Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-09-08
A Troublesome Record.

THERE is certainly nothing in the con-
dtion of the country which requires the
election to the Presidency of candidate
who was not, in the highest sense,
patriotic and loyal during the war. 1t is
true that we are not at war now. But
every issue before us has grown out OF
the war, and it is the dictate of common
sense that the President should be man
who, being sound upon all existing ques-
tions of finance and reform, should also
have been in perfect sympathy with the
principles and spirit which saved the
national life and have amended the
Constitution. But nothing is now better
established than that ex-GOv. Dix
spoke the simple truth in saying that if
Mr.. Tilden's counsels and example had
been followed, there would be no gov
eminent for which to provide.
The moment that Mr.. Tilden was
nominated, it was asserted that he was
the Chairman of the committee in the
Democratic Chicago Convention of 1854
which reported the surrender resolution,
in these words:
Resolved, That this convention does ex-
plicitly declare, as the sense of the American
store the Union by the experiment of war
during which, under the pretense of military
necessity or war power higher than the Con
stitution, the Constitution itself has been
disregarded in every part, and public liberty
and private right alike trodden down, and the
material prosperity of the country essentially
mpaired-iustice, humanity, liberty and the
public welfare demand that immediate
efforts be made for cessation of hostilities
with a view 10 an ultimate convention of the
States, or other peaceable means, to the end
that atthe earliest practicable moment peace
may be restored on the basis of the Federal
States.
His friend, Mr.. Manton Marble, in
stantly telegraphed that the statement
was untrue; that Mr.. Tilden was not the
Chairman Of the committees; that he op-
posed the resolution in committee; and
that he advised Gen. Mcclellan in ac-
cepting the nomination to dissent from
the resolution. Discussion, however, has
established that there was nothing in the
resolution inconsistent with Mr.. Tilden's
position during the war. He was, in the
phrase of the time, a "Copperhead." In
letter to the Hon. William Kent in
1860, before the election of Mr.. Lincoln,
he argued with Calhoun and jefferson
the extreme doctrine of State rights,
which was the plea of secession under
Jefferson Davis. His letter is curiously
suggestive of those written by Jefferson
as to the States arming and resisting
usurpation at the time of the contest over
his first election.
In 1861 Mr.. Tilden declined to sign
the call for the patriotic uprising" of
the people in Union Square. Mr.. Hewitt
undertakes an explanation of this refusal
which is excessively ludicIous. Every
mature person in the country recalls the
week of the fall of Sumter. There was
no other interest, no other thought or
care, in every manly and patriotic breast
The best men of all parties were eager to
show that the great city of the country
was true to the Government, to the
Union and liberty. Mr.. Sloan, himself,
we believe, Democrat, took the call to
| Mr.. Tilden, and asked him to sign. 1t
was broad, general, patriotic, and moth
ing more. Mr.. Tilden was "trying a
case"-possibly Terre Haute & Al
ton Railroad case-and replied that he
was too busy, but if Mr.. Sloan would
send him the paper after he had finished
trying the case, and if he thought it quite
proper" he would sign. OF course Mr..
Sloan did not return to ask the signature
of that kind of patriot; and Mr.. Hewitt
apparently has no perception of the con-
tcmptible position in which he represents
his candidate.
In 1868 Mr.. Tilden was founder and
active member of the "Society for the
Diffusion of Political Knowledge, ;" which,
in opposition to the Loyal Publication
Society" issued tracts in aid and comfort
of the rebellion. Mr.. Manton Marble,
who volunteers a defense of Mr.. Tilden's
patriotism during the war, was the sec
retary of the society, and no one famil-
lar with the facts will deny that Mr.. Til
den was precisely as loyal and true as
the World newspaper The tracts con-
sisted of speeches of Copperhead"
orators and other essays deprecating
emancipation and alleging the unconsti-
tutionality of the great acts of the Lin
coin Administration. They could have
no other possible effect than to discour-
age loans and enlistments, paralyze the
spirit OF the army, and promote the sue
cess of the rebellion
In 1854 Mr.. Tilden was the New York
member of the platform committee in
the Democratic Surrender Conven-
tion, but he was not the Chairman, as
stated. When, however, the resolution,
as reported, had been debated in the
committee, Mr.. Tilden, far from protest.
ing, stated in the convention that there
was no dissent among the members. His
remarks were confirmed by MIR. Brown,
of Delaware, who said that there was not
the slightest dissension, and by Mr..
Weller, of California, who said that all
were in favor of peace-the word peace
having then significance derived from
Vallandigham and Fernando Wood. Mr..
Marble says that Mr.. Tilden asked
Gen. Mcclellan to discard the resolu-
tion. Why did he not ask the conven-
tion to discard it? When he found that
it would fatally injure his party, he
probably asked Gen. Mcclellan to dis
card it for precisely the same reason
that he himself finally discarded Tweed
Mr. Marble says that Mr.. Tilden ad-
dressed departing regiments and gave
money. So did Fernando Wood. Was
he any the less Copperhead" in the
fullest sense of the termg 1t is as true
Of Wood as it is of Mr.. Tilden that he
sustained the arm of the Government"
in his own way. But there is not boy
in the country who does not know that
they both sustained it in the way that
Jefferson Davis desired.
Mr.. Hewitts unconseiously comical
defense aud MIR. Manton Marbles hasty
denials and assertions have been of no
other service to Mr., Tilden than to estab
lish the fact Of his total want of SYM
pathy for the country and for the cause
of human liberty in their dire extremity
during the tremendous struggle. He