Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-07-22
GOV. TILDEN'S ACCEPTANCE.

The following is Gov Tilden's reply
to the committee appointed by the St.
Louis convention,t to formally notify him
of his nomination for the PRESIDENCY:
GEN. MCCLERNAND AND GENTLEMAN
OF THE COMMITTEE: l shall at the ear
liest convenience prepare and transmit
to you formal acceptance of the nomi-
nation which you now tender to me in
behalf Of the Democratic National Con-
vention, and do not desire on this oc-
casion to anticipate any topic which
might be appropriate to that communi-
cation. 1t may, however, be permitted
to me to say that my nomination was
not mere personal preference between
citizens and statesman of this republic,
who might very well have been chosen
for so distinguished an honor and for so
august duty. 1t was rather declara-
tion Of that illustriOus body in whose
behalf you speak, in favor of admins
trative reform, with which events had
associated me in the public mind. The
strength, the universally and the effi-
cheney of the demand for administrative
reform in all governments, and especial
ly in the administrative reform in the
Federal Government, with which the
democratic masses everywhere were in
spired, have led to series of surprises
in the popular assemblages, and per
haps in the convention itself. 1t would
be unnatural, gentleman, if popular
movement so genuine and so powerful
should stop with three and one-half
millions of democrats; that it should
not extend by contagion to that large
mass OF Independent voters who stand
between parties in our country and to a
portion of the party under whose ad-
have grown up. And perhaps in what
augury in respect to what we may wit
ness in the election about to take place
throughout our country, at least let us
hope SO and believe so. am not with
out experience of the difficulty and the
labor of effecting administrative reform
when it requires revolution in policies
and in measures long established in gov
ernment. 1t l were to judge by the
year and half in which have been in
the state government, l should say that
the routine duties of the trust I have
had imposed on me are small burden
compared with that created by the at
tempt to change the policy OF the gov
ernment of which have been the exc
cutive head. Especially is this so where
the reform is to be worked out with
more or less Of the cooperation Of public
officers, who either have been tainted
with the evils to be redressed, or who
have been incapacitated by habit or
federation OF the wrongs to be corrected,
to which they have been consuming
witnesses. 1, therefore, If your choice
should be ratified by the people at the
election. should enter upon the great
duties which would fall upon me, not as
a holiday recreation. but very much in
that spirit of conservation in which the
soldier enters battle. [Applause:] But
let us believe, as / do believe, that we
now see the dawn of better day for eur
country, and that, difficult as is the
work to which the democratic party,
with many of the allies and former
members of other parties has addressed
itself, the public is yet to be renovated
to live in all the future and to be trans.
mitted to future generations as Jefferson
) contributed to form it in his day, and in
which it has been ever since, until 8
: recent period, blessing to the whole
! people. Applause. Gentleman,
thank you for the very kind terms ii
which you have made your communica
ton, and extend to you collectively ant
Individually most cordial greeting.