New-York tribune., 1880-09-25
GENERAL H4NC0cK 0y nEBEL CLAINs

LETTER on THE sUBJEcr AFTER TWO WEEKS
DFLlBRRATIOy-nE SAYS TUAr He WILL VETO
ALL CLAIMS FOR LOSSES OR DAMAGE BY PER.
SONS IN REBELLION.
After holding the matter under advisement i0r
some time, General Hancock Yesterday furnished
for publca ion letter in regard TO rebel claims lt
was sail at the National Democratic Headquarters
last night that the subject had been under consider
alton for two weeks. General HlncOck's letter is
written IN reply 20 letter written by Theodore
Cook OF Cincinnati. The correspondence Is as
follows:
CI>CiNYArr, Sept. 20, 1880
GENERAL W. 5. HANCOCK Gor0aor,s Istand " J;
DFAH SIR: incOse slips cut from me Td-eue aud
CommcrciM Of this city, b0tl OF them newspapers OF
large cifcGaton n d influence IN ONO ana indlaha,
referring, you " i'll see. 10 The nuch-llrped-upol
subject IN politics OF rebel claims. These news
pauers and Republican stump sneakers are con-
stantIv asserting that if yOu are elected President
the claims of dlsloyal people Of the South for
lo seq sustained m the war will be allowed
and paid by the United States. They further direct
sppcia attention TO the fact that this charge has
been made against the Democratic party. aud that
Won its candidate for President, have not denied 1t.
This warfare is made in all seriousness and man
tanned with great earnestness, and rcp'atcd daV
after day IN the press and III speeches. You are
ku Wn TO the country frank honest sOiolef.
now tbc representative of the Dem crate parry,
and having right to speak Tor IT, Whatever you
may say the pcO pie VIII hc1r aud believe. submit
should say, or whether yOu sEonld make any pubic
utterancc at all Very respectfully yours
THEODORE Cook.
GnvRRYoR'5 ISLAND. !
NEW-YoRK. Sent. 23, lSS0.}
10 THEODORE Cook. cq., Cincinnati Ohi0
DEAR SIR Your ctfcr OF the 20'h instant mas
regret tnat ycu are disturbed about the effect of
thar bugbear, Southern war claims" Ihe people
cannot be misled by II. 10 suppose that rebel
claIns.p or CLAIMS IN the interest of persons who
were IN rebellion eau in any way or IN any degree
be cOunteuanced, Is an lmputatlon OF disioyalty
such as used to be made agaluGSt Demo
Gratis even when they were IN arms de-
M, lden0unce il. The Government can never pay
Il debt. or grant prnsion or reward 0t any sort Tor
wagIng war upon Its own e!N,i cnce; nor coud pe
nuuced 10 approve or encourage payment OF Sucn
deDt. pension or reward. NObOny expects or wants
such unnatural action. To propose 1t would
be an insult TO the Intelligence ana
honor OF our people. Wneh repeIIloh was
crushed the heresy of secessi III III every form and
~ every mel lent went down forever 1t Is u tnng
of tho cad past. We move forward, not backward.
Ii | were President would veto all legislation
which might come before me providing Tor the con-
sideratIon or payment of claims OF any KIND Tor
losses or damages by pels0nS VINO were III reDeiOu'
whether pIrOOncd or not
In relat on to" Union war claims" the Govern
ments obligations 10 its defenders come first ihey
are lasting and sacred The public avs o. civilized
nations do not III general recognize claims for IN
iurIes to property resulting from operations OF war
Nevertheless our Government has treated Win
great Indulgence the claims for losses and
damages suffered by Union men from the
military operations of the war for the Union
But as hOstllitcs were c.osed more than ulteeh
years ago claims of that uature-now mostly III me
hands of brokers persons other than the 0rlglna
sntf.rers-are becoming stale. and, III my judgment,
mIgnt fairly be considered as barred by the lapse Oh
lime aud il hereafter entertained at all, should DC
truiy. WIND S. HANCOCK.