The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-07-08

Samuel ]. Tilden.

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Samuel J. Tilden. tl
Now passes into history one more
name, to become classic and endur-
ing, engraved in ineffaceabie OF
characters, among the leftiest and
most admirable of American stes-
men. uu. =. H
Of delicate physical mold, mod,
est and retiring in disposition, but
endowed with a mind ~intuitively
bent on vast subjects, and grasping
great public questions, Samuel J.
'Tilden pursued a peculiar course.
Second to none in his interest in
public affairs, he pexsistently re-
mained in private life until he saw
difficult and essential work to be ac-
compiished, which no one else had
the combined intelligence and cour-
age to encounter. -F - pea.
We speak considerably when we
say that it required much more
uncommon quality Of moral courage
to undertake and conduct to success
the warfare against a corrupt bench.
as accomplished by Mr.. Tilden,
than is requisite for the more dar7
ing achievements on the field OF bat
tie. 1t is the courage Of calm re-
Hection and self-sacrificing spirit;
it comes from love of country and
of justice superior to all love of self.
Mr.. Tilden had a hold upon the
country possessed by no other man.
He undoubtedly would have beeL
renominated had he not declined
We thought that his declinatlon
ought to have been disregarded by
the Convention. We thought he
should be put forward again as the
candidate of the patriotic Democra-
ey, even il he "died in harness In
consequence. But nearly every
member of the Convention knew
that Mr.. Tilden's health was. tenn
porarily at least, greatly impaired
They were forbearing toward one
who had done so much at once for
the party and the country.
Then it seems that Gov. Tilden's
full and magnificent letter of decli
nation was supplemented at very
early hour yesterday morning, be-
fore the nomination was made, by
the following telegram:
JUNE "a, 18S0--Hon. Daniel Man
ming, Grand Hotel, Cincinnati, Ohio
Received your kilograms and many
Others containing like information
NV action was well considered, and
is irrevocable. No friends must be
allowed to cast doubt on my mo-
tives or my sincerity.
SAMUEL j. TILDEN.
After this nothing was left but to
abide by Mr.. Tilden's strongly ex-
pressed and reiterated wishes. The
greatest, the wisest, the best men are
mortal. Mr.. 1ilden had given to
his State and his country so much
of his physical strength that it
would have been an inconsiderate, if
not a cruel act, to require him to en-
dure the burdens of another cam
paign.
Mr.. Tilden's name, in future his
tory, will rank with the names of
Washington, Jefferson, Madison,
Jackson and Lincoln. Il truer and
purer patriot is not to be found
among them all.
Mr.. Tilden served this State in
the office of Governor as it has been
the fortune of no other man since
he was borE to serve it. He would
have served the country as President
in the same way. He was elected,
but defrauded out of the office.
Having been elected, he steadfastly
and sturdily refused, upon principle
all invited bribes to officers to make
true and correct returns.
Now, when there is no longer any
object to make sinister and libelous
attacks on Mr.. Tilden, he will be-
gin, for the first time, to attain to
the true honor and fame which be-
long to him.
Few men so remarkable have been
born on the American continent
which has given birth to some of
the best men of any country of all
time.
Mr.. Tilden passes-not to the
grave, but to deserved, recupera-
tive rest. His is the rarest Of ali
fortunes-to enjoy at once the fame
of the noble deed with the zest, the
glow, the enthusiasm of. we trust, a
long-continued life. The Admins
|'tration, the nation, will yet seek his
counsels, and profit by them. He
has richly earned his rich reward,
and all that loving troops Of friends
and grateful country can confer
upon him will be his N. Y. Sun