The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1880-10-01

Gen. Hancock Spikes a Repabli
can Gun.

Gen. Hancock Spikes q ReP0bli.
can Gun.
NEW YORK, September "a, 1880. Gen.
eral Hancock has written letter on the
subject of war claims, in reply to letter
from Theodore Cook, of Cincinnati. The
correspondence is as follows:
CINCINNATI, September 90, 1880.
To General w. s. Hancock, Gooernor's leland,
Nec York:
DEAR sm-I enclose slips Gu. from the Gassts
and Commercial Of this city. both Of them news
papers Of large circulation and influence In Ohio
and Indiana. referring, as you will see, TO the
much haTped-upon subject in our politics OF rebel
claims. These newspapers and Republican
stump speakers are constantly asserting that IL
you are elected President the claims Of dislOyal
people of the South for losses sustained In the
war will be allowed and paid bY the United
Statea They further direct special attention to
the fact that this charge has been made against
the Democratic party, and that you, its candidate
for President. have not denied II. This warfare
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 ~ a frank, honest soldier, now the
representative Of the Democratic party, and hav-
ing
THE RIGHT TO SPEAK FOR IT.
Whatever you may say the people will hear and
believe l submit the matter Ia your good judg-
menI, as To what you should say, or whether you
should make any public utterance At all.
THEODORE Cook.
General Hancock replied as follows:
GOVERNORS ISLAND, N. T., Sept %, 1880
To Theodore Cook, Cincinnati, Ohio:
DEAR SIR-YOur letter Of the Goth inst has
been received. l rrgret that you are disturbed
by that bug bear, Southern war claims" The
people cannot be misled by II. To suppose that
3" rebel claims or claims in the interest of per-
sons who were in rebellion can 10 any way or in
any degree be cOuntenanced Is an imputation Of
disloyalty, such as used 10 be made against Dem
ocrats, even when they were in arms defending
the country. So far rs it touches me denounce
IT, The government Can never pay . debt or
grant pension or reward of any sort for wag-
ing war against its own existence, nor could
be induced 10 approve or encourage the payment
of such debt, pension or reward. Nobody ex-
poets or wants such unnatural action. To pro-
pose il would be an insult to the intelligence and
honor of our people. 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 F; we move forward, not
backward. If were President would
VETO ALL LEGIsLATION ~
which might come before me, providing for the
consideration OF payment Of claims of any kind
for losses or damages by persons who where in
rebellion, whether pard0ned or not. In relation
to Union war claims" the governments obi
cations to its defenders come first they are last
ing and sacred. The public laws of civilized ma
tons do not, in general, recognize claims for in
juries to properly resulting from the operations
ofwar; nevertheless, our government 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; bat, as the
hOstilities of the war were closed more than Is
years ago, claims of that nature, now mostly in
the hands of brokers. or persons other than the
original sufferers, are becoming stale, and 10 my
judgment might be fairly considered as barred
by the lapse of time, and IL hereafter enter
tanned at all, should be subjected TO the srictest
scrutiny. Yours very truly. ..I
WINFIELD SCorr HANCOCK.