The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-02-12
past week has shown that the ball at the Ter.
race 10 greater boon even than tho grandest
ball at the Academy.


Champagne in Politics.
Our Albany festivities have reached grace
full climax. We read that the other evening
there was private dinner party at the man
sion OF distinguished lady in Albany.
Among the guests were Governor Tilden,
Senator Herman, Ex-Governor Seymour, Lieu
tenant Governor Dorsheimer, Smith NJ Weed,
Joseph Warren, the great democratic editor
OF the western part of the State, and our
illustrious and venerable townsman, Mr.
William Cullen Bryant. ''Mr. Bryant de-
livered q Speech" says the writer, 'closing
with toast, nominating Samuel J. Tilden as
the next democratic candidate for President
This was drunk standing and with much
enthusiasm. Governor Tilden responded,
neither accepting nor declining the proHered
honor, but holding himself subject to the call
of his party" This graceful, poetic and en-
thusastic tableau is fitting elimination to
the festivities of the past few days Governor
Tilden has paid Mr.. Bryant the great
est honor in his power. He has sum-
moned him to Albany he has made him
the guest of the Executive Mansion; he has
hidden the honored, the learned, the
wealthy and the beautiful to come and do him
homage. He has been publicly welcomed by
the Senate and the House. The honors that
were showered on tho gray hairs of Voltaire
have been repeated upon Mr. Bryant but we
trust that unlike Voltaire, he will not be
smothered in the roses.
This was an historical tableau. There was
Senator Herman, fresh from the honors of
victory in the Senatorial contest; Governor
Seymour, like Cincinnatus, returned from his
farm, to do honor to the poet of the Repub-
lie; Governor Tilden, now on the ascending
wave of political power and prosperity; MI.
Dorsheimer, who is believed to be by some of
our correspondents the coming De Witt Gin
ton Of New York, and who probably stood in
awe of the greatness which surrounded him.
There was Mr.. Bryant, who began writing
poems when Jefferson was President, and
now, fifty years after, is in the active pursuits
of vigorous manhood. What more graceful
than that Mr.. Bryant should nominate Gov
ernor Tlden for President and what specta-
Gle more beautiful than Governor Tilden
standing, like a coy maiden, covered with
bushes, ''neither accepting nor declining
the proffered HONOR but holding himself
open to the demand of his party? At the
same time we think that Governor Tilden
made mistake. He should have Immediately
taken another glass of champagne and nomi-
mated Mr. Bryant for the Presidency; for we
are now in the time when honor is paid to age.
In Philadelphia Mr.. Binney, at ninety-five,
is leading, active spirit in public affairs.
Henry @. Carey, at eighty-fve, directs the
politics Of Pennsylvania. In New York
Thurlow Weed, at seventy -eight, is the most
vigilant and efficient politician of the State.
Governor Dix, who served in the war of 1872,
has only just retired from one Office and is
believed by his friends to be in training for
another and a higher candidacy. In Balti-
more Reverdy johnson is the leader of the
Bar, while in Washington Judge Black is
brilliant and active political writer. The
leader of the Senate is Mr. Cameron, who is
younger man at seventy-seven than two
thirds of his colleagues. And so we might
SELF already advanced in years, to shoy
that we are beginning to pay due respect to
the wisdom and experience of age.
This being the case, what more natural than
that Governor Tilden should nominate Mr..
Bryant to the Presidency? Mr. Bryant has
only just celebrated his eightieth birthday,
but this by no means proves that he is an old
man. In fact, we know few younger men in
public life Few men, indeed, would be will
ing to stand the perils of journey in mid
winter to encounter the combined honor of
two legislative bodies and the overpowering
courtesies of the Executive Mansion. Now that
Mr.. Bryant has proclaimed Governor Tilden
as his candidate for President Mr.. Tilden
should proclaim Mr.. Bryant for the same
Office. There is no reason for narrowing this
controversy. New York is ripe in great men.
We do not want to go to the Convention
carrying one lonely candidate as our choice.
Let us have twenty candidates, hundred if
necessary, and let us show the democratic
party, when it assemblies in convention, what
the centennial year of American independence
has produced in New York in the way of
democratic statesmen.