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Show TILDE N'S LETTER ON REBEL CLAIMS. New York, Oct. 24, 1S7G. To the IIou. Abram S. Htwirx: Sir: I have received your letter informing me that republicans high in authority are publicly representing that "the south desire not without hope" to obtain payment for losses by the late war and to have "provision "provis-ion made for tho rebel war dubt and , for tbo losses of slaves. ' ' As the payment of such looses and claims was not deemed important enough to deserve the notice of either convention at tho time it was held, you also ask mc to state my views in regard to their recognition by tbe government. ' Though dijpoacd myself to abide by tbe issue ub made up already, I have j no hesitation to comply with your request. re-quest. j The fourteenth amendmont of the . constitution expressly provides as follows: fol-lows: "Tho Talidity of the public debt of a the United Slates authorized by law, including debts incurred tor payment of pensions and bounties for services q in suppressing insurrection or rehel-:j rehel-:j lion, shall not be questioned. But , neither the United Stales, nor any Q stale, shall assume or pay any debt or 41 (bd-jatioii, incurred m aid rinpurrec- tiuu or rebellion against tho United States, or any tVaiHt for the lost or cmaiirijiatiun of any since. I ut all such debts, obligations and claims t shall be hold illegal and coid," This amendment baa been repeat- ' edly approved and agreed to by democratic dem-ocratic stale conventions of tho south. It was unanimously adopted as a part of the platlorm of the democratic -national convention at St. Louis, on the 2b. h of June, and was declared by that platlorm lo be "universally at;- i cepted as a Jtnal tettlement of the con- 11 trovendea that engendered civil war," My own position on this iubject p had been previously declared on many occasions, and particularly in my first annual message of January 5lb, 1875. In that document, laUted that the r southern people were "bound by the , thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth j constitutional amendments; that tuoy had joined at national conventions in the nomination ot candidates and in , n tho declaration of principles and pur 1 -posed, which form an authentic ac- a ceptanco of the result of the war, j r embodied in the last three amend- meuts to the organic law of the federal J union, and th it they had, by the suffrage! of all their voters, at the last national election, completed the j proof that now Ihoy only seek to share ( with us, and to maintain tbe common j I rights of American local Btdf govern- inent, in a fraternal union, under Ihe old flag with "one constitution and . ' one duttiny." I s 1 declared at Ihe same lime: J "Ihe que.tioiu settled by the war . are never to be reopened. Tne adop-i adop-i lion of the thirteenth, fourteenth ; and iiiteenth amendments to the federal coustitnti m closed one great era in our polities. Li marked tne end forever oi : the system ol human slavery, and ol the utruftlee that giew uut ot that fcj stem, 'lnesu amend-menls amend-menls have been conclu-'.vely aJop-teti. aJop-teti. anil tney have tn-en accept d in gtxd faith t'V ait political organizations organi-zations and the peoptu of nil seelioua. Tliey cl"f the cuapler; tuey am and must bj linal; kll p.iriti a her. a in r mii't accept and s'..u I upon them, and hencelurili o;r p-ihtu-4 are lo turn upon qtnslious of tne present ami the future, and nut upon Imue of the sell ltd and final pat." Sm.uld 1 be elected pnVdcnl. the proviaioni ol the foiirlrr-nlh umei.il menl wnl, far ..-: Ui pe:uU on me, by UiuiulAim-il, exct.uli.-d and en f.ri'd in perfcel and ab.iuie g-l f.ii'h. No rebel d'.bl will be uuiuul I or paid, No eimin f-.T the i"-s or etnaiu Ip .lion ut any aUvu will Ins ' ad iaiiI. No c auu (or any k u or dam..; itu uif il hy d'.-il'yal per-tun I uriei:. fr.ru UiO lalo war, iitln r ctvtn-vl ty the (oiirleenth an-n-l-nient or nut, w;;l le rt -iin i it or paiJ. i iii- extu.il tux urul n. tl Ik-re , ,'uuJt.d. I haii tUeni it my dul) tt Veto i vt ry h;ll pr.-.:.Iu g f T the atwinnpuon or piyment ti any mch d!(i, (, damaite", cUinu, or lor ihe refunding of any uch lax. 1 danger to the n At u in! tri.imir) i jliol Uoui c!a:iin id peraona who .O.ttd I Ii." r-:--. h. m, bul I rum elaiuii of p'Twiti remduig in Ihevaithrii ti..i" li.tviiiy prxiperly in Itert-) lten, wmi were, id ur preti ndul li..vnm pio-prly pio-prly in I, nni: '..ii i, Wito "l it?, ur prt t mlt d lu or wim I iff the hake ut Hiding t l.iinm ! now p-elrml U" Imvc n, lojal to j tin: g -MTtiinei t n( the L niuii. S.ich .viaunf, tun of lnyal prriou., wlirru tiny uro Irum acla cauis.l by Ihe op.T itioin uf war, have been iliv-wned by the public law ol civihied nttinia, coiidi'iiined by Ilie adjudications ot the auprctne coin I uf II .u ItiHid '.itu, niiJ only find any tlaiu ly 'on e of - pi ci fie li Ki-l"! l' 'i of e.-in;ris. 1 n-ii damn have In romo at no and arr often (aineil with irau l. I'nry i re nearly alwtiya nwnil m wholf or part by claim a,;rnU, liy pf cola tors ur lubl'Vl'la, Who have no eijuily aaiiiit the lax p iveta or Urn pnhlic I hey nil on h I , in nil cihih, I'd acrutt-n:i" acrutt-n:i" I Willi lealoUi cir.' The cuUmiln a lo u.du uluali w Inch Hi re lull i tnl bv lie- late w ar are. for the on wt pari , ii ivprahin. Tni gov cni'iu'iil oiniiol r.-eall lo I iff- tne million c' our yuulli wim wen I to imUniely graved, nor rompeinale Hip riutl'Tini or Borrow of tht ir relative, or fri. i tli. It e uoitil rea ljut, be-liveen be-liveen imlividualx, the bnrJens ol taxation tax-ation hillmitO Imkiiii, or ol debU in-cunt in-cunt d io tui at a in the government, whhh are yet lo be paid, ll cannol apportion anew, nuong our ritueii", the d.iniai;i' or lomd inridert lo unlit nry openni 'n, or reuniting in every variety of lonn fnitii its uu ai 1 1 rew for i.iauilainiut; Ut nan eim-tenee. eim-tenee. ll liaa no m'h k-'Iii ral ml( I'Ut In let by gi'iuv, tie lv -Konm, lo turn fmm llui deud pail (o a ii nv anil belter (ulure; anil, on that baia, lo hpsuio peace, rcciiiicilintinn aiel fiatirnny hflweeu nil serlnim, ehmet unit rm'i n of our people, to Ihe end Unit all the spring. of our productive indnal rim may le quickened, and n n'W iropnly created in which the evil, ol tho pant ahull I ii forgotten, Veiy reaj'i clluHy yoiira, Mmi i;i, .1. Ttl.PVN, |