The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1876-07-07

himself of this declaration Of his old neigh
Dor and friend, and applied it to the Senator
in strain of mastery sarcasm and irony.
The effect was electric; it thrilled the as
sembly and completely destroyed the objects
of the meeting
Mr.. Tilden. who had watched this finan-
cial revolution of 1887 from the beginning,
and knew its merits as thoroughly, perhaps,
as any man of his time, undertook a defense
of the Presidents scheme and to overthrow
the sophistres of his enemies in speech
which he delivered in New Lebanon on the
third day of October, 1S40 No one can
read this speech without marvelling that
men like Webster and Nicholas Biddle, to
whose arguments Mr.. Tilden especially ad-
dressed himself, could ever have become the
champions of a system under which the rev.
enues of the nation were made the basis of
commercial discounts. 1t is more marvel
lous, however, that in so short time our
people should have forgotten, as to a very
considerable extent they appear TO have
done, the lessons taught in this speech, and
those still better taught by the war then
waged by the Democratic party with the
policy of imitation, irredeemable currency,
and irresponsible credits. At the time this
speech was delivered the Wings were medi-
tating the re-establishment of the United
States Bank if they could succeed in divid-
ing the Democrats on the sub-treasury
scheme This effort provoked Mr. Tilden
to review the history Of the bank and expose
its ill-iounded claims to be regarded in any
sense as what it claimed to be, "a regulator
of the currency" What he says upon that
subject possesses to the reader of to-day not
only considerable historical interest, but is
pregnant with lessons which we fear will
never be out of season.
Upon his admission to the bar Mr.. Tilden
opened an office in Pine street, in the city of
New York.
In 1874, in anticipation and preparation
for the election which resulted in making
James X. Polk President, and Silas Wright
Governor Of the State of New York Mr.. Til
den, in connection with John L. O'Sullivan,
founded the newspaper called the Daity
Neps.
In the fall of 1S45 he was sent to the AS
sembly from the city of New York and while
a member of that body was elected to the
convention for the remodeling of the consti-
tuition of the State, which was to commence
its sessions few weeks after the Legislature
adjourned. In both of these bodies Mr.. Til
den was conspicuous authority, and left a
permanent impression upon the legislation
of the year, and especially upon all the'new
constitutional provisions affecting the fnan-
ces.of the State and the management of its
| system of canals.
The defeat of Mr.. Wright in the fall of
1916, and the GOODNESS which had grown up
between the friends of President Polk and
the friends of the late President Van Buren,
resulted fortunately for Mr. Tilden, if not
for the country in Withdrawing his attention
from politics and concentrating it upon his
profession. He inherited no fortune, but de-
pended upon his own exertions for liveli.
hood. Thus far his labors for the State or
in his profession had not been lucrative and
despite his strong tastes and lre-eminent
qualifications for political life, he was able
to discern at that early period the importance
in this country, at least, of pecuniary in.
dependence for the successful prosecution of
political career. With an assiduity and
concentration of energy which have charac-
terizcd all the transactions of his life, Mr..
Tlden now gave himself up to his profess
sion. 1t was not many years bef re he be-
came as we'll known at the bar as he had
before been known as politician. His busi-
ness developed rapidly, and though he con-
tinued to take more or less interest in politi-
cal matters they were not allowed after 1857
to interfere with his professional duties.
He built up a reputation in few years st
the bar of New York city which gave him q
leading place in the profession. In the not.
: ed case of the Burdell- l-Cunningham contested
will, where apparently insuperable proof OF
: the marriage of Mrs. Cunningham to the
: murdered Burdell were presented, Mr.. Til
den's resources as a lawyer were brought in
to conspicuous notice. lie succeeded in de.
= feating the claim of Mrs. Cunningham ant
removing all doubt of her participation il
: the Burdell murder, notwithstanding thu
previous acquittal.
& His connection with the celebrated suit
u of the Pennsylvania Coal Company agains
e the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company
= the Cumberland Coal Company against it
l. directors "a Maryland case), and other diff
e. cult litigation connected with corporation
gave evidence of such superior attainmen
e. in this particular branch of legal bushes
" that his clentage was greater than it was pos
D. sible for him to attend to.
Il Since the year 1855 it is safe to say tina
VI more than half OF the great railway cOrpor,
es tons north of the Ohio, and between tll
" Hudson and Missouri rivers have been
II some time his clients The general misfo
'l tunes which overlook many of these roaC
al between 1850 and 1870 called for same con
rd prehensiye plan for relief 1t was here th
nc his legal attainments, his unsurpassed ski
ey rs tinancier, his unlimited capacity for col
oi centrated labor, his constantly increasir
he weight of character and personal inhuen
~ found full activity, and resulted in the rec
Ok ganization of the larger portion of the gre
IL network OF railways by which the rigl
eir of all parties were equally protected, wasti
ere litigation avoided and condition of great
me preston and dependency in railway prop
CT ty replaced by an unexampled prosperi
Po' His relations with these companies, his tn
M ough comprehension of this history and
'he quirements, an his practical energy and
iad cision have given him such mastery o
re- all the questions that arise in the organi
'eu ton, administration and financial mana
ou, ment of canals, as well as railroads, that
and nauance mora tba. anv o,her man IN
d. country seems inseparably associated v
'he their prosperity and success, not only in