American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-07-03

The following is the letter of Mr.
IIlden declining 4 denomination:

| .
| 1Ilden declining 4 denomination:
NEW YORK, June IS.
10 THE DELEG ATEs FROM THE STATE OF NEW
| YORK TO THE DEMoCRATIC NATIONAL Con
| on which it is proper for me to state to you
| my relation to the nomination for the Prcsi-
| missioned to make in behalf of the Democratic
| party of the United states. Having passed
| traditions of the which secured our Ma
tional Independence, and OF the struggles
ment Tor the people, by the people, learned
| 10 ldollze the institutions of my country, and
| zen of the Republic to take his fair allotment
of care and trouble in public affairs.
fulfilled that duty to the best of my ability
for forty years as private citizen. although
thought to public affairs us to all other objects.
| nave never accepted official service except
for a>bricf period, for a special purpose, and
only when the occasion seemed to require of
| lie interests. My life has been substanti tally
| that of a private citizen. 1t was presume,
citizen, had shared to overthrow a corrupt
combination, then holding dominion in our
metropolis, and to purify the judiciary which
| racy of the State in 1874, to nominate me for
Governor This was done in spite of the pro-
tests of minority that tho part had borne
in those reforms had created antagonism
| fatal to me as candidate. l felt con-
power of the Gubernatorial office or the
preston wherever it prevailed that the faith
full discharge of ones duty citizen 10 fatal
to his usefulness as public servant.
The breaking up of the Canal ring, the better
ma nagement of the public works, the large
pished during my administration, doubtless
occasioned my nomination for the Presidency
by the Democracy of the Union, in the hope
that similar processes would be applied to the
Federal Government. From the responsible
ties of such an undertaking, appalling it
seemed to me, 1 did not feel at liberty to
nem ,Sa Raity representsd reform
Government and restoration OF our
complex political system to the
the people of the United States, by majority
of more than u quarter of q million, chose a
the Democratic candidates for President and
Vice-President. 1t is my right and privilege
here to say that was nominated and elected
to the Presidency, absolutely free from any
engagement in respect to the exercise of it's
powers or the disposal of its patronage
Through the whole period of my relation to the
Presidency did everything in my power to ele-
yate, and nothing TO lower, moral standards in
the competition of parties. By what nefarious
means the basis Dr a false count was laid in sew
eral of the stat. s [ need not recite. These are
now matt crs OF history. alb tut which whatever
diversity OF opinion my have existed in either
of the great parties of the country at the time
of their consummation has practically isap-
peared. refused to rams nm from the Return
ing Boards of the Southern States the docu-
mentary evidence by the suppression of
which and by the substitution of fraudulent
and forged papers, a prctext was made for the
perpct ration of n false count. The Constitu-
tional duty of the two houses of Congress to
count the Electoral votes as cast, and to give
effect to the will of the people as oppressed by
their suf RACES. was never fulfilled
The Electoral Com mission, for the existence
of which have no responsibility, was formed,
and to it the two Houses of Congress abdi-
enactment that the count of the Commission
should stand final unless overrIled by the
count was not overruied owing to the COM
plicity of the Republican Senate with the Re-
trulled by its Republican majority of eight to
seven, the Electoral Commission counted ont
the men elected by the people, and counted in
the men not elected by the people. A snbveT-
sion of the election created ncw'issue for the
decision of the people of the United States.
transcending in importanc, all questions OF
administration 1t involve the vital principle
of se.f-government through elections by the
pc PIE. The Immense growth of the me of
corrupt influence over tie ballot-box which is
at the disposal of the party having possession
of the Executive Administration h,id already
become Il present evil and IA great danger,
tending to make elections irresponsible to
public opinion, hampering the power Of the
the men holding the machinery OF q 1vernnent
to continue and perperuaIe their over
attempting to change the Administration,
needed to include at least two-thirds of the
voters at the opening of the canvass, in order
to retain a majority of the election. II, after
such obstacles had been overcome, and a ma
jOrity of the people had voted to change the
administration of their government, the men
in Office could still procure false count,
rounded upon irauuS. perfumes ana fOrRe11eS,
furnishing a prctcxt of documentary evidence
on which to base that false count, and if such
a transaction were not only SUCCESSFUL but II
after the allotment OF its benefits were made
to its contriyers, abetters and apologists by the
chief beneficiary of the transaction, it were
condoned by the people practical destruc-
ton of elections by the people would have
boon accomplished.
The failure TO install the candidates chosen
by the people-a contingency consequent upon
no act omission of mine, and beyond my
control-has thus left me for the last three
party, by its delegates in National Convention
assembled shall choose a new leader the in
voluntary but necessary representative of this
momentous issue. As such, denied the immu-
mites Of Priy,n1te life without the powers con
falsehoods and calurnnies from tho paruisans
of an Administration laboring in vain to justi-
steadfastly endeavored to preserve to the
Democratic party of the United States the
cision next November, whether this shall be a
Government by the sovereign pee Pile, through
ants holding over by force and fraud. And 1
have withheld no sacrifice and neglected no
date against the enemies of representative in
situations the great party which alone, under
God. can eifectually resist their overthrow;
Having now borne faithfully my full
service, and wearing the marks of its
burdens, 1 desire nothing much as an
honorable discharge; L wish to lay down
the bonors and tolls of even quasi-party-
leadership, and TO seek tho reposc of private
life. In renouncing a denomination and re-
election Indispensable to effcctual vindica-
rulers, violated in my person, have accorded
as long a reserve of my decision as possible;
but l cannot overcome my rcpugnance to
enter into new engagement which involves
four years of ceaSelcSS toll. The dignity of
the Presidential Office is above II merely per
sonal ambition, but it creates in me no illu-
sions. Its value is as great power for good
to the country.
l said four years ago, in accepting the NOM
nation "Knowing as do, therefore, from
fresh experience how great the difference IS
between gliding through an official routine and
working out II reform of systems and policies,
It Is impossible for me to contemplate what |
needs to be done in the Federal Administration
without an anxious sense of the difficulties
the suffrages of my countrymen to at
tempt this work l shall cndcavor, with Gods |
help, to be the efficient instrument of
their will Such a work of renovation, after |
many years of misrule, such reform of sys- |
TENS and policies to which would cheerfully |
have sacrificed all that remained to me of
health and life, is now, / fear, beyond my |
strength. With unfeigned thanks for the hon |
ors bestowed on me. with II heart swelling with |
es for the support which they have given to
the cause l represented and their steadfast |
confidence IN every emergency, remain your
ONE evening lately Il woman employed |
ut the Summit House, Mount Wachusett, |
Mass, being out just at dark gathering |
flowers and grasses, was suddenly en-
velOped in n dense cloud, and, thick
darkness Immediately following, she |
was unable to find her way back. She |
took nearly an opposite course, and was
soon lost in the woods. Heavy rain |
coming on, no one was out to hear her |
cries for help. heavy thunder |
shower prevailed during the night, from
which she took partial shelter under a
large tree At daylight, rain still con- |