The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1876-07-07

was elected Governor of New Y6rk-the
position he now occupies-by q large ma
jority. In that high office he at once in
augurated cleansing of the Augean sta
bles OF New York plundercrs. The i'm
mense frauds perpetrated by mismanage-
ment OF the canals, and similar fraudulent
jobberics, were fully uneartled by him, and
have been scorched, if not killed.
In 1916 he withdrew from active poll
tics and devoted himselfto his profession,
and soon became as pre-eminent therein
as he had been in the political arena
One OF his most notable legal triumphs
was as counsel for the heirs of DR.. Burdell,
who was murdered and whose property
was claimed by Mrs. Cunningham. who
was charged with his murder aud acuuit-
ted but who claimed DIR. Burdell's proper
ty as his alleged wife. The case passed
into legal history as most notable trial,
and the defeat of the iniquitous claim W as
due mainly to MIR. Tilden's able handling
of the case.
| Among his other prominent successes ut
the bar was his defence of the Pennsylva-
MIA Coal Company in its suit with the
Delaware and Hudson Canal Company.
in which immense interests were involved.
Another was that of the Cumberland Coal
Company against its directors, tried in
Maryland in 1858. In that case he ap-
piled for the first time to the directors of
corporations the familiar doctrine tlat a
trustee cannot be a purchaser of property
confided to him for sale, and he success
fully illustrated and settled the equitable
principle on which such sales to directors
are set aside, and also the conditions to
give them validity. These cases brought
him into great prominence as a successful
resusciato tor of embarrassed corporations
and gave him lucrative prac tice.
He urged that the war should he con-
Quoted upon system of sound finance, so
rs to prevent the subsequent monetary
complications which he foresaw. And
when invited by the government at Wash
ington to give his opinion as to the con-
duct of the war, he said; You have no
right to expect great military genius to
come to your assistance. They only ap-
pear once in two or three centuries. You
will probably have to depend upon the
average military talent of the country
Under such circumstances your only course
IS to avail yourself of your numerical
strength and your superior military re-
sources resulting from your greater pro-
gress in industrial arts and your greater
producing capacities. You must have re-
serves and concentrate your forces on de-
cisiye points, and overwhelm your adver-
saries by disproportionate numbers and
reserves"
Gov. Tilden made every effort in his
power to avert the late civil war. But
failing in this he made no secret that his
convictions were in favor of the integrity OF
the Union and supremacy of the constituted
authorities. Therefore he urged the North
to be conciliatory and forbearing. and adj
vised the South to defer TO the will of the
majority, to respect the federal constitution
under whose 4gis was assurance of full
protection for person and property. When
the blast Of war came, and Lincoln called
out the famous $4,000 men, Mr.. Tilden
maintained that the call should have been
for 800, 900 men, because he believed great
war was imminent, and large force neces.
sary in the very interests of humanity. In
the light of subsequent events it is evident
that the adoption of his views would have
saved much carnage and devastation
His advice was not taken, but he had
the satisfaction, within year after it was
given, of hearing the Secretary of Wal
acknowledge its wisdom and lament his
inability to secure its adoption.
When the war was over he, with Charles
OConor and Others, made their famous
successful onslaught on the infamous
''ring" of which Tweed was "boss." This
brought down on him the Tammany and
other adherents of the "ring," but theil
efforts were futile, the people in theil
strength approaching the full value of his
services
Mr.. Tilden is now in the sixty third
year of his age. lie is five feet ten inches
in height, and he is what Psychologists call
the purely nervous temperament, with its
usual accompaniment of spare figure, blue
eyes and fair complexion. Hishair, origi-
nally chestnut, is now partly silvered with
age. He has never been married. lie is OF
the Presbyterian denomination.