The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1876-07-19
SAMUEL j. THDEN.

/ tunes OF the great Napoleon. One
Of his ancestors, Nathaniel Tilden,
was Mayor of the city of Tenterden,
Kent, England. in 1928. He was
succeeded in that Office by his cousin
John, as he had been preceded by
his uncle John in 1885 and 1000.
He removed with his family to S;cit-
uate. in the colony of Massachusetts,,
in 1854. His brother Joseph was
one of the merchant adventurers Of
London who fitted ont the May
flower. This Nathaniel Tilden mar
ried Ham Bourne, one of whose
sisters married a brother of Gov.
Winslow, and another a son of Gov.
Bradford.
Gov. Tilden's grandfather, john
Tilden, settled in Columbia County.
The Govern ors mother was descend
ed from William Jones, Lieut., Gov.
of the colony of New Haven, who in
all the histories of Connecticut is
represented to have been the son of
Col. John Jones, one of the regicide
judges of Charles l., who is said to
have married a sister of Oliver
Cromwell and a cousin of John
Hampden. The Governors father,
q farmer and merchant of New Leb-
anon, was o man Of notable judg-
ment and practical sense and the
accepted oracle of the country upon
all matters of public concern, while
his opinion was eagerly sought and
Justly valued by all his neighbors,
but by none more than by the late
President Van Buren, who till his
death was one of the most cherished
intimate and personal friends.
From his father Gov. Tilden in
herited taste for political inquiries.
and in his companionship enjoyed
peculiar opportunities for acquiring
an early familiarity with the bearings
of the various questions which agi-
tated our country in his youth.
Young Tilden entered college IN
his eighteenth year. The fall Of
1 1882 when he was to enter college,
was rendered memorable by the sec
ond election of Gen. Jackson to the
Presidency and Martin Van Buren to
the Vice-Presidency of the United
/ States, and of William L. Marcy to
the Governorship of the State of
New York In that contest an effort
was made to effect a coalition be-
/ tween the National Republicans
and the Anti-Masons. The success
of the Democracy depended upon
the defeat of that coalition. Sam
uel heard the subject discussed in
the family, and was especially i'm
pressed by what fell from the lips
of an uncle who deplored his inabiIi-
ty to "wreak his thoughts upon ex-
preston" Samuel disappeared for
two or three days, and in the seclu-
sion of the chamber proceeded to
set down the views he had gathered
upon the subject, and in due time
brought the result to his father, at
once the most appreciative and the
least iadulgent critic of his acquaint-
ance. The father was so highly
pleased with the paper that he took
! his son to see Mr.. Van Buren, then
at Lebanon Springs, to read it to
| him. They found so much merit in
the performance that they decided
it should be published with the sig
natures of dozen or more leading
Democrats, and it shortly after APP
peared in the Albany AJ,gets as an
! address, occupying about half a page
Of that print, and from which it was
copied into most of the Democratic
papers Of the State. The EUening
Journal paid it tire compliment ol
attributing it to the pen Of Mr.. Van
Buren, and the Albany argus paid
it the greater compliment of stating
''by authority that Mr.. Van Buren
was not the author.
Mr. Tilden had not been long al
! Yale College before his health gave
way, and obliged him to leave. AT
ter some rest he was unable to re-
sumo his studies, and in 1884 enter
ed the University of New York
where he completed. his academic
education. He then entered the
law office Of the late John w. Ed
munds, in the city of New York
where he enjoyed peculiar facilitie!
) for the prosecution of his favoritC
studies of law and politics.
The accession of Mr.. Van Burel
to the Presidency in 1887 was fol
lowed by the most trying financia
revulsion that had yet occurred il
our history. During that summe
appeared the Presidential message
calling for a special session Of Con
2 gress, and recommending the separa
ton of the Government from tn
banks and the establishment OF th
independent Treasury. This meas
ure provoked voluminous and acri
monious debate throughout the coun
try, even before it engaged the al
tention of Congress.
, Mr.. Tilden, though still a student
sprang to the defense of the Pres
dents policy, and wrote series 0
papers. marked by all the character
: istics of his maturity, and advocating
: the proposed separation and the re
: deemed ability of the Governmen
1 currency in specie. These article
} were signed "Crino."
) In the fall Of 1888, Nathaniel I
: Talmage, a Senator of the Unite
} States from New York, who had ser
: arated from the Democratic part
: and joined the Wings on oppositio
| to the financial policy of Presiden
Van Buren, was renounced to spea
on the issnes of the day in Culumbi
County. a meeting had been al
} ranged very quietly, at which it wa
: hoped he might exert an inf;Ienc
: upon the doubtful men and chang
the political complexion of the pal
: ty. The TildeRs heard of the pro
} posed meeting about noon Of the da
, -,,o, ,ybiob IL wae IN no hold The