Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1876-11-02
Tilden SqneaIing.

AlIOen SquedixBS.
The exigencies of the Tiideu cam
paign have constrained him to write
letter, declaring his views of the rebe
claims for losses by the war. We hav
in this the evidence of the real opinio
of Mr.. Tilden on the bearing of the OC
tober elections on the prospect for Nc
| vember. Bills were presented in tn
Confederate House last winter to max
provision for auditing all claims TO
damages by the war in the South
They attracted genaral attention, bu
not till the elections in several States
eliminating with those of Ohio an,
Indiana, proved that the reactionar,
popular tide which Tilden reekone,
| upon had not set in, but that on tn,
| eOnrrary'the Republican tidewss rising
did he bow to the necessity to declar,
himself on these claims.
The style of this letter IL anothe
sigh of this stress, for it has direct anC
positive promises, whereas it was hart
| to believe that the construction of Til
den's artful tangle of deceptive and un
| meaning words, in his letter O
acceptance, could write anything plair
or positive.
In accordance with the campaign ex
igency, Mr.. Hewitt, Chairman of the
Committee, addressed him letter, sta
ting the public apprehension with re
gard to the rebel claims, and asking 6
public declaration of his views. B1r
Tilden answered with the readiness o.
one who had fOreordained the OppOrtu
nifty.
The first part of the letter is decep
tive, in that II cites the Amendments
to the Constitution as having made 6
finality in affairs which they do no
touch, and in its using the vague anG
unmeaning phrase, ''the results of the
war;" as accepted by the Democratic
party.
Next, he pledges himself that the
18th Amendment shall be executed
"no rebel debt shall be assumed OF
paid, no claim for loss of emancipation
of any slave shall be allowed" These
are things excluded by the Amend
ment, and this pledge does not touch
any OF the class of claims that have
been introduced into the House, and
that are under discussion. His prom.
ise thus far is mere surplusage.
But then he comes to promise which
seems to comprehend the claims that
are under discussion. He says, "NC
by dislOyal persons arising from the
late war, whether covered by the 14th
Amendment or not, will be recognized
or paid. The cotton tax will not be
refunded. shall deem it my duty tG
veto overy bill providing for the as
sumption or payment of any such
debts, losses. damages. claims, or fol
refunding of any tax"
This seems comprehensive and posi-.
tive. The rest of the letter is against
paying loyal claimants for losses by the
war in the South.
This is remarkable letter for Mr..
Tilden TO write. Nothing but belief
that the ccmpaign was lost, unless some
great stroke could be made to retrieve
it, could have constrained him to write
such a letter. In weighing it we have
to consider, first, by whom and in
what conditions it was written; second,
whether in case he shall be elected the
conditions will be such that his word
will be finality in such affairs, either
to the Government or to himself.
First, as to the character of the wri-
ter: He is a nan whose whole political
life has been one of intrigue and low
management which regarded the end
of party ascendancy as justifying any
means to carry it, and who is under
moral conviction of successful con-
spiracy to carry the State of New York
in the Presidential election of 1868 by
false votes, and who, therefore, has
no character to give the public guar
antee that he is not making this pledge
as a stratagem 10 bear on the election,
having no intent to keep faith, and
having a private understanding with
the Confederate leaders. And this
view of Tilden's is in conflict with his
whole course. To him not the South
ern people but the National Govern
ment was in rebellion. To him there
was no dislOyalty in the South; for they
were loyal to their sovereign States.
He neither regards their debt, State or
Confederate, as "rebel debt" nor any
who fought against the Union as dis
loyal. In his lexicon pledges against
rebel debt and disloyal claims are
meaningless.
AS to the conditions in which this
tardy promise is issued, it is on the eve
of an election in whivh he is 8 candi-
date for the Presidency. It has been
delayed till the State elections in Octo-
Der, following Others in the Northern
States, showed that uuless something
were done to change the popular cur
rent, his defeat was certain. Distrust
of such interested promises is only the
course of intuition. The South is abso-
lutely i'm the coutrol of the Confederate
leaders. No pledge. which he shall
make, by an understanding with them,
can change single Southern State.
And it Is in accordance with Tilden's
methods, and with that talent for pro-
found dissimulstion which is so prom
inent trait in the Southern leaders,
that they should have consented to his
making this pledge, which there WOULD
be ways innumerable for evadiDg.
And now as to the likelihood that
Tilden could keep this promise In good
faith If he was elected. If elected 1t
will be by the solid South, which will
have three-fourths of the ruling major
ity, the majority of the legislative COM
mittees, Department officers, and for
eigp missions, and will 90 forward to