St. Paul daily globe., 1886-08-05
PRINCE HAS FALLEN.

4 manShip he stood pre-eminent among
the public men of the nation, and took
( rank with the BIsMARoKs and GLAD
/ STONES of the old world. The best
/ evidence of the business of Mr.. TIL
4 DEN's claim to pre-eminence is that
during long and active political life
he never made a mistake. and never
wrote line or gave utterance to an
expression that either he or his polit-
ical friends would wish to recall. His
knowledge of the principles of state
craft was thorough. He was mas
ter of the science of government His
political wisdom was marvel. There
was nothing in governmental affairs
too deep for his comprehension. no
principle so broad that his great mind
could not compass it. He was as
thorough in the mastery of details as
he was in the comprehension of great
principles. His craftsmanship was
not Of the theoretical order, but it was
of that earnest, practical type for
which America is distinguished 1t is
but rare occurrence that nation is
blessed with statesman of the TIL
DEN mould, and for that reason his
death is national calamity.
But it is by the national Democratic
party that Mr.. TILDEN's loss will be
4 most sensibly felt. The Democratic
party had come to regard Mr.. TILDEN
with the reverence that a child feels
for its parents and the veneration that
the worshiper at the altar has for the
sanity priest. In the eyes of the ma
tion he was a sage, philosopher and
statesman But i'll the Democratic
heart and mind he occupied the place
of priest and oracle. In the hour of
doubt and perpleXity as to what was
the best policy to pursue the eyes of the
national Democracy invariably turned
toward the ORACLE at GREYsToNE.
If lessons of political wisdom were to
be learned, the leaders of the Demo-
cratic Sanhedrim would gather at tile
feet of their GAMALIEL to receive in
struction from their wisest teacher.
There was something very beautiful
in this tribute of the dominant political
party of the nation to its great leader.
1t bespoke the party's confidence in
the infallibility of his wisdom, and at
the same time it was bright testimo-
nial Of Mr.. TILDEN's personal fidelity
to the principles of his party. He was
loyal to the Democratic faith because
the principles of Democracy were en-
shrined in the holiest recesses of his
Z great soul.
/ But it is not merely as the great parti-
\ san leader that Mr.. TILDEN's name will
/ occupy a conspicuous place in Amer
lean history. He held country above
party. His patriotism was more sub
lime than his partisan zeal and 10y
q atty. During the whole of his long
and active political career, not even
4 during the dark years of the nations
q civil conflict, or even during the excite
q ment of the most notable presidential
canvass in our history. did his bitter
y est personal or political enemy have
q the temerity to cast doubt or suspi-
Z cion on Mr.. TILDEN's patriotism or
a his loyalty to his country. Whatever
q else was said about him in the heat
4 of bitter party conflict, his patriotism
! was hnsullied. The love of country
A was to him an absorbing passion. He
4 omitted no occasion to inspire his
\ countrymen with a devotion to the
4 government of our fathers. The coD-
n stitution was with him sacred cove
nant not to be broken. 1t was in his
\ eyes the supreme law. There was
4 none higher, and he always taught
4 that the only hope of national unity
Il peace and liberty was in a faithful OBJ
servance of the constitution and the
laws. The sublimest test of Mr.. TIL
DEN's patriotism was given when,
q without a murmer of complaint, he
4 relinquiShed his claim to the highest
4 Office within the reach of human am
q bition and to which he had been
N called by his fellow countrymen, and
B of which he had been robbed. He
b submitted to the robbery because it
q had been done under the forms of law.
Il His respect for even the shadow of
law was greater than his sense of per-
sonal right or his party fealty. He
h preferred to have himself made the
b victim of the foulest crime of political
history and his party robbed of its just
q title to control Of the national admin
& istration rather than to imperiI the
Z peace and welfare of his country.
B Such complete self-abrogation was
\ never before displayed by a public
4 man, and the probabilities are that it
d will never be seen again. 1t entities
d Mr.. TILDEN to singular distinction as
D patriot, and his country will never
I forget it.
d He is gone. His death was not un-
Y expected, and yet how mournfully the
h announcement sounds. That feeble,
b languishing frame is at rest. There is
silence at Greystone to-day and there
D is mourning all over the land. EX-
h PRESIDENT SAMUEL JONES TILDEN
q is dead in the sense that it is appointed
n unto all men once to die. but he still
q lives in every other respect. From
4 his grave there will spring up the en-
during and beautiful light of patriotic
y example. His name and his influence
A will be forever associated with the his
4 tory of his country. He has given the
q example of his life to ALTO the old
3 for reflection and approval-to the