National Republican., 1884-06-13
THE TILDEN LETTER.
How It Has struck the Gigantic Editorial
Minds OF tho East-CompRrativo Una-
Dimity OF Opinion,

man is physical wreck, but he has sufficient
mental foroo not to tap his barrels in a vain
attompt to reach the white house at timo
| when James G. Blaine and John A., Logan
are tho republican candidates. Every attempt
| hoi ictoforo to find out whether or not Tilden
would accept has been defeated ny tho con-
| sprators who have had tho palsiod old gon-
tlcman in charge 1t is quito clear, however,
that the machine has been working under tho
| Tilden's name for Cleveland. Those profess
sional spoils seekers nnw think probably that
| they arc strong enough TO carry out thoir
| schemes at Chicago hence MIR. Tidon's lcttor
| Of doClinatiOn. ltlacks that straigh tfUrwnrd,
manly declaration Of purpose which would
/ put at rest any talk of his candidacy. But
IL Is no doubt intended to be fnal.-Nelo York
! Tribune.
| We do not, however, regard the letter as
| placing IL beyond q possibility that MIR. Til
den may yet yiold to prcssurc.- Richmond
Dispdtch.
| Tho 1nal withdrawal of rildcn from the
| presidential race leaves the field opon for q
grand 60. .as-you- please, and the great scram-
bio will now begin. All those storics which
wcrc put in circulation about tho athletic
exercises In which tho old gentleman was
said to indulge must have been false or, if
true, thoy did not have tho desired effect
I of bringing back youthful vigor to the aged
frame--Bohimoro Amoricdn
But II it is doubtful whether any other
candidate can call out so absolutely the whole
vote of the democratic party, ii Is certain
that somo others perhaps only Il trille less
satisfactory to democratic opinion will be n
great deal more satisfactory TO vote that Is
to be Of much moment in this election
vote of the independent republicans. Con-
sequently Mr. Tilden's refusal may not prove
an unmixed evil to tho demoGrats.-NeW Yorb
| Herald.
| Mr.. Tildon has done his duty. In doing it
when ho could havo been president in spite
of his physical ailments. he has set u high
example to the world--ho has earned tho
proud distinction of being the first man who
had the courage to put aside the promptings
of ambition at the call of patriotic duty
Ne,U York Truth.
| Mr.. Tilden's letter declining to stand for
| tho nomination ut Chicago next month is
strong, clear, and conclusive. Pity indeed it
Is that the man who, with such koenness and
| felicity of phrase, points out the road for the
| democracy should feel himself unequal to
the task Of leading the way. His age and his
infrmities forbid the effort. He must look
on and hope while the battle Is fought. t.Nc,V
! POrb Journal.
In words that convey as we'll as words can
| the unalterablo resolution of mind lofty in
its unselfsh patriotism, Mr. Tilden repeats
his message of four years ago to the demo-
cratic party. The considerations that moved
him then are those which now determine his
course. Not because he is unwilling to sacri-
flee what remains to him of health and life,
but because ho feels himself unable to un-
dertake and perform tho duties of the great
trust, the foremost statesman of the republic
refuses again the nomination which the party
stands ready to give him by its unanimous
voice. The honor that is the rich reward of
noblo services faithfully rendered was never
brighter than Mt this hour. Mr.. Tilden has
once been elected president of the United
States Superior to oil thought of personal
ambition, he has twice declined reelection,
and the years of life that still remain to him
will be made happy by accumulating ac-
acknowledgements of the nations debt Of pro-
found gratitude and veneration.-New York
Sun.
Mr.. Tildcn's letter forbidding the use Of
his namo in connection with the democratic
nomination for president destroys hope
which has been dearer to his party's heart
than any tradition it has cherished since the
Oldest living American cast his first vote. 1t
robs tho democratic party of the ono leader
who for eight years has seemed destined to
be its Moses, and cuts the party adrift in the
wilderness, distressed and hungered at
period when tho spirit of discord and revolt
is strong among his followers. The letter
adds another weight to the certainty Of Mr.,
| Blaine's election, and as such it must rank
with the good fortune which, beginning with
q democratic congress last fall, has ranged
and reaped largo share of its strength from
| the inherent democratic capacity for doing
wrong things at wrong times. 1t fore
shadows tho supremacy of the free traders in
tho national democratic convention, and that
cans democratic argument for republican
success in November. Philadelphia Press.
Mr.. Tilden's letter to the chairman of the
democratic state committee of New York
must be accepted as q definite refusal of
nomination for tho presidency. His with
drawal is based upon reasons which IL is
impossible to controvert and which it would
be folly to disregard. 1t is no question Of
personal preference or of party policy.
Neither tho democratic party" says Mr..
Tilden in his letter, NOR the republic for
whose future that party is the best guarantee,
is now or ever can be dependent upon any ono
man for its successful progress in the path Of
a noble destiny" But while this is true il
is also true mono the less that tho democratic
party is at this timo very much dependent
upon some one man whose name and
character shall be guarantee for the
continued progress OF tho republic under his
administration. With such a candidate, and
only with SUCH would tho party entor tho
canvass with hopeful prospect of success
Philadelphia Times.
Mr.. Tilden's own professions of solicitude
for the welfare Of the government and tho
people oil the United states may be taken,
we trust, as an assurance of his purpose to
use his great influence in the councils of his
party to promote tho nomination of candi-
date for the presidency who will present
without confusion or evasion, tho one clear
issue which the action of the republican party
invites and makes eminontly desirable--tho
candidacy of an unassailable democrat against
a republican who has boon successfully Us.
sailed.--NelO York Times.
Thoro is no just cause for thinking this
action on his part other than sincere and
honest Tho lottor roads like valodictory
rather than covert bid for new hOnor5. HG
writes a5 one who has done the state some
service and feels he must now lay his burden
upon younger and stronger shoulders. And
as tho step is taken in good faith, IL will
doubtless be accepted in the same spirit by
tho democratic party. II now doyOlves on
that party, therefore, to choose now cham
pionj nor is there any time to spare. In less
than u month the democratic convention
meots, and while various names have been
put forward as worthy OF tho first place, q
devotion to Tildon that has been almost
ianutical has hindGred tho serious considora-
tiOn Of any Of them.-LUcanlg star.
As to who Mr. Tilden favors for the high
honor is much u mystery as was his inton'
tions rs to accepting tho candidacy before
writing his letter. He studiousy aud
carefully avoids any allusiOn to any
mans name. If ho has preference
it is not developed by anything said in his
letter to Mr.. Manning lie marks out but