The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-10-02
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER


General Hancock says: 81 repret
you are disturbed by that buebear
Southern War Claims" ~ Ru,
bear is good. 1t is for the Republican
cause that General Hancock sees IN
s., 900, 200, 900 of rebel war claims on.
ly a "bugbear." I can safely saw
that in November the General will
find the loyal people of this country
not quite ready or willing to take his
statement. and believe these claims
mere "bugbears.". There is enough
of the reality about them to brighten
not only Mr.. Cook, to whom this
letter is addressed, but also the Gen.
eral himself. That nobody expece
or wants such unnatural action" il
false, as every intelligent reader Of
the time knows. The General ignon
the fact that millions of dollars Of
these claims have been filed in Con.
gress, by the very men now most ar.
dent in his support. That the South
fully expects remuneration for her
war losses. and is determined to have
it if Hancock is elected no one with
knowledge of Southern politics fora
moment doubts. Then, too, the
political necessity that compellel
Hancock to write tins letter proves
that the subject is something Of jim.
portancs even to Democrats them.
selves. The letter in fact, is merely
an assurance that we need have no
fear of an actual and great danger
and a very weak and unsatisfactory
assurance at that. 1t may be of in.
terest 10 the people to know why this
letter was written. The secret is that
certain prominent Democratic Caph
talists from whom large contributions
were expected to the Democratic
fund, became alarmed at the decline
in Government bonds after the Maine
election. They served motto thatnO
contributions from them would be
forthcoming unless immediate steps
were taken to remove public distrust
as to the payment of rebel claims.
1t was then made known to General
Hancock that some explicit pledge
from him was necessary. But mind.
full of the outburst of Southern i'm
dignation and disgust which followed
Tilden's positive declaration in 1876,
the General has So worded his letter,
and it can be noticed by careful
reading of it, that his followers can
entertain widely divergent opinions
as to the classes of cltsass by him pro-
Scy'ibed. The letter will not have the
soothing tendency intended by it,
and will arouse anew the feeling of
alarm en- this claim question.
A Union soldier enticed into ssp.
port of Hancock early in the cam-
paign. gives the folio wing reasons for
withdrawn from his support and
coming out for Garfield, and believe
he speaks the prevailing sentiment
among the soldiers. He says among
other things. l was also led to be-
ljeva that the RepUbliean leaders
were responsible for the delay In the
settlement and payment of thousands
of claims of soldiers for pensions.
asserted with you that an admins.
tratiOn that would not make hasteto
recognize the rights of those who had
sacrificed in war everything that was
dear to them for their eountry's sake
was unworthy of our support. was
told by you and others that the cleo
ton of General Hancock would Sc
sure the prompt payment of these
claims. and bring peace and prosper
ity to the whole country. But. my
dear sir, l find these promises de-
fusion and Il snare. l find that the
bitterness AMI hate engendered blythe
war has not only been intensified by
the action of the Southern leaders, but
that the principles which we thought
settled in that terrible conHict are
now declared by them to be the same
for which they fought.
You will remember that Demo
cratic Congressman from Pennsyl'
wanna has exposed the cause of the
delay and given the reason why the
sick and disabled Union soldierso
the country are deprived Of the
rights which the Government owes
| them.
Confronted by facts like these,
can no longer give my support to
General Hancock. know, If elected,
he will owe his election to the South
ern vote.
If he is true man he cannot be
ungrateful to those who have given
him power. The Wade Hamptons
will be his trusted advisers. The
Southern statesman will shape the
policy of his administration. The
lOVal Union soldier will then meet