Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1884-06-20
Tilden Out.

Anew OAAAhg " UNIV AVbhf 4OO1s
Daniel Manning, Chairman Demo-
cratic State Committee, New York:
In my letter of June 18th, 1880,
addressed to the delegates from
the State of New York to the Dem
ocratic National Convention, said:
"Having now borne faithfully my
full share of labor and care in the
public service, and wearing the
marks of its burdens, desire moth
ing SO much as an honorable dis
charge. l wish to lay down the
hOnOrs and tolls of even quasi par
| ty leadership, and to seek the re-
pose of private life." In renounc-
ing a denomination for the Presi.
dency L do so with no doubt in my
mind as to the vote of the State of
New York or of the United States,
but because | believe that it is a
Remuneration of reelection to the
Presidency. To those who think
my denomination and reelection to
the indispensable to an effectual
vindication of the right Of a people
to elect their rulers, violated in my
person, / have accorded as long a
reserve Of my decision as possible !;
but | cannot overcome my repug-
nance to enter into a new engage
ment which involves four years of
ceaseless toll. The dignity Of the
Presidential Office is above a mere
ly personal ambition, but it creates
in me no illusions. Its value is its
great power for good to the coun-
try.
| said four years ago in accept
ing the nomination "Knowing, as
1 do, therefore, from fresh exper-
fence how great the difference is
between gliding through an official
routine and working out a reform
system and policy, it is impossible
for me to contemplate what needs
to be done in the Federal admins
tration without an anxious sense
of the difficulties of the undertake
ing. If summoned by the suffrages
of my countrymen to attempt this
work shall endeavOr with Gods
help to be the efficient instrument
Of their will.
Such a work of renovation after
many years of misrule-such a re-
form of systems and policies to
which 1 would cheerlully have
sacrificed all that remains to me
CT health and life-is now, | fear,
beyond my strength
My purpose to withdraw from
further public service, and the
grounds for it, were at that time
well known to you and others, and
when at Cincinnati, though respect
ing my wishes, you communicated
to me an appeal from many valued
friends to relinquish that purpose,
l reiterated my determination un-
conditionally.
In the four years which have
since elapsed nothing has occurred
to weaken, but everything to
strengthen, the considerations
which induced my withdrawal
from public life. To all who
have addressed me on the subject
my intention has been frankly COM
municated.
Several of my most confidential
friends, under sanction Of their own
names, have publicly stated my
determination to be irreverSible.
That l have occasion now to con-
slider the question is an event for
which l have no responsibility.
The appeal made to me by the
Democratic masses with apparent
unanimity to serve them once more
is entitled to the most 2ifferential
consideration, and would inspire a
disposition to do anything desired
OF me if it were consistent with my
Judgment Of duty. believe that
there is no instrumentality in hui
man society so potential in its in
huence upon mankind for good or
evil as the Government machinery
for administering justice and for
making and executing laws. Not
all the eleemOsynary institutions of
private benevolence to which phil
anthrOpists may devote their lives
are so fruitful in benefits as the
rescue and preservation of this
machinery from the perversions
that make it the instrument of con-
spiracy, fraud and crime against
the most sacred rights and interest
of the people.
For fifty years as private citi-
zen, never contemplating an official
care, l have devoted at least as
much thoughtand effort to the duty
of influencing Alright the action of
the governmental institutions of
my country as to all other objects.
l have never accepted official SER
vice except for brief period for a
special purpose, and only when the
occasion seemed to require from
me that sacrifice Of private prefer
ence to the public welfare.
undertook the State admins
tration of New York because it was
supposed that in that way only
could the Executive power be
arrayed on the side of the reforms
to which, as private citizen, had
given three years of my life.
accepted the nomination for
the Presidency in 1876 because of
the general conviction that my can
didacy would best present the issue
of reform which the Democratic
majority of the people desired to
have worked out in the Federal
Government as it had been in that
of the State of New York. | be.
lieved that had strength enough
then to renOvate the administra-
ton of the Government of the
United States, and at the close of
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