The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-09-25
Last Nights Dispatches.
4 PATRIOTIC LETTER.
Gen. Hancock Defines his Position in
Regard to Rebel War Claims.
ANOTH CIR REPUBLICAN, LIE
NAILED.

NEW York. Sept. 24.-The following
correspondence has just been made public
here: s
CINCINNATI. O., Sept. 20,-To Gen w.
q. Hancock, Govarncr's Island, New
York. Dear Sir: 1 enclose slips cut from
the Gazette ard commercial. of this city,
both OF them newspapers of large circu!a
ton aud influence in Ohio and Indiana.
referring, as you wilt see. to the much
harped upon subject in our politics ofrebel
claims. These newspapers and Republi-
can stump speakers are constantly assert
ing that If 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 States. They
further direct special ailusiel to the fact
that this charge has been made against
the Democratic party aud that you, its
candidate for president, have 10: denied
it. This warfare is Id ado in all serious
ness and maintained with great earnest
ness. and repeated day after day in the
press and in speeches. You are known to
the country as frank, honest soldier, now
the representative OF the Democratic party
and having right to speak for it. What
ever you may say the people will hear and
believe. / submit the matter to your
judgment as to what you should say or
whether you should make any public
utterance az all Very respectfully yours,
THEoDoRE CooK.
Reply Of Gen, Hancock:
New YORK. Sept. %. Theodore
Cook, ESQ. Cincinnati. Ohio,-Dear Sir:
Your letter of the goth inst has been re
ceivea. Iregret that you are disturbed
about that bugbear, Southern wsr claims.
The people can not be misled by it. To
suppose that rebel claim or claims in
the interest of persoas who we're in
the rebellion can ip any way or in
any degree be countenanced, it is
an imputation Of disloyalty such as
used to be made against Democrats eYen
whe. they were i arms defending the
country. So far as it touches me, | de-
nounce it. The government eau never pay
a dett or grant pension or reward Of any
nor could | be Induced to approve or en-
courage tho 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
was crushed the heresy Of secession
In every form and ia every incident
went down forever. 1t is thing of
the dead past We move forward, not
backward. If / we're President. would
veto all legislation which might come
before me providing for the consideration
or payment of claims of anykind for losses
or damages by persons who were In the |
rebellion, whether pardoned or not. La |
relation to union war claims the govern |
ment's obligations to its defenders come |
first. They are lasting and sacred, The |
public laws of civilized netioSs do not. in |
general. recognize claims for injuries TO
property resulting from operations OF |
war. Nevertheless, our government has |
treated, with great indulgence. claims tor |
osses and damages sustained by Union |
men fro.1 the military opera ions of tue |
var for tho Union Hostllities were closed |
more than fifteen years ago. Claims OF that |
nature, are DOW mostly in the hands of bro !
kers,or persors other than the original suff |
'reFs, and are becoming stale. and in my iudg-
nent. mightfsirly be considered as barred |
" lapse of time, and if thereafter entertain
1t oil should be subjected to =, tae strictest
v~ars truly.
W. S. HANCOCK.
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION. VI, Sept. "a.
-Ohcial returns of the Vermont election;
Total vote. 70,709; Farnham, 1884;
Phelps. 2I ,223;, Heath 1876; scattering
IA; Farnham's majority. 25,079.