Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-10-07


ic fund has been raised from bankers. This
seems to indicate that business and capital
are not very much alarmed with the prospect
of Hancock's success
EDITORIAL INKLINGS.
About Monuments.
- A recent Richmond, Va, letter gives
the following description of the Washington
monument in that city, which shows that
Kings Mountain was not forgotten when
that monument was built:
AS the centennial of Kings Mountain is
near at hand, the following will show that
the great battle of Kings Mountain which
turned the tide of American freedom in our
favor, was not forgotten when the Washing
ton monument was erected on the capital
grounds, in the city of Richmond, Va.
When the monument which was erected in
accordance with the act of Assembly, passed
February %, lS49, a premium of $500 offer
ed for the best design, was awarded Thomas
Crawford, of Rome. for the model submitted
by him, which was selected, The ceremony
of laying the corner stone took place on the
22ud of February, 1850. Zachary Taylor,
President of the United States, and promi-
nent dignitaries were present by invitation of
the Legislature. On the 9th of june arti-
cles of agreement were entered into with
Crawford, stipulating that equestrian group
in bronze should be Is English feet from the
upper surface of the platform to the top of
the chapeau, and that the statues should be
10 English feet in height. On the 10th OF
October, 1857, Crawford died at London,
after completing models of all the statuary,
except Lewis and Mason and the TROPHIES. "
A contract was made with Randolph Rogers,
of New York, for the completion of the work
and the statues were cast at the Royal Foun
dry, Munich. The equestrian group arrived
in Richmond in November, 1857, and was
drawn to the square by the citizens themselves
on the Oath. 1t was erected with the statues
of Henry and Jefferson, and unveiled on the
next succeeding 22nd of February with ap
propriate ceremonies, General Winfield Scott
and other citizens of distinction being present
The statue Of Mason was received and
eoected early in 1860, and the war coming
on soon after the monument remained tn statu
quo until 1867, when the monuments of Mar
Shall, Lewis and Nelson were received. The
allegorical figures were all received in 1860,
and with their erection the monument was
completed.
The following shows the disposition of the
statuary and inscriptions on the shields of
the allegorical figures
Finance, Opposite Nelson,) Yorktown, Sar'
atoga.
Justice, Opposite Marshall,) Great Bridge,
Stoney Point.
Revolution, Opposite Henry,) Eutaw
Springs, Trenton.
Independence, Opposite Jeferson,) Kings
Mountain, Princeton.
Bill of Rights, Opposite Mason,) Gulford
c. H., Bunker Hill,
The total cost of the monument was $685..
913.26; of which from donations and inter.
est there was realized $47,2l269.
Other objects of interest within the grounds
are the statues of the Confederate General,
Stonewall jackson, in bronze by FAey, and
presented to the State of Virginia in 1875 by
an association of English gentlemen, which
was organized soon after the death of the
hero on the 10th of May, 1868, that of Hen.
ry Clay in marble, by Hart. The building
near the Ninth street gate was for many years
occupie as barracks for the Public or State
Guard which was disbanded in 1867.
Southern War Claims.
- Gen. Hancock, responding to Theodore
Cook, of Cincinnati, who had written to him
concerning the Generals attitude on the ques-
ton of Southern claims, replies as follows un-
date of the 23d ultimo:
Your letter of the 10th has been received.
regret that you are disturbed about that
bupbear Southern war claims. The people
cannot be misled by it to suppoee 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. 1t is an I'm.
putation of disloyalty such as used to be made
against Democrats even when they were in
arms defending the country. So far as it
touches me- I 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 a
debt, pension or reward. Nobody expects or
wants such unnatural action. To propose it
would be an insult to the Intelligence and
honor of our people. When the rebellion
was crushed, the heresy of secession in every
form and every incident went down forever.
1t is thing of the dead past. We move for.
ward not backward. If we're president l
would veto all legislation which might come
before me providing for the consideration or
payment of claims Of any kind for losses or
damages by persons who were in the rebel
lion, whether pardoned or not. In relation
to Union war claims the governments obli-
cations to its defenders come first. The pub.
lie laws of civilized nations do not in general
recognize claims for injury to property result
ing from 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 as hostilities were
closed more than fifteen years ago, claims of
that nature are now mostly in the hands of
brokers, or persons other than the original
sufferers, are becoming stale, and, in my
Judgment, might be considered as barred by
the lapse of time, and if hereafter entertained
at all, should be subject to the strictest scru'
tiny. Yours, very truly,
WINFIELD S. HANCOCK.