The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1886-08-12

His intellectual powers were dis great as
those of any public character the century
has produced. Whether the good he did
was commensurate with his endowments
may be well doubted, and whether t,y his
living the world is better nay be prop.
er4y questioned. 1t is popular, add in or
binary cases, probably the best, that moth.
ing should be said of the dead that would
make prominent their faults or in the least
shade their virtues. But in the case of
Mr.. Tilden, it is due to the public, espe.
cially in the presence of the eXtravagant
eulogiums which have been passed upon his
life-Work, that just and honest est.
mate of his character should find express.
sion.
Considered from any other poiut than as
mere partizan politician and self-seek.
ing public man, there is nothing in Mr..
Tilden's achievements to command admi-
ration-to elevate the thought and inspire
the affection of his countrymen. In his
professional career he was grasping, cal.
culating railroad wrecker and specula.
tor. His millions were accumulated
through avenues and agencies which at.
tested his intellectual acumen and his sor.
did passion for gain, but do not open up
for contemplation any noble traits of
character which aligned him with philan-
thrcpic motive or exalted purpose. There
is no broad charity, no kindly touches of
humanity, no melting incidents associated
with his accumulations or his achieve
ments. He was the embodiment of a
monumental selfishness, both in his polit-
ical and professional life, and all that may
be termed good in either, can be traced,
not to an elevated sense of public duty,
but to unworthy motives Of self-aggran-
dizement.
The reference made in partiZan journals
to his reform record in public affairs in
New York city and State, are misleading
In the exposure of the crimes of Tweed
and the colossal conspiracy against the
public that Tweed inaugurated, Mr.. Til
den was entitled to only secondary place.
He had neither the courage nor the homes
ty of purpose to institute an assault upon
the fostering corruptions which infected
the city government under Tweed. Not
until the New York Times had gathered
the facts and commenced the assault did
Mr.. Tilden appear upon the theatre to
lend his great abilities to the work of res
cuing the city from the grasp of Tweed
and his coconspirators, Notwithstanding
his intimate knowledge of Tweed's char
acter, his methods, and, 1T might be said,
as logical and not unjust inference, his
purposes. AS chairman of the Democrat
ic Committee in 1868, Mr.. Tilden was re-
sponsible for the unblushing frauds by
which the electoral vote of New Y ork
was declared for Seymour. It was next to
impossible for him to have been ignorant
of the means employed by Tweed to ac-
complish that wrong. His name was at
tached to the secret circulars Tweed sent
out, by which the returns from distant
counties were held back, until it was
known what vote was needed to swell the
Democratic column sufficient to overcome
thep polls representing the ballots for Grant.
Associated closely with the conspirators
Tweed had gathered around him, it would
be anamalous, indeed, if man of Mr..
Tilden's acute intellect. and peculiar gifts
for investigation, had not discovered the
means by which Tweed was robbing the
city OF millions. And that he did know,
was evidenced by the subsequent steps be
took to aid the New York Times in the
work OF exposure that paper had COM
menced. That exposure would come Mr..
Tilden plainly saw, and to profit by it, he
entered upon the work and gave valuable
aid in concentrating the ends that others
were determined to reach. His record of
reform was thus commenced, not as an
original suggestion of his own, OF from
unselfish motives, but to avail Of the oc-
casion tAride into popular favor upon a
current that had none Of its sources in
himself. He played his part well, and
turned the events and currents of public
feeling to his own advantage, by which he
was elected Governor of the State in
1874. Far-seeing, ambitious, crafty, he
saw his opportunity to step from the
GubernatOrial Mansion to the White
House, and co draw attention to himself
as Reformer, he waged warfare upon the
Canal Ring. He knew of TWeed's
crimes and the Canal Rings misdeeds
long before he became an active figure in
their prosecution, but the time was not
ripe for his purpose, until the New
York Times opened it's batteries upon
Tweed's entertainments and the evidence
was plain that the whole corrupt fabric
which Tweed had built up. must fall.
His candidacy for the Presidency and
the memorable events connected with it,
have been recently dwelt upon with ex-
bravagant partizan JUNCTION by the Demo
cratic press. His death has been men
Toned as the death of the ex- president"
Mr.. Tilden knew that he was not elected
He knew that the claim to that effect was
founded in fraud, violence and bloodshed,
Ind he did not consequently have the cour-
sge to press the pretension, His subsequent
efforts to buy an electoral vote in Oregon, |
md to control the returns of the electoral |
boards in Florida and South Carolina, de- |
to what resorts he was capa-
ole of appealing and what methods he |
was willing to adopt to satiate his ambi- |
Jon.
He accumulated millions by the pecu- |
lar inventions of his professional life, but |
'he selfish instincts which had directed his |
political career, and fashioned his domes-
lie isolation, were too strong for him to
the obligations and the duty
Which wealth imposes. All the attractions
md comforts that lavish expenditure
'ould purchase-all the beauty that nature
md art could impart-imposing edifces,
harming landscapes, sporting fountains,
unning brooks, fragrant flowers, yerdapg
,roves, and fowls and beasts of rarest spe-
les, only intensified the selfish type of |
lis nature. for they we're invoked to graf
fy self and not to benefit humanity. And
mid all this wealth of earthly luxury
nd appointments he moved paralytic,
s though it were Q chastisement of
n offended God for talents misapplied
nd possessions misappropriated The |
ale horse was passing before him
ally for years-the relentless reaper
7as touching him houFly-the grim mon
ter was an eyer present companion, as