New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-07-30

whose soul was most Of the time in arms and
eager for the frsy-wcre leaving Mr.. Tilden
round loose to be kidnapped" for the pur-
pose of firing the Democratic heart. All the
talk about flibustering over the count In
Congress, and calling out hundred thousand
Kontuckians, and taking the oath on the City
Hall steps, and that sort Of thing, was clearly
intended to make the Republicans believe that
Mr.. Tilden was a dangerous person, who was
liable Mt any moment TO appear at the
steps of the White House, with spurs
and a drawn sword, and hundred thou
sand OF the flower of the youth of Kentucky,
swearing not only that he would not condone
hut that he would not go away. They kept
pushing the old gentleman TO the front and
saving TO the Republicans: He's cOnsplra-
"tor! S-s-t-boy!' They did so want to
sec him kidnapped With very little per-
suasion they would have kidnapped him them
selves, rather than not have the kidnapping
done. 1t is u singular circumstance that Mr.
Tilden's best friends would have jumped for
ioy to see him kidnapped. What they wanted,
and what the party wanted just then, above
all things, was a real first-class martyr, and
Mr.. Tiden was the only available martyr
III
and set him up in good places for kidnapping,
and waited. They tried to make him con-
splre, but he wouldn't. He wouldn't do any
thing, not even cOndOne. He was so quiet
that the Republicans wouldn't "kidnap" him.
And his friends have been mad about 1t ever
since.
The present effort is to show that although
Mr.. Tilden did not cOnspire, and could not
be induced to conspire against the Govern
ment the Government did actually cOnspire
against him, and would have kidnapped him
if he had not held perfectly STILL Our CORE
spOndcnt's question is why he should not have
been arrested or kidnapped" if he had been
caught in the act Of instruction. Clearly he
should unquestionably he would have been.
But it is prime article of Democratic
faith that proceedings to prevent crime are
more deserving of censure than the crime
itself They were very much more shocked
by the invasion of South Carolina to re-
inforce Fort Sumter than they were by
the attack on the fort; more exercised
about the violation of the Constitution
in suppressing the rebellion than about
the rebellion itself; and we have seen
very lately how indignant they can become
mt the possibility of injustice being done In
the enforcement of laws against fraudulent
voting while the fraudulent voting might go
on forever without q word Of disapproval
from them. They are very queer about that
They not only think that the arrest of Mr.
Tilden in the act of initiating rebellion would
have made him martyr and excited public
indignation against the authors of such an
outrage, but they seem to actually believe
that they can make capital by circulating the
story that the Republicans were prepared to
arrest him in case he undertook such a scheme.
That is their delusion. The truth is, however,
that the memories of our Rebellion, which
was not treated herOcaliy at its inception,
are too fresh for people to get very indignant
at any measures for nipping in the bud a
possible new one. And our correspondent
need have no fears that Republican Admins
trations will shrink from applying the lessons
of experience in this and similar cases. They
did not kidnap or propose to kidnap Mr.. Til
den ; but if he had ever undertaken the little
Mexican business his friends urged upon him,
he would have been put where he could not
do mischief in a great deal less time than 1t
takes him ordinarily to make up his mind.