Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-11-03
Southern War Claims.

| AeiA newspaper page. SET III Suldll type AM
the journalistic wits had begun to wonder a
to the possible length of his potential Mes
sages to Congress. But the present epistl,
is short (for Tilden), barely filling column
and presents a striking contrast to the dens,
cloud of words IN which he concealed hi
views on the currency question in his lette
OF acceptance. Then, too, there is certain
indecorum in a candidate for the highes
oihce in the gift of the American peopl,
rushing into print in such manner. 1t i
a performance that might be expected o
Butler and statesmen" of his kidney, bu
IS something Of a surprise coming from
man who declined to afhS his signature to 1
call for Union meeting. on the grounC
that it might not be exactly proper. Bu
Gov Tilden has broken through the reserve
which doth hedge about a Presidential can.
didate, and the country now, two weeks be.
lore the national election, knows what he
says he will not do, if elected 1t is shrewd
letter-whatever charges have been brought
against him no one, We believe, ever accused
Gov. Tilden Of being foOl-and will un-
doubtedly be received by the Democraey "
with the enthusiasm that revelation from
the immortal Jefferson would evoke
-AAtN- tupbii5 tu' tiuNi>iON1 ti tue EOuT-
teenth Amendment of the Constitution and
the declaration in regard thereto of the
recent Democratic National Convention and
giving a few choice selections from his Cub
ernatorial messages, Governor Tllden prU-
claims his intentions as follows:
"Should be elected President. the pro
visions Of the Fourteenth Amendment will,
50 far as depends on me, be maintained, ex-
ecrted, and enforced I perfect and absolute
good faith. No rebel debt will be ASSUMED
or paid. No claim for the loss or emancipa-
ton of any slave will be allowed. No
claim for any los or damage incurred by
disloyal persons arising hom the late war,
whether covered by the Fourteenth Amend
ment or not, will be recognized or paid
The cotton tax will not be refunded. shall
deem it my duty to veto ever bill providing
for the assumption or payment Of any such
debts, losses, damages, claims, or Tor the
reiundlng OF any such tax"
The letter then goes on to say that the
danger TO the national treasury Is not from
claims OF ex-rebels, bat from those of loyal
ists or pretended loyalists. and winds up
with little Tildenese eloquence about the
dead past, a new and better future, peace
reconciliation, and frsternt7, and quick
ening Of the springs of our productive indus
tries '-whateyer that mysterious process
may be.
Now this is all very fine but are the facts
IN the case such as TO justify public confidence
in Gov .Tilden : professions? Do they not have
a curious ring coming IRON man who de-
clared as his deliberate legal opinion that the
war for the Union was an unconstitutional
war; that the marching OF [ nited States sol
diers across Southern soil was trespass onthe
part Of every soldier-and that every soldier
of the Mon who served in the South made
himself individually liable to a civil suit, in
an action Tor trespaSs? GOV. Tilien an
nounced himself as strongly in favor Of the
Resumption Act and took strong ground in
IT, suupjrt, but when the howl arose from
the d>cordant factions Of the Democracy,
and when bis party nominated for the
second place on the ticket notorious infl-
zionist, he stultfed himself by advocating
the repeal of the most important part of the
act Why, then, should We expect him 10
be any more consistent on this question OF
Southern war claims
Again, il is Acknowledged on every hand
that Gov Tilden's only chance Of gaining
the coming election Is BY carving all OF
nearly all the Southern States. What are
the canses of this Democratic uprising in the
States lately in rebellion ? One, of course,
Is that the ex-rebels are coming to the sur
face again and taking their old part in the
direction of public afairS-something that
might be expected when one race Possesses
something Of education and culture and the
authority derived from long domination, and
the other-the loyal ace-is degraded and
demoralized 10y long generations Of wrong
and oppression. Another cause, and potent
one, Is that the southern people distinctly
recognize the fact that their only hope Of
ever drawing from the United States Treas
ury the almost boundless sums Of money
commonly spoken Of under the generic term
of " war claims lies in the election Of
Democratic Congress and a Democratic al
ministration. VIII Gov Tilden. if elected
President. with his well-known views Of the
war, his debt Of gratitude to the solid
South Sc for his election, and bis subsoryiency
to the popular camor As shown in his con
duet as to the Resumption Act, be able to re-
sist the pressure that Will be brought 10
bear upon him?
Moreover, much Of GOV. Tilden's past
record Is such as to inspire feeling Of pro
found di>tru>t in the man and in his proies-
sions. His va.t wealth has been acquired
in de7ious ways He has always been "A
politcan-and a Tammany politician at
that. lie claims secession as the undOubted
right of any State, and should he be elected
and a crisis occur the contemplate Pierce OF
the imbecile Buchanan would seem by com
parison ideal Presidents He was the friend
and associate of the robher Tweed until that
great public enemy and his corrupt dynasty
fell and Iilden. scenting danger from aiar,
was the first to fly from the crumbling fabric
of Tammany Hall. Such i the outline rec
ord Of this mans it such as TO inspire be
lief in his promises or confidence in his pro-
fessions In thinking Of him We are irresiSti-
bly, reminded of another Of Tweed friends,
once the pet Of the Democracy, candidate
for their presidential nomination and the
most dangerous politician of his day-JOhn
I. Hoffman. His career resembled Iilden :
in some Of the bolder outlines. He. too.
was Tammany politician and protege OF
Tweed's he acquitted himself admirably in
a subordinate position-that Of Recorder Of
the city of New York he was elected Gov
vernon Of that great State, as "reform"
candidate, and everybody rejoiced that so
able, honest and fearless man had taken
the gubernatorial chair But alas. be all too
soon fell from grace with a terrible crash,
and another Democratic idol was discovered
to be made of only brass and clay. We need
not recite the details-they are or ought to
be pretty familiar-but isn't there at least
some surface resemblance between the two
men
After all, Tilden's letter is simply an elec-
tioneering, campaign document, and it Is on
ly as an indication Of the desperate plight of
the Democracy that it deserves much consid-
Grafton. Gov. Tilden is sagacious enough
te read correctly the signs Of the times. lie
sees that the auguries are against him, and
be essays to help on his waning cause with
the virtuOus professions and promises we
have been discussing Thank Heaven, the
Republican Party has a candidate whose
position needs no explanation and
involves no ignoble descent to answer
the charges of the opposition; whose
past record calls for neither defence nor
apology, and is the surest promise for
the future who fought for the unity of his
country and the freedom of her children on
many a well-contested battlefield /; who is
experienced in public affairs and thoroughly
permeated with the spirit and intelligence
of reform whom it is no figure of speech
to call modern Bayard, sans peir et sans
reproohe.
Such are the men between whom the
American people are called upon to choose,
next November. OF what the verdict will
be-of our ultimate triumph at the polls
we have no doubt.
ACATEcnIsM FOR TRAMPs.-By new order