The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1886-08-26
As an illustration of Mr.. Tildcn's dipl

As an illustration OF Mr. llldcn dpl0-
macy this incident is given:
"Mr Tilden was capable Of covering his
| face with a mask which none could pene-
trate. The following scene occurred on a
| railway car OF the Hudson River road. Mr..
| Tilden was engaged in conyersing with the
utmost animation with Il leading member
of the Republican party, with whom he
wa, personally upon confidential relations.
The conversation was one that brought all
of Mr. Tilden's learning and logical forces
in play. 1t was semi-literary, and not
more political than was sufficient 10 give
piquancy 10 the interview. \ committee
Of the lower class of ward politicians ap-
preached him. Mr.. Tilden turned to re
ceive him, and. in the most exprcsSioulcss
way, held ont his hand. His eye lost every
particle of lustrc, and seemed TO sink back
and down. The chairman Of the commit
tee stated the point he had III view. Mr.
| Tilden asked him to rcstate it once or
twice, made curious and lnconsequential
remarks, appeared like a man about going
to sleep, and finally said: i will see YOU
| on the subject on future occasiO =" The
committee withdrew. III one moment he
resumed the conversation with the bril-
liancy and vivacity of a boy. subsequently
| the chairman of the committee sad To the
leading Republican, whom he know: did
you ever see the old man SO nearly gone
as he was to day Does he often get 80 !:
Had he been taking bit too much :
About the Electoral Commission Or.
Buckley gives what we think are sensible
| views:
The supreme crisis of his life was when
he believed himself to be elected President
of the United States, and it came exceed
ing y near being the supreme crisis of the
| United States. The political aspect We
| will not revive, except to say that Mr.
| Tilden consented to the peculiar method
| of determining the case. The departure
| of David Davis from the supreme Bench,
| in all human probability, determined the
result. 1t is known that Abram 5. l1ew
| lit, David Dudley Field, and eminent
Democratic leaders, Hewitt being Chair
| man of the Democratic National Commit
tee at that time, did all in their power to
induce Mr.. Tilden TO issue a letter to the
American people, saying that he believed
himself to be the President elect, and that
on the fourth day of March, 1877, he
would come to Washington to bc inaugu-
rated. Had that been done, God alone
can tell what would have been the result
in all probability a coup d'etat on one
side or the other, followed by civil war OF
practical change in the character of the
relations of the people to the Federal Gov
ernment. At that moment Mr.. Tilden'S
habit Of balancing caused him to pursue
the course that he did.
Why he consented to the method Of ar
bitration is one of the mysteries in his
career Taking all the possibilities into
the account the fact that the Issue passed
without civil war is an occasion fox devOut
thankfulness to Almighty God. But the
method Of determining the question is one
which the good sense of the American
people will never repeat.
Mr.. Tilden has never been noted as hu-
morist, but the following exhibits him in
that light:
Mr. Tilden must have aad considerable
humOr in composition. Some years ago
Methodist preacher came to the city of
New York to raise money for a certain
church IL Pennsylvania which had been
previously embarrassed. He stayed at
| the house of one of The ministers In Brook
lyn, and secured Brooklyn and New York
for money. One evening he said to his
host:
Il am going to call on Samuel J Tilden
and see if | can't get something cut or him
for our church. He ha. a barrel, and
understand it is pretty full.
The next morning he went, and on his
return said to his host
''Well, | called on Mr.. Tilden, and l
said:
'''Mr. Tilden, l am from such a place
--, in Pennsylvania. Ny name is ---;
| am pastor of q church there. We have
met with great misfortune and are likely
to lose our church. There are more than
sixty members of my church that voted for
you for President, and they are ready to
do it again and they wanted me to come to
oil of iSfn M
ask you to give them a little help
"Well, what did Mr.. Tilden say
Gle looked up. and said he was busy
but told me to come the next morning at
o'clock >
He went, and on his return reported
when the question ''What did Mr. Tildcn
do . was asked
He said to me, Your name is ,
you are from -, in Pennsylvania you
said that you had more than sixty mem
bers who voted faI me for President and
who are ready to do it again,
eyes"
land they wanted you to tell me Of
their misfortunesT
'tYeS."
''Then, pulling out his pocket book he
counted what money he had, which
amounted to SO, and handed me $i4, and
said:
| " You tell them that samuel j. Tilden
gave you all the money he had except 81,
which he kept for himself
! In all probability he was Satirzing an
appeal made under these circumst anccs.
'Was Mr.. Tilden a Christian?" is a lues-
ton which most men ask. There is no
evidence that ha was. De. Buckley says:
Gle was a Presbyterian in creed ac-
cepted the statements of the Bible. and
| hoped that in a future state he would live
after death in desirable condition. That
he ever professed to be a subject of re
| deeming grace we doubt. His general
career was not in harmony with the re-
quirements of the Presbyterian church. >
| EVERY DAY.