The Portland daily press., 1876-07-08
[From the Boston Advertiser.J
Coy. Tilden's Peace Record.

A little while ago the Chicago Times pub
lished statement that Governor Tllden was
chairman of the committee on resolutions of
the Chicago convention of 1864, the same that
promulgated as one plank of its platform a
declaration that -four years of failure had
demonstrated the impossibilty of subjugating
the South, and demand that the prosecution
of the war should be Immediately stopped.
Mr.. Manton Marble made haste to contradict
the statement in all its parts. He said that
Tilden was not chairman of the committee,
that he vigorously opposed the resolution in
committee, and counselled Mcclellan in his
letter of acceptance to express dissent from
it. This had led TO a closer scrutiny of the
record, and it appears that Mr.. Marble is
right in saying Tilden was not chairman of the
committee. He made the motion for the ap-
pointmeDt of the committee. but Mr.. Guthrie
of Kentucky was chairman of it.
1t appears, however, that on the secopd day
of the convention. when the report of the
committee was called for, Mr.. Guthrie stated
that the committee were not ready. The gen
eral committee had debated the matter of plat
form good part of the night "rheir coun-
ellis had been very harmonious, and all were
agreed on platform which would maintain
the Constitution and the Union of the States,
and they believed that an earnest, honorable
peace would be maintained" The platform
was in the hands of a subcommittee, to be put
into shape. Then Tilden followed in further
explanation and assurance, saying, II wish to
add that upon the adjournment of the gen.
eral committee, there was no dissent among
the members" but the clerical labor of get
ting the resolutions into shape would take until
4 o'clock. Mr.. Brown of Delaware took the
liberty to state, as one of the committee, that
there was not the slightest dssention among
US. We have been unit from the first" Mr..
McKeon of New York and Mr.. Cass of Penn
sylvania developed the fact that one member of
the sub committee, then spoke and said he did
not think the committee could report that day.
Mr.. Weller of California said: 'The sub
committee have agreed upon the only portion
of the platform which by any possibility can
divide this party. We are all iRfavor Of peace,
and the only difference of opinion is as to the
phraseology to be used in making that declara.
tion." Mr.. Smith of Wisconsin corroborated
Mr.. Weller, saying 'there is no difference in
the committee except upon mere matters of
expression" The convention adjourned until
o'clock. The sub committee reported to the
general committee, by whom their work was
approved, and it was reported to the conven-
tion and adopted, no member OF the committee
expressing a word of dissent. The Chicago
Times gives the following inside history of the
circumstances:
Now, behind this public record, the fact is, and it
is also plain inference from the record, that the
lone man" alluded to by MT. MckeOn as heSltat1ng
to give his assent to the form Of resolution which all
other members of the committee were agreed upon,
was not Mr.. Tilden, but was Mr. Vaandigham.
That gentleman objected to the so-caed peace reso-
luton, not because its expression too strong but
because it was not strong enough to suit him. The
proposition was originally drawn up by him. Mr..
Tfden and other members of the committee objected
to Mr. Vaandigham's original resolution because its
meaning was expressed in too plain too honest and
too emphatic language to suit their notions of what
the public stomach could bear. Mr.. Valandigham
was overruled, and the resolution, in the modified
and rather obscure phraseology which was reported
to and adopted by the convention was agreed to by
the committee, Mr.. Vaandigham alone objectihg,
but finally withdrawing his objections.
Lest some of our readers may have forgotten
this infamous resolution, we quote it in full
ResolUed, That this convention does explicitly de-
clare the of the American people, that after
four years of failure to restore the Union by the
pertinent of war-during which. under the pretence
of military necessity or power higher than the
Constitution the Constitution itself has been disre
garded in every part, and public liberty and private
right alike trodden down, and the material prosper-
ty of the country essentially mpaired-ustice, hu-
manity, liberty and the public welfare demand that
immediate efforts be made for cessation of hosti-
states other peaceabe means, to the end that at
the earliest practicable moment peace may be re-
stored on the basis of the federal states.
Governor Tilden gave no sign in the conven-
tion that he did not cordially assent to the reso-
luton. If he afterwards, as Mr.. Marble says,
advised Mcclellan to reject it, it was unloubt-
edly because the patriotic indignation Of the
American people had frightened him.