The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1880-09-29
GEN HANCOCK ON "REBEL CLAIMS

| Depn UltuC puDllC III ANcW iOh'
CINCINNATI, o., sept. 20, 1880.
To Gen. w. S. Hancock, Governors Island,
New York;
DEAR SIR-I enclose slips cut from the
Gazette and Commercial of this city, both
of them newspapers Of large circulation and
influence in Ohio and Indiana, referring, rs
you see to the neutrality-suspicious. subject
| in our politics Of rebel claims, These news
papers and Republican stump-speakers are
constantly asserting that if you are elected
president 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 attention to the fact that this
charge has been made against the Demo-
cratic party, and that you, Its candidate
for President, have not denied it, This
warfare is made in all seriousness and
maintained with great earnestness, and re-
peated day after day in press and speeches
| You are known to the country as frank,
honest soldier, now the representative of the
Democratic party, and have the right to
speak for it, Whatever you may have to
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 at all. Very
respectfully yours, THEODORE Cook.
REPLY OF GEN. HANCOCK.
GovERNoR's ISLAND, n Y, Sept %.
Theodore Cook, ESQ, Cincinnati, o.;
DEAR SIR-Your letter of the Goth inst,
has been received. l regret that you are
disturbed about that the bugbear South
ern war claims" The people cannot be
mlsled by it. To suppose that rebel
claims" or claims in the interest Of persons
who were in the rebellion can in any way
or in any degree be countenanced, is an
imputation OF disloyalty, such as used 10 be
made against Democrats, even when thew
were in arms defending the country
So far as il touches ME denounce it. The
government can never pay
debt or grant a pension or reward
of any sort for waging war upon its own
existence, nor could be induced to ap-
prove or encourage the payment Of such
debt pension, or reward. Nobody expects
or wants such unusual action. To propose
II would be an insult TO the Intelligence
and honor Of our people. When the re.
bellion was crushed the heresy Of secession
in every form and in every incident went
forever It's thing of the dead past.
We move forward, not backward. If |
were president | would veto all legislation
which might come before me providing for
the consideration orpayment of claims OF any
kind for losses OF damages by persons who
were in the rebellion, whether pardoned or
not.
In relation TO Union war claims the gov
ernment's obligation to its defenders comes
first. They are lasting and sacred. The
public laws Of civilized nations do not in
general recognize claims for injuries to
property resulting from the operations OF
war. 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. But hostilities were
closed more than fifteen years ago claim;
Of that nature, now mostly in the hands o.
brokers or persons other than the origina
sufferers, are becoming stale and in my
Judgment might fairly be considered a
barred by the lapse Of time. and if here
after entertained at all should be subjected
to the strictest scrutiny. Yours very truly
w. s. HANCOCK.
The above is sufficient answer to al
the Republican campaign stories which
have been circulated concerning Genera
Hancock's attitude on this question. 1t j
the word OF a soldier, the word OF a maj
who has never yet violated his PLEDGE
honor. Ridiculous as this bugaboo is, /
seems that every Democratic presidential
candidate is compelled by an idotic clamo
to sacrifice his sense Of dignity by promis
ing not to turn the moon into green cheese
We are sorry to see General Hancock, ate
his brilliant record as a soldier, compelled
to testify to his own patriotism, but nov
that he has spoken, his name and characte
will hush the vile aspersions that have beer
| cast upon his name.