The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1877-05-31
HOW TILDEN FAILED TO MAKE
A GREAT SPEECH.

1t will hardly elevate BIr. Tilden in
the estimation of intelligent, tasteful
people that he declined an invitation
to meet the President when the latter
was visiting Tilden's home, the invited
guest of the Chamber OF Commerce Of
the great metropolis. Tilden should
have discharged the Office of welcom-
ing the President. There would have
been singular grace and propriety IN
Tilden's saying to the President of the
United States that ''however much we
two were thought to differ in our opin-
ions and purposes, and however i'm
portant / and Others deemed my cleo
tion instead of yours, they and have
been forced to confess that you have
acted as the president of the people |
and not of a party. The Democrats
outnumbered the Republicans in the
contest between us. My party had a
popular majority of 200, 900. am
glad, Mr.. Hayes, and congratulate
the people Of New York and this rep
resentatiVe body of American mercan-
tile intelligence that you have accepted
the action of the people as definition
Of their will, and therefore you have
chosen 10 be better Demo
crat, practically, than l could
have been. You moulded the
Congress to your purposes; 1 could
never have silenced Morton or thwarted
the maIignity of Blaine. You have
liberated enslaved States. You effected
the purpose most adroitly, and your
administration has done more for the
South, in a few weeks, than l could
have achieved with the Senate hostile
in four years. However unfortunate
for Democratic placeseekers and party
leaders that / was cheated by the cleo
toral commission, am forced to con
fess that my loss was the csuntry's
gain, and however Democratic leaders
may weep, the people, and especially
those of the South, are well pleased
that you were wrongfully substituted
for myself. Properly you accepted the
lofty position assigned you by the op-
Grafton of the country's laws. You
acted in the interest of peace and legit-
imscy, and have shown yourself
worthy of the high Office with which
was invested by the voice of the
people, and you by operation of law.
Happily for America, the people of
America submit by instinct to the su
premacy of law. Popular will bends
before its majesty. Passion and preju-
dice and parties are silent when its
DEGREES are pronounced. Were this
net true our republican system would
be resolved into anarchy, and Mexico
become paradise contrasted with this
wretched congeries of warning States
and sections. You, Mr.. Hayes, had no
right to go behind the DEGREES of the
electoral commission. Your duty as a
patriot compelled your acceptance at
its hands of the high office which am
forced to say you have honored."
If Tilden had met the President as
became him and said all this in his own
way, he would have said nothing
more or less than truth, and through
all time mankind and history, to
the remotest age, would have
confessed the honesty and moral
heroism and generosity of Samuel
]. Tilden. But Mr.. Tilden was not
equal to the occasion. He shrunk back
appalled,. Not only did he fail to
speak the truth bravely, but he skulked
behind his chagrin and confessed his
littleness and that his seltishness has
been sorely wounded, and the country
is ashamed of Mr.. Tilden. He was not
worthy of the generous and brave peo-
pie who supported him and simply for
the reason that on this occasion he has
been unworthy of himself. People
have ever said that Tilden's cold sell
tishness illustrated when wrecking
railways and crushing out hapless
shareholders, while he grew enormous
ly rich, would distinguish his conduct
if he became President. We never
gave credence to these assertions; but
Mr.. Tilden's conduct now is lllustra-
tive of the character of a man who
would do these things. But who can
condemn Mr.. Tilden2 His defeat was
too terrible to forgive and forget. The
man, in the presence Of such facts,
could not become patriot. He could
not thank Hayes that he had served
the country most effectively. 1t was
too much to expect of Tilden. Hayes
robbed him of the presidency and then
of his platform and then of his policy
and may rob him of his party.
KREUATuVR STR ENeTu RR nES. |