The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1886-08-19
THE CRISIS IN TILDEN'S LIFE.

Some of the democratic characterize
tons of Tilden are quite racy. William
Dorsheimer of the New York Star, for
instance. after lauding other portions of
his career, says Mr.. Tilden at the time
of the disputed presidency showed that
he had great mind rather than great
character and lacked resolution, daring.
forceful will and persuasive enthusiasm. /"
He continues
Gail the later years of his life Mr..
Tilden strove TO make his countrymen
forget his recreancy at that fateful time.
But the assertions that have been made
IN his behalf are either false or only true
in part. He was the leader of his party,
but he refused to lead. He was looked
to as the guide of the people, but he had
no counsel to give. There Is no stranger,
no more pitiful spectacle in history than
this wise old statesman, striving by his
willy arts to meet the requirements of
time which could not be met except by
open and defiant action
Mr.. Dorsheimer makes brilliant pas
sage by comparing Tilden to Charles,
the Pretender, who ran away from the
disastrous field of Culloden very prud-
emily, too,) and further adorns his
sketch by this piquant parallel
"Motley describes Philip of Spain as
employing himself in writing with his
own hand interminable dispatches while
Alva and Parma were in the stress of the
Dutch war, and while the Armada was
sailing to its doom. Like Philip, Mr..
! Tilden, in the midst Of the dangers that
| enVironed him and his party, found
solace and occupation in editing and
even in correcting the proofs of a huge
book made up of the proceedings of
Congress in respect to the election of the
presidents from the beginning of the
government to that day. Curiously
enough, even this labor was useless, for
day or two before his book was pub
| lished better one was issued from the
government printing press. We will not
speak of the other occupations of those
| days nor accuse him of completely in the
| dark transactions the disclosure of which
| took from his cause its moral supports
and robbed it of the peoples sympathies.
| He had not only lost the day, but those
| who stood nearest to him made it i'm
| possible to redress his wrong. At this
time we have thought that our duty
truth in plain phrase"
| What could be more cutting than the
| neat observation that the government
printers resume of the legal points of all
| the presidential elections excelled the
effort of the great lawyer alike in subject
matter and in promtitude of publication!
AS to the main charge, Mr.. Tilden was
an old lawyer, thorough bred. He knew
the question of his election was a law
question. lie saw it in process of a
legal settlement by the highest tribunal
which could be framed, before whom
| pleaded the ablest counsel in the country,
| and when the verdict went against him,
it was contrary to his 40 years experience
and practice to raise mob against the
court. He knew that authority rested
with the tribunal, that the president and
the Senate would stand by it, and that
the American people, shocked as they
might be by a coup d'etat from the
supreme bench, would be inexpressibly
more shocked by a coup 'etat of violence,
| inspired by one of the candidates for the
| presidency. He recoiled from such a
step, and history will applaud his wisdom,
his courage and his patriotism at that
| moment. He said to Mr.. Dana: 81
will never be a party to any course
which will array my countrymen in civil
war against each other. will not have
"a stain of bloodshed on my garments -
The New York Sun says Mr.. Tilden' s
advice to the house was to stand on its
rights and not join in enacting the
electoral commission bill. One who
acted as messenger between the demo
cratic leaders in Congress and Mr.. Tilden
says in the New York Star that at the
crucial moment, when Mr.. Tilden's
advice was wanted as to whether the
House should accept the commission
scheme he hesitated and returned no
answer, though urgently pressed for
counsel. Mr.. Tilden's words before the
Potter investigating committee were as
follows:-
Whatever the disappointment to those
who voted for me, whatever the public
consequences of suffering subversior
of the elective system by which alone
free government self government-car
be carried on, by whatever casuistry {
different course might have been advo.
Gated or defended, I resolved that i
there was to be an auction of the CHIEF
magistracy of my country, L would moi
be among the bidders. l was deter
mined, in such an event, or in the appre
hension of such an event, that would
meet such degraded condition Of
public affairs. not by sharing in it in any
degree, not by acquiescence, not by
liberation, but by an unqualified and
perpetual protest, appealing to the peo-
pie to reassert and re- establish theil
great right-the greatest of their rights
the right without which all others are
worthless-their right to elective self
government. 1 have done so.-Spring.
field republican.
TIE Santinal corrasDoDdant in Madi.