loyal persons, where they are from acts
caused by the operations of war have been
disowned by the public law of civilized ma.
tions condemned by the adjudicstions of
the supreme court of the United States and
only fnd any status by force of specific
legislation of congress. These claims have
become stale and are often stained with
fraud. They are nearly always owned in
whole OF in part by claim agents, by spec
ulators or lobbyists who have no equity
| against the tax payers or the public They
Should IN all cases be scrutinized with
jealous care. The calamites to individuals
which we're inflicted by the late war. are
for the most part irreparable. The gov
ernment cannot recall to life the million
of our youths who went to untimely gravel
nor compensate the sufferings or sorrow
of their relatives or friends. 1t cannon
readjust between individuals the burdens
, OF taxation hitherto borne or of debts in
CURED to sustain the government which
are yet to be paid. 1t cannot apportion
anew among our citizens the damages or
losses incident to military operations or
resulting in every variety of from its meas
ures for maintaining its own existence. 1t
has no safe general rule but to let by-gones
be by-gones, to turn from the dead past to
new and better future, and on that basis
to assure peace, reconciliation and fratern-
ity between all sections, classes and ra ces
of our people to the end that all the springs
of our productive industries may be quick
ened and a new prosperity created in which
the evils of the past shall be forgotten.
(Sgned) SAMUEL j. TILDEN.