New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-11
Tg1T PEACEFUL ARMY.


Mr.. Watterson made striking contributor
to history in his speech about'Mr Tilden at the
Harlem BANQUET on Saturday. There has been
a Great deal of heated discussion about Mr.. Til
denis part in the controversy Oh 1910, ana IN
the measure by which it was settled pue MI
Wattersons testimony is Of unusual Importance
not only as respects the matter OF which he now
speaks, but as showing MIR. Tilden's personal
participation@en and direction of the acts Oh ms
party at critical periods
Mr.. Watterson stated that the speech made
by him January 8, 1877, proposing an assem-
blage of 1000 citizens at Washing
ton to see Mr.. Tilden inaugurated'
was prepared at Mr.. Tilden's request,
revised by Mr.. Tilden before its delivery ana
delivered by his authority" 1t was, IN tacS'
MIR. Tilden, then, who was responsible for this
remarkable proposition. Now it might nave
been possible for Mr. Watterson to believe thao
his 1 200 Democrats would all go to WASH
ineton as "unarmed citizens" that his South
ern friends would carefully leave their familiar
revolyers at home, and that the meeting would
be. in fact. "a mammoth peace congress" But
Mr.. Tilden was not man TO indulge any such
ballucjnation. He would have been certain that
the 100, 900 Democrats, If assembled at that
time and by such summons, would have taken
not only as many revolvers as they customarily
carried, but extra rounds Of cartridges, ana ne"
reyolvers in the hands Of men not ordinarily
armed.
That is not ALL Mr.. Tilden was not the sort
Of man who could have believed that live
coal might properly have been dropped in a
barrel of gunpowder, on the ground that an
explosion would not necessarily follow. 10 a
man of his intellect, it must have been perfectly
clear that gathering of hundred thousand
passionate partisans at such an emergency,
would almost inevitably have resulted in some
outbreak, in violence, and-unless his " I'M
armed citizens" could have their own way-in
forcibIe attempts TO override the constituted
authorities. II Congress and the authorities
could be overawed and morally coerced to do as
the unarmed citizens" desired, there would be
nothing but mammoth peace congress"
But if the authorities and Congress had arrived
at decision in the discharge OF their sworn
duty. adverse to the will Of the peace congress
there would have been peace about half a
minute or less. 1t is MIR. Watterson's gift as
brilliant man, that he can say things without
precisely intending all their logical conse-
quences But Mr.. Tilden was not that kind
of man, and IL he authorized proposition to
assemble 1905 600 Democrats under such cir
cumstances, he deliberately prepared for an at
tempt to 0verawe or else reyolutionize the Gov
eminent of the United States. The man who
is really indicated, in this state Of facts, APP
pears to be General Grant, who quietly pre-
pared for gathering which failed to gather.
Mr.. Watterson at the same time aflirms that
Mr. Tilden twice refused corrupt arrange
ments by either one Of which his Inauguration
would have been reasonably sure" II that is
true it necessarily follows that these corrupt
arrangements were entertained far enough by
Mr. Tilden TO ascertain that they would have
made his inauguration reasonably sure Yet
they were refused, Mr.. Watterson says, by the
same Mr.. Iilden whose testimony in regard to
the Oregon purchase and the other cipher dis
patches the public has not forgotten. His moral
attitude at that time was fairly consistent with
the idea that he did examine into corrupt ar
rangements far enough to see whether they were
reasonably sure" and also far enough to drop
them il they were not reasonably safe from de-
lection. The fact is that the more Mr.. TIlden's
Jealous friends stir this passage Of history, or
glorify him by imputing corrupt intentions to
other men not named, the less they serve his
reputation.