Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1880-09-29
8 0uthern War Claim III anc OK
p Says he is Oppose1 to PaJ-
ing Them.
NEW YORK, September "a

NEW ORh, OepteHlDer II.
General Hancock has written letter
on the subject of war claims in reply
to a letter from Theodore Cook, of Gin
cinnati. The correspondence is as fol-
lows:
CINCINNATI, o., Sept. p. 1889.
General W. s. Hancock, Go0eraor's Island, Nep
York:
DEAR SIR:-I enclose slips cut from the Ga
zette and Con,mercim 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 poll
tics of rebel claims. These newspapers and Re-
publican stump speakers are constantly assert
ing that if you are elected President the claims
of disloyal people of the South for loses sus-
tanned in the war will be allowed and paid by
the United States. They further direct special
attention to the fact that this charge has beS1
made against the Democratic party, and that
you, its candidate for President, have not de-
MED it. This warfare is made in all serious
ness and maintained with great earnestness and
repeated day after day in the press and in
speeches. You are known to the country as a
frank, honest soldier, now the representative OF
the Democratic party, and having right TO
speak for it. Whatever you may say the peo-
pie will hear and believe. | submit the mat
ter to your good Judgment as to what you
public qttefaace Ut all. Very respectfully
yours, THEohaRs odok.
GENERAL HANCoCK's REPLY.
GOVERNORS ISLAND, n. Y,
September %, 1880.
To Theodore Cook. Esq, Cincinnati, o.:
DEAR SIR Your letter of the 10th instant
has been received. ] regret that yon are dis
turbed about that hughear, "Sonthern war
claims" The people cannot ho misied by it.
To suppose that fItebel claims" or claims IN
the interest of persons who were IL reoeiiloa
can in any way or in any degree be counten-
anced is an imputation of disloyalty such as
used to be made against Democrats even when
they were in arms defending the country. So
far as it touches me denounce it, The gov
ernment can never pay debt or grant PEN
sion or reward of any sort for waglng war a?on
its own existence, nor eoqlq 9e lldqecd t9ap'
prove encourage payment OF such debt, pen
sion or reward. Nobody expects or wants such
unnatural action. To propose it would be an
insult to the intelligence and honor OF our peo-
pie.
When the rebellion was crushed the heresy
of SECESSION in every form and IN every incident
went down forever. 1t is q thing of the dead
past We move forward, not back ward. II |
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
rebellion, whether pardoned or not:
In relation to 'tUnion war claims" the gov.
ernment's 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 operations of war. Nevertheless, our goF-
ernment has treated with great indulgence the
claims for losses and damages suffered by Union
men from the military operations of the war of
the Union, But as hostiities were closed more
than Gfteeg years ago claiml of that nature
now mostly in the hands Of brokers or persons
other than the original sutferers-are becoming
stale and in my Judgment might fairly be con
hereafter entertained at all should be subjected
to the closest scrutiny. Yours, very truly,
WINFIELD S. HANCOCK.