The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-07-01
DEMOCRATIC NOMINATIONS.
SAMUEL J. TILDEN.
THE CAREER OF THE DEMO.
CRATIC CANDIDATE.
How He Mastered the Tammany Ring
and the Canal Ring.

ana the canal ring.
Gov. Tilden was born at New Lebanon,
in the county of Columbia and state OF
New York, in the year 1914. One of his
ancestors, Nathaniel Tilden, was mayor of
the city Of Tenterden, Kent, England, in
1923. He was succeeded in that Office by
his cousin John, as he had been preceded by
his uncle John in 1885 and 1000. He re-
moved with his family to Scituate, in the
colony of Massachusetts in 1884. His
brother, Joseph, was one of the merchant
adventures Of London who fitted out the
.tayflower. This Nathaniel Tilden married
Hannah Bourne, one of whose sisters
married brother of Gov. Winslow, and
another son of Gov. Bradford.
Gov. Tilden's grandfather, John Tilden,
settled in Columbia county. The COVER
nor's mother was descended from VIM.
Jones, lieutenant governor of the colony of
New Haven, who in all the histories of
Connecticut is represented to have been
the son of COL John Jones, one Of the
regicide judges of Charles l., who is said
to have married 4 sister of Oliver Crom-
well and q cousin of John Hampden. The
governors father,
n fAhMEh AND MEhthANI
Of New Lebanon, was q man of notable
judgment and practical sense, and the
accepted oracle of tho county upon all
matters Of public concern, while his opinion
was also eagerly sought and justly valued
by all his neighbors, but by none more
than by the late President Van Buren,,
who till his death was one of his most
cherished, intimate and personal friends.
From his father Gov. Tilden inherited a
taste for political inquiries, and in his
companionship enjoyed peculiar opportuni.
ties for acquiring an early familiarity with
the bearings of the various questions
which agitated our country in his youth.
Young Tilden entered college in his
eighteenth year.
Mr.. Tilden had not been long in Yale
college before his health gave way, and
obliged him TO leave. After some rest he
was enabled to resume his studies, and in
1884 entered the University of New York,
where he completed his academic educa-
ton. He then entered the law Office of
the late John w. Edmunds, 10 the city of
New York where he enjoyed peculiar facil-
tiles for the prosecution of his favorite
studies of law and politics.
The accession of Mr.. Van Buren, to the
presidency in 1887 was followed by the
most trying financial reyulsion that has yet
occurred in our history. During the
summer appeared the presidential message
calling for a special session of congress,
aud recommending the separation of the
government from the banks and the
establishment Of the independent treasury
This measure provoked voluminous and
acrimonious debate throughout the coun.
try, even before il engaged the attention OIL
congress.
Mr.. Tilden, though still student, spranG
to the defence Of the presidents policy, and
wrote series of papers, marked by all the
characteristics OF his maturity, and advo
eating the proposed separation and the re
deemability Of the government currency il
specie. These articles were signed "Crino.
Upon his admission to the bar Mr.. Til
den opened an Office in Pine street, in tn,
city Of New York.
In 1874, in anticipation and preparatio,
for the election which resulted in making
James X. Polk president and Silas Wrigh
governor of the state of New York, Mr.
Tilden. in connection with John L. O'Sul
Ivan, founded the newspaper called tn
Daily Nel0S.
sembly from the city Of New York, an
while member of that body was electe
to the convention for the remodeing of tn
constitution of the state, which was TO cou
menco its sessions in few weeks after tn
legislature adjourned. In both of thes
bodies Mr.. Tilden was conspicuous au
thority, and left permanent impressio
upon the legislation of the year, and esp(
cially upon all the new constitutional pre-
visions affecting the finances of the stat
and the management of its system OF ca
nails.
The defeat of Mr.. Wright in the fall G
1916, and the GOODNESS which had grown u
between the friends of President Polk an
the friends Of the late President Van Blu
rem resulted, fortunately for Mr.. Tilden,
not for the country, in withdrawing his at
.tention from politics and concentrating i
upon his profession. 1t was not many year
before he became as well known at the ba
as he had before been known as polit
clan. His business developed rapidly, an
though he continued to take more or les
interest in political matters, they were nc
allowed after 1857 to interfere with his pre-
fessional duties.
HIS WAR RECORD.
Till the war came Coy. Tilden made e.
cry effort to avert the rebellion. Whe
his efforts, combined with those of othe
prominent patriots, had proved abortiyt
his convictions of duty were perfectly dec
ded and clear. They were to maintain tn
integrity of our territory and the supreml
cy of the constitutional authorities.
During the winter of lS60-'6l he attend
ed n meeting Of the leading men Of bot
parties IN the city of New York to consid(
what measures were necessary and pract
cable to avert an armed collision betwee
what we're then termed the free and Il
slave states. To the north he urged r,
Cancellation and forbearance, appreciatiu
as he did moro clearly than most of tho:
around him the fearful and disastrous col
sequences of civil war, whatever migl
prove its ultimate result. To the south
urged Difference to the will OF the major
ity and respect for the provisions Of Il
federal constitution, within which tho
would be sure of adequate protection {,
themselves and for their property; but |
warned them that outside of the constitl
ton they could expect protection for ne
Their.
At a meeting held at the house of Gel
Dix, just aftes the first call of Presidel
Lincoln for 10000 troops, Mr.. Tilden W,
present and participated in the discussion
which took place. lie then and there g,
pressed the opinion that they were on Il
eve of a great war, and maintained tn,
instead of $4,000 troops MIR. Lincol
.L...Il l.. 90 c,lIed ont Mt least bOO M