The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-11-02
A LRTFER PR0BI GOV. TlLDRN.
He Definesl AIS Position in Regard TO
Southern Claims.
New YonK, October "a, 1876.

a
Southern Claims.
-, - ,9t ~ ..l
NEW YORK, October "a, 1876.
To Hon. Adrdm S. He,riU:
SIR-I have received your letter in.
forming ME that representatives high in
authority. are publicly representing that
the South desires, not without hope, to
obtain payment for losses by the late war,
and to have provision made for the rebel
debt and for :he losses of slaves. As the
! payment of such losses and claims was
not made important enough to deserve
| the notice of either convention at the
time it was held, you also ask me to state
my views in regard to their cognition by
the government. Though disposed, my
self, to abide by the issue made up
already, have no hesitation to comply
with your request.
The fourteenth amendment of tie con
stitution expressly provides rs follows:
The validity of the public debt of the
United States authorized by law, includ-
ing .!e5!s Incurred foE payments 0f po:i-
sons and bouuties for services in sup
pressing insurrection or rebellion, shall
not be questioned !; but neither the
United States. nor any State, shall
assume. or pay, any debt or obligation
incurred in MD of insurrcction or rebel
lion against the United States, or any
claim for the loss or emancipation of any
| slave but all such debts, obligations and
claims shall be held illegal and void"
This amendment has been repeatedly
approved and agreed to by Democratic
State Conventions of the South. It was
unanimously adopted as n part of the
platform of the Democratic National
Convention ut st. Louis on June the 2Sth,
AIT. ;sas declared by tina! platform 70 he
universally accepted rs final settlement
of the controversies that engendereI the
civil war. My own position on this sub.
Ject Ind been previously declared OIL
many occasions, and particularly in my
first annual message Of January 5, 1875.
IN that document l stated tta! "thc
Southern people were bound by the
thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth con.
stitutional amendments; that they had
joined Mt the National Convention in the
nomination Of candidates, in the declnra-
ton Of principles aud purposes, which
form al authentic acceptance of the re-
| suits Of the war embodied in the last
! three amendments to the organic law Of
the Federal Union,- aud that they mad.
by the sufirages of all their voters Mt the
last National election, completed the
proof that now they only seek to share
with uS. and to maintain, the common
rights Of American local self-goycrnment
| in fraternal union under the old flag,
with one constitution and one destiny.'"
declared at the same time that the
| questions settled by the I-ar are never to
be re-opened. The adoption of the 18th,
l4th and 10Th amendments to the Federal
| Constitution closed one era in our poll
tics. It married. the end forever of the
system of human slavery and of the
struggles that grew out of that systcm
These amendments have been conclusive.
ly adopted, and they have been accepted
in good faith by all political orgafiiza-
tions and the people of all sections.
They close the chapter. They arc and
must be final. All parties hereafter must
accept and stand upon them, and hence
forth cur politics are to turn upon ques-
tions of tho present and the future. and
not upon those of the settled and final
past.
| Should be elected President the pro-
visions Of the fourteenth amendment
will, SO fer as depends on me, be main.
tanned, executed and enforced in perfect
and absolute good faith. No rebel debt
will pe assumed or paid. 10 claim for
the loss or emancipation of any slave will
be allowed. No claim for any loss or
damage incurred by disloyal persons,
arising from the late war, whether COW
cred by the fourteenth amendment or
not, will be recognized or paid. The cot
ton tax will not be refunded. 1 shall
deem it my duty to veto every bill pro-
viding Tor the assumption or payment Of
any such debts, losses, damages, claims,
Ia rnF tnds
The danger to the national treasury is
not from claims of persons who aided the
rebellion, but from claims of persons re,
siding III Soutiiern Sfatea, or having
| property in those States, who were, or
pretended to be, or who, for the sake of
aiding Claims. now pretend to have been
loyal to the Government of the Union.
Such claims, e''en of loyal persons where
they are from ko.s CAUSED by the opera
tions Of war, have been disowned b. the
public law Of civilized nations, con.
demned by the Supreme Court Of the
United States, and only find any status
by force ofspecific legislation of Congress.
These Claims have become stale, and are
often tainted with fraud. They are
nearly always owned in whole or part by
claim agents, by spectators or lobbyists,
who have no equity against the tax
payers or the public. They should in
all cases be scrutinized with Jealous care.
The calamities to individuals, which were
inflicted by the late war. are for the most
part ifrepar-S'e. The Government can
not recall to life the million of our youth
who went to untimely graves, nor COM
pensate the sufferihgs or sorrows of their
relatives or friends. 1t cannot readiust
between individuals tho burdens of taxa
ton hitherto torne or of debts incurred
to sustain tho Governren ent, which arc
yet TO be paid. 1t cannot apportion
anew among our citizens the damages or
losses incident TO military operations or
resulting every variety OF form from
its measures for maintaining its own
existence. 1t has no. safe genera! rule
but to let bygones be bygones, to turn
from the dead past to q new and better
future, and on that basls TO assure peace,
reconciliation and fraternity between ali
sections, classes aud races of -onr people,
to the end that al! the springs Of our pro.
ductivc industries may be quickened and
q new PROSPERITY created, In which tho
| eeils of thepasti shall he fortotteHTn1gYo
] lSignedl SAAiURLJ. TIbDEN. e,
THE ONO DEMoCRAcY,-The Ohio
| Democratic State Committee has Issued