Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1880-10-01
Rebcl CIaims.

Rebel Claims.
The republicans have coaxed i let
ter from General Hancock, on the
question of the payment of south
ern claims and the pensioning of CON
Tolerate soldiers and that is Just what
the party organs did not want That
little campaign boomerang has been
us severely handled by Gen. Hancock
rs ne handled one Gen. Longstreet at
ticttysharg. The organs that have
been Instrumental in getting this let
ter before the public have made rs
much of IL blunder as did those that
tishcd ont the celebrated letter to Sher-
man in 1871. The republican party
will do well to stop talking about poll
teal plumbers, for that party has been
making more fool plumbers this cam
paign than the democratic party has
made in sixty years.
The following correspondence has
just been made public:
CINCINNArI. o., Sept. %.
10 General W. $. HaucocA, GoWruor's
Lshmd Nw York.
DEAR SIN: Enclosed Slips cut from
the Gaettc and C0mmerciui, of this city,
both of them newspapers of large cir
culatlon, and influence i'm Ohio
/ nal IN, ~,
see to Il much tarpcd upon subject in
our politics, of rebel claims. These
newspapers and republican stump
speakers are continually asserting that
if YOU are elected president, the claims
of the disloyal people of tho south j, e. -
losses liz ~, the I Mo- S ~
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 it. This warfare is made III
all seriousness and maintained with
great carncstncsS and repeated day
after day in the press and speeches,
YOU are known To the country as II
frank, honest soldier now representing
the party and having the right to speak
for it. Whatever you may say the peo-
Die will hear and believe submit the
matter 70 your Judgment us to what
you should say or whether you should
make any public attoranccs ut all
Very respectfully yours,
THEODORE COOK.
Reply of Gen. Hancock:
GOVERNORS ISLAND, n y,
Sept. ~, 1850.
10 Theotore Cooh Cincinnati:
DEAR SIR Your letter of the Goth
inst, has been received regret that
YOU arc disturbed about that bug
bear" southern war claims. The people
cannot be mised 10y it. To suppose
that the "rcbcl claims or claims
in the interest of persons who were III
the rebellion can in any way or N amy
degree he countcnanced il III imputa-
ton Of disloyalty such us used to be
made against democrats, even when
they were in arms defending the
country. So far us il touches me |
dcnounce it. The government can
never pay debt on grant 4
pension OF reward Of amy sort for
waging war upon its own existence; nor
could be induced to approve or en-
courage the payment of such debt,
pension OF reward. Nobody expects or
wants such unnatural action 10 pro-
pose il. would he IN insult to the
intelligence and honor Of Our people.
When the rebellion WAS crushed the
hcresy OF secession i'll every form and
IN every incident went down forever. II
il thing If the dead past We move
forward. not backward II We're
president. | would veto all legislation
which might come before me, pre-
vidiug for the consideration or pay
mcut Of claims of amy kind for
losses or damages ID persons who We're
III rebellion, whether pardoned ~ not.
In relation te the union war claims, the
government obligations 10 its defenders
comes first They are lasting and sa-
cred. The public laws Of civilized ma
tions do not IN general recognize
claim for injurlcs y property.
resulting from tile operations OF war.
Nevertheless. our government has
treated with great Indulgence the claims
for losses and damages sustained by
. union men from the military opera
: tons If the war Of tho union, hut
: is hostilitics were closed more
than fifteen years ago claims of
that nature are now mostly IN
the hands Of broker, or persons
othcr than tile original sufferers, and
. Earc becoming stale, and ia my lndg-
mrnt might fnirlv he considered n
, barred ~ the lapse I'll time. and il
, thereafter entertained 1T all, should be
t.t.4f#Ei sfY