The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-09-25

He Writes n Letter 10 Theodore Cook, Q
Cincinnati, In Which He Takes Decides
Ground Against their Payment.
New YoRK, September 24.-The follow
ing correspondence has Just been mad
public here: L
CINCINNATI, September 20, 1880.
Z o General R.S. Hancock, GOpernor's Island
~ T.: ~
DEAR sIR:-I enclose slip cut from th,
Gasstte and Commercial, Of this city, boti
OF them newspapers OF large circulation
and influence in Ohio and Indiana, refer
ring, as You will see, to the much harped
upon subject in our politics OF rebe
claims, -.
These newspapers and Republican
stump speakers are constantly asserting
that II you are elected President the
claims OF the disloyal people OF the South
for losses sustained in the war, will be. al
lowed and paid by the United States
They further directspecial attention TO the
fact that this charge has beeu made against
the Democratic party, and that you, itE
candidate for President, have not denied
this. Warfare is made in all seriousness
and maintained with great earnestness,
and repeated day after day in press and il
speech. You are known TO the
country as frank and honest soldier
now the representative OF the Demo
cratic party, aud having right to speak
for 1t. Whatever you may say the people
will hear and believe. I submit the mat.
ter.to your judgment as to what you
should say, or whether you should make
any public utterance at all. Very respect
fully yours, .Yt
[Signedl THEODORE Cook.
Reply Of General Hancock:
GovERNoR's ISLAND, N. Y. Sept. 2S.
To Theodore Cook, Esq, Cincinnati, o.:
DEAR SIR:-Your letter OF the 20th inst.
has been received. Iregret that you are
disturbed about that bugbear, Southern
War claims"
The people canot be misled by 1t, to sup.
pose that .rebel claims" or claims in the
interest OF persons who were in the re.
bellion can, In any way or In any degree,
be countenanced. 1t Is an imputation OF
disloyalty such as used to be made against
the Democrats, even when they were in
arms defending the country. So far as it
touches me, l Idenounue it.
The government can never pay debt
or grant pension or reward OF any sort
tor waging war on Its non.existence. Nor
could ! be induced to approve or encour-
age the payment OF such debt, pension or
reward. Nobody expects or wants such
an unnatural action. To propose
1t would be an insult to the intelli-
gence and honor Of our people. When
the rebellion was crushed, the heresy of
secession in every form and in every in.
cident went down forever. It Is thing OF
the dead past. We move forward, not
backward. Ill were President | would
veto all legislation which might come be.
lore me, providing for the consideration
or payment OF claims Of any kind for
losses or damages by persons who we're
in the rebellion, whether pardoned or
not. In relation to the "Union War
Claims" the governments obligation Ia
It's defenders come, first. They are lasting
and sacred. The public laws OF civilized
nstions do not In general recognize claims
for injuries to property resulting from the
operations OF war; nevertheless our gov
ernment has treated with great indulgence
the claims for losses and damages suffered
by Union men from themilitary operations
OF the war OF the Union, but as hostilities
were closed more than fifteen years age,
the claims that mature now, mostly In
the hands ot brokers or persons other than
the original sufferers, are becoming stale,
and, in my judgment, might fairly be con.
sidered as barred by the lapse Of time, and II
hereafter entertained at all they shoud be
subjected TO the strictest scrutiny.
Yours truly,
---- w. s. HANCOCK.