Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1880-09-29

! New Ork, september Z4.-benelhl
Hancock has written a letter on the
subject of war ciaims'in reply to lot.
ter IRON Theodore Cook, of Cincinnati.
The correspondence is as follows;
CINCIsSArL September 20-Gcn.
| W. S. Hancock, GoueraorS Island, ~ y.
DEAR SIR; inclose slips cut from
the Gazette and Commercial, Of this
city, both of them newspapers of large
circulation and influence in Ohio and
Indiana, referring, rs you will see, TO
the much harped upon subject in our
politics, of tho rebel claims These
newspapers and Republican stump
speakers are constantly asserting that
| ii you are elected President the claims
OF the disloyal people Of the South for
losses sustained in the war viii be al.
lowed, and paid by the United States.
They further direct special attention
TO the fact that this charge has been
made against the Democratic party
and ttiat you, its candidate for Presi-
dent, have not denied it. This war
fare is made IN all seriousness and
maintained with great earnestness and
repeated day after day in the press and
in speeches. You are known to the
country as frank, honest soldier, now
the representative of the Democratic
party and having a right to speak for
| it. Whatever you may say the people
will hear and believe | submit the
matter to your good Judgment as to
what you should say or whether you
should make any public utterance at all.
Very respectfully yours,
(Signed) THEoDoRE Cook.
General Hancock replies as follows /:
Governors Island, N. Y. Sept. 23.-
TO Theodore Cook, Esq, Cincinnati,
Ohio-DEAR SIR; Your letter of the
Goth inst has been received. | regret
that you are disturbed about that bug
bear, Southern war claims. The peo-
pie cannot be mislead by it. To sup
pose that rebel claims or claims in the
interest Of persons who were in the
Rebellion can in any way or in any
degree be countenanced, is an imputa-
ton of disloyalty such as used TO be
made against Democrats, even when
they were in arms defending the coun-
try. So far as It touches me, / de-
nounce it. The Government can new
cr pay debt Or grant pension, or re.
ward Of any sort for waging war upon
its own existence, nor could ! be in
duced to approve or encourage the
payment of such debt pension or re-
ward Nobody expects or wants such
unnatural action. To propose it would
be an insult to the intelligence and
honor of our people. When the Re
bellion was crushed the heresy of Sc
cession in every form and in every in
cident went down forever IL is a
thing Of the past We move forward,
not backward. i'll were President,
| would veto all legislation which
might come before me providing for
the consideration or payment Of claims
Of any kind for losses or damages by
persons who were in the Rebellion,
whether pardoned or not In relation
to Union war claims the Governments
obligations to its defenders come first.
They are lasting and sacred. The
public laws of civilized nations do not,
in general, recognize claims for injuries
to property resulting from the opera
tions of war Nevertheless our Gov.
ernment has treated with great indul-
gence the claims for losses and dana.
ges suffered by Union men from mill
tary operations the war of the Union.
But as hostilities were closed more
than fifteen years ago, claims of that
nature, now mostly IN the hands of
persons other than the original suffer
ers, are becoming stale and in my
might fairly be considered
as barred by the lapse of time and if
hereafter entertained at all should be
subjected to the strictest scrutiny.
Yours very truly,
(Signed) WINFIELD S. HANCOCK.