Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-09-29
Hr. Tlldeu not a Patriot.

Secretary of State John Bigelow, Of
New York, has written letter to prove
that, during the war, Tilden was patriot
Wecopy a paragraph:
Mr.. Tilden was more solicitous than al
most any other prominent man In the country
to avert the war, because he saw more clear
ly than most men the grave proportions 1t was
likely to assume and when II broke OUT ne
did not associate himself publicly with the
party which he had thought had unwiseiy
precipitated it, because be could not entire
" approve Of the methods BY which they
were conducting it. have yet to see one
particle of authentic evidence that, when the
war had become inevitable, Mr.. 1ilden dn
not do everything that might have been feas-
onably expected Of him, to make all the re-
sources of the country available for Ita Ngor-
Gus and successful prosecution
That is enough. Ii the best that can lie
said for Mr.. Tilden is that there Is no au-
thentic evidence that he failed to support
his Government in the time OF lis greatest
peril, he will not do for President. There
happens to be candidate before the people
in regard to whom there is plenty OF posi-
tive evidence that he did everything that
could be reasonably expected Of him ior
the cause of his country.
But there is positive evidence Of Iil-
den's want of sympathy with the national
cause Neither Mr.. Tilden, nor any friend OF
his, has yet dared to deny Gov. Underwood
most damaging testimony-that Mr.. Iilden
ayowed to him the reasonable doctrine
that every Union Soldier was trespasser
on Southern soil and liable to civil salt for
damages.
The veteran Thurlow Weed, who hes
known Tilden intimately for years, says
..No vote Of mine shall ever aid 10 elec
a President who was not in sympathy witt
the Union and publicly known to be Wal
man, loyal to the core, ready with IN
voice, his influence and his means, to he'll
his country and uphold her flag. Mr.. III
den was not one of these.
And correspondent OF the New
York Times. who also undoubtedly know
the man and the facts OF which he writes
saws, writing from Tarrytown, y. Y.
1t IS not true, as stated by Mr. Hewitt
that Mr. Tilden did not refuse to sign the
call for the great MON Meeting
He positively and repeatedly and ab
solutely refused, point blank. lie read the
paper presented 10 him for his signature
and refused to sign. Being entreated by Mr.
Samuel Sloan 10 consider carefully what h
was doing, and being assured by Mr.. SloaI
that to refuse would be the great mistake
of a lifetime, he took over night TO consider
and next day, after mature reflection, ana
after sleeping upon the proposal, he posi-
lively declined to sign the call
10 sustain this allegation call As L wit
ness Mr. Samuel Sloan. lie presented the
PAPER. lie labored with Mr.. Tilden to in
duee him to Join the band of patriots, and Il
take sides with the nation. Call him he
wall tell the truth.
at Is true that Mr. Tilden has occupied q
position Of responsibility in this community
but it is also true that be was, like many oi
his party, not in sympathy with the Onior
during the war. lie was not a War Demo
crat The people he associated with and
who made his house their headquarters were
men who never lifted hand or voice in the
battle for existence of the nation.
The testimony Of Hon. Dorman b. Eaton
to the same effect, has been given in our col
umns and there i plenty more Of unim-
peachable evidence to the same effect. That
Mr.. John Bigelow has seen none Of it
there are none 50 blind a. those who won
see-doeS not wipe out the testimony But
the testimony wipes out Mr. Tillen-