The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-10-26
TILDEN TALKS.
iH.h9i iGs s.dl '7liadl 49, n"N
The Rebel WaaFClaims Howl Set
..l1 ..S 4, Forever at Rest, ID, !. :.
he Declares Himself Utterly oppo-
ssi sed to the Payment of Rebel
..l 1o.iDrl % Claims. '| ~ '."
A Clear, Concise and Unmistakable
,.. Ayowal Of Principles. sid,
The Constitution and Its Amend.
>, 2.' ments Must be Respected,
NEW YORK, Oct. a., 1876.
70 Ne, Hon. ADRIAN S. HEWIET.

i no
I .l'" ''' NEW York, Oct. "a, 1876. "
To HE, Hon. ADRIAN S. HEWITT: '
Sir: Ihaye received your letter infor-,
ming me that Republicans high in
authority are publicly representing that
"the South desire not without hope" to
obtain payment for losses by the late war
and to have tproVision made for the
rebel debt and for the losses OF slaves y ID.
Asthe payment Of such losses and
claims was not deemed important enough
to deserve the notice of either Conyen-
| ton at the time it was held, you also ask
| me to state my views in regard to their
recognition by the government. yg,a o..
|, Though disposed myself to abide by
the issue as made up already, ] have no
hesitation to comply with Yourrequest.
1.-The fourteenth Amendment of the
Constitution expressly provides as follows
li"The, validity Of the public debt of the
United States authorized by law, includ-
ing debts incurred for payment Of pen
sions and bounties for services in suppress.
ing ngrinsmrectiOn or rebellion, shall not be
questionedy But neither the United
States, nor any State. shall assume or
pay ANY debt or obligation, incurred in
aid Of insurrection or rebellion against
the United States, or any claim for the
Toss or emancipation Of any saSJe, but
ALL such debts. obligations, and claims,
shall be held MEgai and Votd." m
This amendment has been repeatedly
approved and agreed to by Democratic
State Conventions Of the South. 1t was
unanimously adopted as a part of the
platform of the Democratic National
Convention at St. Louis, on the 18th Of
June, and was declared by that platform
to be "RNfVSrSal1. acce4hed as a final
settlement of the controversies that en-
gendered civil war; 'Jaga 1'fiF
. My own position on this subject had
been previously declared on many ocea.
sions, andparticulaly in my first annual
message of JANUARY 5th, 1873 Wv 7''.
In that document, | stated that the
Southern people we're "bound by the
Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth
Constitutional Amendments; that they
had Joined at National Conventions in
the declaration of principles and purpo-
ses, which form an authentic acceptance
| Of the results ofthe war. embodied in'the
last three eamendments to the organic law
of the Federal Union, and that they had,
by the suffrages of all their voters, at the
last national election, completed the
proof that now they only seek to share
with us, and to maintain the common
rights Of Americanlocal self.government
in fraternal union, under the old flag
with zone Constitution and one destiny"
] declared at the same time:
"The questions settled by the war are
never to be reopened. The adoption of
the Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth
Amendments to, the Federal Constitution
closed one great era in our politics. 1t
marked the end forever of the system OF
human slavery, and Of the struggles that
grew out of that system. These amend
ments have been conolusively adopted,
and they have been accepted in good
faith by all political organizations and
the people of all sections. They close
the chapter; they are and must be final /;
all parties hereafter must accept and
stand upon them and henceforth our
politics are to turn upon questions Of the
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 far as DEFENDS on me, be main
tanned, executed and enforced in perfect
and absolute good faith, No rebel debt
will be assumed or paid. No claim for
the loss or emancipation of any slaves
will be allowed. No claim. for any loss
or damage incurred by disloyal persons
arising from the late war whether covered
by the Fourteenth Amendment or not,
will be recognized or paid. The cotton
tax will not be refunded shall deem
it myiduty to veto every bill providing
for the assumption or payment Of any
such debts losses, damages, claims, or
for the refunding ofany such tax. .'.
The dangerto the National Treasury
is not from claims Of persons who aided
thelrebellion, but from claims Of persons
residing inthe Southern States 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, even ofloyal persons, where
they are from acts caused by the opera
tons Of war, have been disowned by the
public law Of civilized nations, condemn
ed by the adjudications of the Supreme
Court of the United States, and only find
any status by force of specific legislation
of Congress. These claims have become
stale and are often tainted with fraud,
They are nearly always owned in whole
orin part by claim agents, by specula-
tors or lobbyists who have no equity
against the tax-payers or the public.
They should, in all cases, be scrutinised
with jealous care.4 N ."" y'1.3 't. ID.
| The. calamities to individuals which
were inflicted by the late war are, for the
most part, irreparable. The Govern
ment cannot recall to life the million of
our y youth who went to untimely graves,
nor compensate the sufferings or Sorrow
of their relatives or friends. 1t cannot
readjust, between individuals, the bur
dens of taxation hitherto borne, or of
debts incurred to sustain the Government
which are yet to be paid. 1t cannot ap
portion anew, among our citizens, the
damages or losses incident to military
operations, or resulting in every variety
of form from its measures for maintaining
its own existence. 1t has no safe general
rule but to let by-gones be bygones, to
turn from the dead past to new and