Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-09-02

me | have no other course to take than
to brand the charges rs utterly false be-
fore this house and before the country. |
Mr.. Page-Which charge does the
gentleman from New York mean?
Mr.. Hewitt will state the charges;
l was going to state them. The first
charge was that Gov. Tilden had been II
secessionist, and there were quoted as
authority for that assertion statements
and passages from an open letter to the
late Judge Kent, dated in 1860. The
gentleman from Iowa possessed only
extracts from that letter. He was good
enough to allow me to look at those
extracts.
Now, 1 have only to say IN regard to
that letter, that neither the gentleman
from Iowa nor any other person can
understand the true purport and bearing
OF it without having the entire letter
before him and without having some
reference to the circumstances under
which it was written. 1t is not saying
much that since 1860 a great many peo-
pie in this country have had their theo-
ries of government changed and their
ideas OF political duties enlarged. 1t is
possible that in 1860, before the late
strife. Gov. Tilden may have entertained
VIEWS Ill COIllillOu Will oCACioohs
son, and Jackson. and other great men
who have given construction to the
constitution and government of this coun-
| Try, which now would be modified.
But all that l can see in the extract
which he read relates ftether te-that era
of the government when the states were
bound together, not by the constitution,
but bv the articles of confederation.
UNCLE SAM HELPS FIT OUT A REGIMENT.
The next charge that the gentleman
made against Gov. Tilden was in exact
ly these words: s'Ihat he was n dis
unionist." When the question was press
ed home to him he travelled around the
point little, but still the charge re-
mained that he was disunionist. l do
not know upon what he based that
charge. l can only say that at the out
break of the rebellion was in daily and
almost in hourly communion with him,
and know that no more loyal or patri-
otic heart beat in the United States at
that date and when the gentleman from
Iowa challenges his friends to say when
and where he ever made any contribu-
ton to the Union cause or ever assisted
a soldier to the war. / answer him by
saving that when the first call for troops
came, Tammany Hall, which had not
tnen fallen into the hands of the ring,
raised regiment, and the Grand Sachem
of Tammany " Hall, William d. Kennedy,
was colonel of the regiment. 1t was
officered mostly by members of the
Tammany Society, and being myself a
member, and from the state of my health
unable to 90 to the war, although rem
dered other services, / sent my nephew
as one of the officers of that regiment.
Mr.. Lapham-Will the gentleman al
low me to ask him 4 question?
Mr.. Hewitt-Yes, sir.
Mr.. Lapham-Does not the gentle
man know that the call for the meeting
at Cooper Institute Immediately after
the fall of Fort Sumter was presented to
Mr.. Tilden for him to sign, and he re-
fused to sign it, and refused to attend
, the meeting? 81
Mr.. Hewitt will answer that ques-
ton that it is not true that he refused to
;, sign the call, and that it is true that he
did attend the meeting, Applause and
defy that gentleman to bring any au'
thority for the charge he has insinuated
Mr. Lapham-It is a fact as well known
> in the state of New York as any Other
facts in its history.
Mr.. Hewitt is not so. Mr.. Samue
Sloan, the present president of the Della,
ware and Lackawanna Railroad Com
. panv, then member of the Union Safe.
: ty Committee of New York, applied tc
: ! Mr.. Tilden at time when he was en-
= gagged IN the trial of q case before /:
= referee to affiX his name to the call, anC
he SAID, 81 am very busy just now; seht
. me the resolutions alter l am out of this
case, and if they are entirely proper
, will sign the call" When the meeting
took place he attended it. The cal
was never sent to him and he never re
fused to sign it, but like the prudent and
sagacious man which he is, he desired
to know the nature of the resolution
. They did receive his absolute and un
; qualified approval.
Now l say that Tammany Hall raised
a regiment, and that Gov. Tilden was {
contributor, and a large contributor, tt
the fund required to fit out the regiment
t Mr.. Conger-How much?
b Mr.. Hewitt 4 am not going to quote
+ dollars and cents. Patriotism is above
). dollars and cents in some quarters, bu
K enough was raised by the democrats o
: the city to fit out regiment withou
e asking assistance from The government
!, of the United States or from the city o
l New York. [Applause.] Now, so mucl
d for the charge OF his being disunionist
Mr.. Conger-Will the gentleman al
c low me to ask him one question:?
= Mr. Hewitt-Certainly. am here tt
:. answer questions.
= Mr.. Conger-It is denied in the public
e press that Mr.. Tilden ever contributed
d one cent for any such purpose. Laugh
e ter on the democratic side of the house
e and a voice, "In the National Republi
s can?"
e Mr.. Hewitt-Now, what is the ques
!. ton?
:. Mr.. Conger-If the amiable gentleman
opposite will permit me L will ask it.
e say it is denied in the public press tina
d Gov. Tilden ever contributed any money
o whatever to the raising of any regimen
: or corps of the army. Will the gentle
d man state to the house when and wher,
s and what amount he ever did contrib
l. ute :.
l. Mr.. Hewitt state when, when sa,
s. the Tammany regiment was raised; ant
d | state where, in the city OF New York
Y and state how much, for do not know
+ the exact amount, but it was all he wa:
l. asked to give, and the democrats did no
It go begging, carrying the hat arounC
y among the republicans. Laughter.
l and certainly we did not get any hell
: from Michigan.
) LINCOLN SEEKING TILDEN'S ADVICE.
# Subsequently to this period, l know o
d no man in New York who was more ire
e quently called into counsel there and il
G Washington during the troublous times
o of the war, and when there was delay
in raising the men required to recruit
= the armies of the United States 1 know
d that twice he was called for by Presl.
d dent Lincoln and came to Washington
k and held careful consultation with him
4 resulting in the early and rapid filling
t of the quota from the state of New York
h And 1 know that during. the period of the
Y whole of that trying time there never was
! 4 doubt expressed in the city of New
: York i'll any quarter as to the loyalty
and patriotism of Samuel j. Tilden.
, The gentleman from Iowa says that
D when Mr.. Tilden went to the Chicago
r convention he was in favor Of resolu-
ton practically declaring that the war
was failure and ought to be brought to
an end. That gentleman must have
known. if he reads the newspapers. that
4 within a very recent period, certainly
within month, there has been made