The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1880-10-01
HANCOCK on REBEIS.-TEe following cor
speaks for itself, and is about

HANCOCK on lEBEI.S.-The following cor
resFOndencc speaks for itself, and is about
as plain as it IS pointed and perpendicular
CTSCfNSArI. September -3-Gsaer7F ~ & Han
close -lir- cuf from the Cr-sffe and r9ezsyrfyy 0F
this city unth OF them newspapers oil large iril-
tion aud influence i'm Ohio ana Indiana referring
yUu viii sec. to the much harIeI up0n subject
in our politics Of the r.fcl claims 1-;iss. e,ys,,
pcrS and republican stump speakers family
asserting that il you are elected president the
sustained in the war viii he allowed. ana paid by
the United STATES. They further direct sG1cial al
tcnton to The iact that his el,ar- has ,5,n ,.T,
against lie democratic party and that You its
candidate for president. have not denied il. This
warfare is made in all seriousness and T5aintsine5
with great caTncstne-s and repeated day fter ,iav
in the press and in speeches. NuU are known 10
the country as q frank honest soldier now mo
representative Of the democratic party ana havine
"a right To- speak for 10. Whatever Won NAV saw
the people wsH hear ana bcifcvc. / submit t6ys
matter TO your good Judgment as TO what you
should say urwhether you should .ii. ke any r1i4lir
uttcrance st ali. Very respectfully yours
(SiVncd) TBEoD6EF COOK
General Hancock replied as follows:
GovEnNoE'S Islam n y. September ca-To
Iheof0rc Cook. Isg. Cincinnati. Oti0-DuAu SIR:
Your letter OF the 10th inst has been received. 1
regret that you are disturbed about that bupbenr
southern war claims The people cannot le mis-
lead hy It To suppose tIat rebel claims or claims
ia the interest of persons who were iH the rebellion
can in any way or !u any degree be countcuanccd
Is an lnpHtatlon oi cIs.2yalty such - used to be
mnde against democrats even when they were jim
arms defending the country. So far a. il touches
me, deGouncc II. The government can never
pay "a deot or grant pension or reward OF auv
sort for waging 4vSr upon its own existence nor
could be induced TO approve or encourage the
payment ci such debt, pension reward. Nobody
expects OF wants such unnatural action. To pro
pose 10 would he Insult 10 the intelligence and
honor ct our people. When the rebellion was
crushed the hercsE of secession in every form and
in every incident went down forever II Is 4 ffn.s
Of the dc1; pas.- Ncmovc forward. not pa cvvar,I
Il were president ] would veto an legislation
Waich might come before me providing for the con-
Sidcruon or payment OF ciaims OF any Kind for
losses or damages ly persons who were ia the re-
neiiion. whether parduncd or not. In relation 70
Z mon war claims the govern ncuts obligations 10
Us t'iedciS come Hret- They are lasting and sa-
cred Tie public laws Of civiiize,l nations DO not
IN general. recognize c3cius for injuries 10 urcr-
y resulting from tie opera tions war Ncrerthe-
less our 20 ycvnncnt has trcate with great futul
Sence the claims Tor losses and damages suffered
ny nl1h men from military operations Of the war
OF the nioil- But Us hoStilities were closed more
than hitccn years ago claims of that nature now
mostly in The hands of brokers persons other
thau the original sufferers are bocoming stale and
in my judgment might fairly DC considered as bar
red by the lapse OF time and if hereafter entertain
Cd IT al should be subjected to the sfrictest scr-
tiny. Yours very truly
tSgneJl NINrtELn s TANcocK