The Southern Claims Bugaboo

The foliowing correspondence explains itself: ('ivrrvx att, Rept, 20, 1880. General W. 8. lïancock: Pear S;r - T inclose slips rut from the Gacetta and Commercia' of this city, hntli of tliem newspapers of large cfrcnlation and inflnence in Ohio anfl Indiana, rPferring, as yoii will see, to the much-barped-upon subject in our politics, of rebel elainis. These newspapers and Ropnbiican stump-speakers are cwnstsntly aaserting, if yon are e'ectpd President. that the claims of tlie disloyal peoplp of the South for lossea 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 mady; aprninsi the Democratie party, and you, its candidato for President, have not denied it. This warfare is made in all seriousness and niaintained with gfreat eamestness and rppeated day after day in the press and in speeches. You are known to the country as a frank and honest soldier, now the reprentativs of the Democratie party and having the rijrht to speak for ft. Whatever you mar sav thepeopJewill hearand believe. I sul'mit the matter to your eood iml.trment. as to what pn shonld say, or whetner you should' make any public ' utternnc-s at all. Yeiy respectfully yours, Thbodobb Cook. GnvKRXOTi''í5 IbIíATTD, Sept. 28. TW Tkeodore Codk, Enq.: Dear Sir- Yonr letter of tlie 20th inst. has ' een received. I rogrret tliat vol' re disturbad abont that bugbear, ''Southern war claims."' The pen cannot be misled by it. To snppose that "rebel claims" or claims in the, interest of persons who wpre in rebéllion can in any Way or in any dejrree be countenanced is ari imputation of disloyaltv such as used to be made against di mocr,(' wlien they were in arms de-_ f end ing the:r country. So far as i touches me, I.denounee it. The gov ernment can never pay a debt or gran 8 pension or reward of any sort for ■nasinfr war upon its own existence, nor could I be indueed to approve or wants sueh nnnatiiral action. To propose it would be an insult to the intellitrence nnd honor of onr people. When the rebellion was crr.shed the heresy of secession in every form and in every incident went down forever. It is a khing of the dead past. AVe move forward not backwara. If I were president I would veto all legislation which might c me before me providinsj for the consiiie ation or payment of claims of any ki ri forlossea or damages by persons who were in rebellion, whether pardone 1 or nul . In relation to "union war claims," tl e provernmenfs obligations t its defrgders come first. They are lasting and sarred. The public laws of civilizad nations do not in general ri'cognize claims for injuries to properiy resulting from the operations of war. Nevertheless our government bas treated with great induleence claims for losses and damages sufiered by Union men from the military operations of the war of the Union. " lint as hostilities wereclosed more than iifteen years ago. the claims of that nature, now mos' ly in the hands of brokers or persons otlier than the original sufferera, are becomingstale in my judüment and might fairly be considerèd as barred by the lapso of time, and if hereafter entert: ined at all should be subjected tothe tt'ictest scrutiny. Tours, verv trnlv.