Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-10-20
Mr.. Tllden', Loyalty.

Hon. Z. ". Stoughton. Of New York has
recently written a very able article upon the
dangers incident to a united South. In the
course of his remarks he thus sketches tie
loyalty OF Mr. Tilden during the trying hours
Of the civil war
His letter to Judge Kent, written prior to
the breaking out of the rebellion. IN sub
stance declared that. should Mr. Lincoln be
elected by a united North against the votes
OF united South. the fifteen southern
States would be substantially under the rule
of a foreign government, which they would
be justified IN resisting. Proceeding still
further. and ON the last day OF January, 1851,
and after six States had seeded from the
Union. We find him a member OF conyen-
ton at Tweddle Hall, in Albany, where many
of the leaders of his party had assembled TO
declare their sympathy with the rebellion.
There he was placed upon committee to
frame resolutions, one of which unani-
mously adopted was as follows
Rszolsd That in the opinion OF this convention
the worst ana the most ineffective argument that
can he addressed by the Confederscy or its adher-
Ing members to the seeding States is civil war.
CuH NIL not restore the Union, but lrW deftat
forerer ats reconstruction.
lie was loudly called for to address the
convention, and did so, and in the pamphlet
which was published recording the proceed
ings, and Immediately suppressed, 1t Is
stated that his speech not having been re-
ceiyed in time to 20 into the body of the
pamphlet would be found i'll the appendix
1t was not there found, however, and doubt
less when Mr.. Tilden took it from the re
porter to correct he thought it prudent to re-
tam it in his possession. We are, therefore,
obliged to look for the substance of his
speech in the Democratic organ of the
State the Albany ArptS of the day follow
ing. and there We find it stated that
lie argued strongly against coercion. showing
the strength and Resources of the southern states
tive, shonld deter IRON plunging into civil
war. lite declared that he. for one, would resist,
under any and all circumstances the Of force to
coeIce the States into the Union"
Vice President of that Convention also
declared
a. That if the incoming Lincoln's) administration
shall attempt to carry out the line OF policy that
has been ioreshadOwed, we announce that when the
hand OF black kepublcanism turns TO blood red
and seeks from the fragments Of the Constitution
to construct seanoldins COR coercion-another
name Tor executon-we wal reverse the order OF
the French revolution and the blood Of the
people ny making those who would inaugurate a
reign Of terror the frst victims Of national gull
lotlne.'
And this sentiment, the suppressed pamph-
let reveals, was received with - enthusiastic
applause
Proceedings, resolutions and sentiments
like these, conducted, framed and uttered by
Northern Democratic managers and leaders,
we're well calculated to convince the South
ern rebels that they could safely finish their
traitorous work, confident that they would
be aided, II need be, not merely by the en-
couragement and inactivity of large numbers
of one of the great parties of the North, but
that before Republicans could march to the
South to coerce submission to the Constitu-
ton and laws, the national guillotine, guided
by Democratic hands, would be inhicting
upon Black Republicans, as they were called,
the work of the executoner. such pledges,
such sentiments, could not fail to give ma
terial aid to the rebellion and no human
wisdom can divine how many rebel soldiers
were thereby brought into the field or how
many Union men were slain who would not
have been had the rebel leaders been firmly
told that their efforts to destroy the Union
would be met and resisted by the entire pow
er of the North.
But the efforts of Mr.. Tilden and those
with whom he labored did not end here. He
became in the winter of 1868 an active men,
Der of a society for the diffusion of useful
political knowledge, which consisted princi-
pally in extolling the blessings of slavery
, and denounclng as unconstitutional every
important war measure of the administra-
ton, and finally, when in the summer of 1864
the future looked dark and. threatening for
the Union cause. as it is said the night often
does just before the opening of day, Mr..
| Iilden, at Chicago. being one OF the MEM
bers OF committee appointed by the Demo-