Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1878-05-03
Mr.. Tilden's Position.

IN the report Of interview between a
correspondent of the New York Hrrald and
Mr. Charles Francis Adams, upon The subject
of the FLORIDA confessions" Mr.. Adams is
represented as expressing the following sent-
ment:
81 therefore am in favor OF allowing matters
to remain in statu quo. | have arrived at
this conclusion. after giving it considerable
thought and study, although am willing TO
admit that Mr. Hayes has proved II great
failure, and that his installation ia Office was
undoubtedly accomplished by fraud.
'When the electoral commission was in
session in Washington during the month OF
February, 1877. was very much alarmed for
fear that the peace of the country might be
disturbed. Al one lime it appeared 10 me
tina. as nation we were on the brink of a
steep precipice, aud feel that The country al
large owe Mr. Tden debt of gratitude for
the patriotism aud selt-denial he exhibited I'M
der The trying circumstances. Should another
presidential election ever be held in this couu-
| try under similar conditions do not see how
a terrible civil war can be averted.'
1t is worth while to contrast with this lam
guage ascrbed 10 the Massachusetts states
man the sentiment attribute 10 a member of
Congress, also reported as in favor of "allow-
ing matters 10 remain in statu quo but for a
very different reason 81 am in favor of keep
| as saying, Sin preference TO seating Tilden. |
prefer fellow who is bold enough to steal the
presidency to one who will let the presidency
be stolen from him." Contrasting the TWO ex-
| pressions of opinion, il is needless to say how
much nober ard more patriotic Mr.. Adams
uterance is Of the two. If the presidency of
the United States were like the succession to
the crown in an hereditary monarchy, there
might be some room for ikening Mr. Tilden
10 egitima te prise who rather than fight for
his tights should surrender them to a usurper.
| The two cases. however, are altogether diff
ferent. and Mr.. Adams recognizes, as we doubt
not Mr.. Tilden recoe nzed, that the personal
| pretentions and rights of the individual candi-
date had not the weight OF q feather in com
phrison with the rights and the interests of the
| American people. If Mr. Tideu was lawfully
elected President and WAS fraud ulently deprived
of the Office 10 which the peoples votes had
elevated him, il was the people, not he, who
suffered by the fraud. If the wrong was 10 be
resisted, the resistance must come from them
| If redress was TO be sought, il was for them to
| provide tue method and measure Of redress
In representative constitutional government
| like our own, it was for the representatives
of the people to care for and vindcate the
| right ofthe people TO have the candidate of ther
choice peaceahly indicted into the presidency
1t was no evolutionary right which was
claimed but constitutional one. 1t the right
was denied or defeated, the responsibility OF
acquescng 10 that denial and suffering the
fraud rests with the representatives of the peo-
| pie, upon Congress, and not upon Mr.. Tideu
TO blame Mr.. Tilden now, because in mo-
ment OF great national peril and anxiety he
did not prefer the promptngs OF his own per-
sonal ambition TO the dictates of patriotism
aud selhshly reach out his hand to grasp the
presidency, is TO reproach him for not having
followed the example of Syla or of Caesar in
the civil wars OF Rome. Mr.. Tiden had the
fortitude and sef-denial TO subordinate all
personal feelings aud aspirations to what he
believed to be the requirements of the public
good Surely that is the last thing in the
world that any patriot, ana least Of all any
Democrat or any Congressman, should cast in
his teeth. at this day as a matter Of reproach
The great wrong by which Mr.. Tilden was
robbed OF tho presidency, or by which, more
properly speaking the American people were
robbed of the President of their choice, seems
surely, il slowly working out its own retri-
button Whether Mr.. Hayes has proved a
great failure or not, as alleged by Mr.. Adams
certain il is that every man who participated
in the retu rning board frauds is feeling he eff
feet in diminished prestige, influence and
standing With all the disposition, the de-
termination, we may say, Of the American
people TO treat the whole question as settled
and not TO reopen itat any price, the question
will not rest. 1t returns to haunt ana quicken
the public conscience. 1t will not sleep any
more than the secret of Duncan's murder in
the play. macbeth hath murdered sleep "
The faels connected with the miserable frauds
Of the last presidential election are constantly
coming TO the surface. They will not lie
buried. Let us hope that the lesson which
they teach may not be forgotten-hat the
warning which they give may be needed, and
that those frauds will fnd no future mitalors
and that Mr. Hayes will have no successor ia his
uncomfortable and humliating position of
President recognized as such by all the forms of
law, yet notorously and TO the public knowl-
edge fraudulently elected There will scarcely
be needed the solemnity of Supreme Court
trial, and another judgment GLiuRde in favor
OF fraud, TO enforce the lesson or point the
moral. Meanwhile, as Mr.. Adams shows, let
not Mr.. Tilden miss the credit to which he is
justly entitled for his patriotic and dignifed
bearing in his position also. -B1lto. Sun