Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1876-11-02
Mr.. 'Tilden's Letter.

On the oath of October, just two
weeks before the election, Mr.. Samuel
J. Tilden comes out in an "open let
| ter" in which he states W hat he in
/ tends to do, il chosen President, con-
J corning the Southern rebel debt, war
claims, cotton tax, etc. In the be-
ginning OF his letter he gives the text
of the 18th Constitutional Amend
ment as follows:
"The validity Of the public debt Of
the United States authorized by law,
including debts incurred for the pay
ment Of pensions and bounties for
services in suppressing instruction
or rebellion, shall not be questioned /;
but neither the United States nor any
state shall assume or pay any debt or
obligation incurred in aid OF insurrec-
ton or rebellion against the United
States, or any claim for loss or eman-
cipation of any slave; but all such
debts, obligations and claims, shall
be held illegal and void"
Then he proceeds to give the his
tory Of the various Constitutional
Amendments and the position occu-
pied by the Democratic party in re-
lation thereto, as "a final settlement
| of the controversies that engendered
the civil war" He then adds:
SHOULD L be elected president, the
provisions Of the fourteenth amend
ment will, so far as depends on me.
be maintained, executed, and en-
forced in perfect and absolute good
faith. No rebel debt will be assumed
or paid, No claim for loss or eman-
cipation Of any slave will be allowed.
No claim for any loss or damage in
CURED by disloyal persons arising
from the late war. whether covered
by the fourteenth amendment or not,
will be recognized or paid. The cot
ton tax will not be refunded"
1t will be noticed by the careful
reader that the 14th Amendment only
covers two classes OF rebel claims
those of the rebel proper and of COM
pensation for slaves; and that it says
explicitly that neither the United
States nor. any State shall assume or
pay any debt or obligation incurred
in aid OF insurrection against the
United States" etc. The Importance
OF this phraseology cannot be over
looked. Mr.. Tilden is careful in his
promise" to employ the same phrase
ology: mo claim for any loss or dam
age incurred by disloyal persons.
etc."
Now it happens that the great ma
jority OF the Southern claims, as at
present filed, and to be presented, do
not come under the head OF "loss or
damage incurred" but on the con-
trsry they do come under the legal
Interpretation Of losses or damages
suffered by disloyal persons. On this
point the Hon. James G. Blaine in his
late great speech in Chicago, says:
If the Fourteenth Amendment
said that any loss suffered in conse-
quence of the rebellion should not be
paid, that would be complete bar,
but you will observe that that is the
class of claims which are now pre-
sented 10 the Congress OF the United
States, and about which the issue Is
before the American people. That
class of claims is for losses suffered.
not for losses incurred. There is "a
very strong difference between the
use OF the word incurred and the
word suffered" The word sin
CURED" implies an active interven-
ton OF the man who incurred the
loss.
Now, / want you to observe that In
Mr.. Tilden's letter he carefully con-
fines himself to the same language
that is used in the Fourteenth amend
ment, and that is, that he will veto
any bill proposing to make good the
losses incurred" by disloyal people.
i wish Mr.. Tilden had said that he
was opposed to making good any
losses suffered" by disloyal persons.
And / maintain that there is very
great difference in language 1 do
not charge, for | do not know, that
Mr.. Tilden meant this difference, but
/ do charge this: that the Riddle bill
now pending in Congress, providing
for the payment OF every form OF
rebel claim, can go through and be-
come law and be signed by Mr. Til
den without violating that letter. /
maintain that, that in signing that
bill he would not in the remotest de-
gree violate the pledge made in that
letter. Take the very literal mean
ing OF what he has put there, and
there would be no possible conflict
between his signature OF that bill and
the sentiments expressed in that
letter"
Now that Is the testimony OF quite
respectable la yer In the legal and
technical Interpretation OF Gov. Til
den's letter. And 1t is one In exact
keeping with Gov. Tilden's character.
His life has been one OF legal techni-
calities and when he wrote incurred"
in place of suffered" he knew exact
ly what he was doing. In other words
we have no doubt, whatever, that
Coy. Tilden would act at once on his
promise literally instead OF on its ap-
parent meaning and intended inter-
probation. His letter Is a bid for
northern votes, but it will fail. The
people know about what value to
place on such a promise coming just
before the election. 1t is the trick OF
scheming politician and not the
honest avowal OF statesman.
Southern Claims,
In order that our citizens may
know tho form In ,rhiah a.-i.a.s