The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-09-01


war, pestilence, or famine, and one to
which, hope and trust, the people will
not long submit.
In this year, appeared the Presidents
message, calling for a special session of
Congress in September, chow history re-
peats itself , and recommending a sepa-
ration of the government from banks,
and the establishment of the Indepen-
dent Treasury, This measure provoked
great discussion, and MIR. Tilden, though
still a student, contributed a series of
able articles in defense of the President,
replying to a series of papers in the Al
bany Argus by one of the most promi-
nent inanciers Of the day, winning com
mendation from the leaders of his party.
In 1888, Mr.. Tilden wrote the resolutions
adopted by the Democratic Republican
Mechanics and Workingmen of the city
and county Of New York "held at Tam
many Hail." strongly denouncing the
banks, its partisans sc. They made a
profound impression and were copied all
over the country. He made several
speeches all highly denuDciatory of the
bank AMI against the building of a
money afistocracy that would be
stronger than the government.
1t was chiefly to Mr.. Tilden's wisdom
that Polk carried New York in 1874, but
Mr.. Polk sought to strengthen the Marcy
forces in New York, with which Tilden
had not trained. Both Polk and Marcy
sought him as an ally, and after Folks in
auguration offered to make him naval of
ficer ofthe port of New York at a salary of
$50, 900, but, though poor, Mr.. Tilden
promptly declined. From this time
there we're practically two Demo
cratic parties in New York, one led by
Marcy with pro-slavery tendencies, and
the other by Silas Wright that had anti
slavery tendencies.
Mr.. Tilden was delegate to the Ma
tional Convention of 1848, but when
equal voice was given to the Marcy dele
gates, he and all who acted with him
withdrew and would not participate.
The defeat of the Democrats in 1848,
due to divisions, left Mr.. Tilden free
to devote himself wholly to the practice
of the law. He was the Free Soil candi-
date for Attorney General in 1855, but
otherwise took little part in politics. He
was a successful lawyer, and made more
money from the practice than any man
who has ever lived in the history of
America. He was a quiet practitioner,
but was so thorough that men of more
reputation sought him in the preparation
of great cases. He never permitted him
self to accept contingent retainer.
When he commenced the practice of law
he did not have a dollar, but his fees
and fortunate investments enabled him
to leave an estate of five million dollars.
He earnestly sought to avert civil war,
saying as early as 1848 that any sectional
party division meant civil war. Only a
few days before the election of Lincoln,
some Republican friends were chatting
Mr. Tllden about the political situation.
He told them that Lincoln could not re-
ceive the electoral vote Of single slave
State, and argued that civil war would
follow such condition, and added; II
would not have the responsibility of
William Cullen Bryant and John Bige-
low for all the wealth in the Sub Treas
ury. If you have your way, civil war
will divide this country, and you viii see
blood running like water in the streets
of this CITY," In October, 1862, Mr..
Tilden prepared, on behalf of the Demo
cratic party, declaration of principles
in regard to the value of the Union and
the way to preserve it that made a
profound impression in the slave holding
as we'll as the free States.
The history of his fight with the Tweed
ring and the Canal ring; how he deyo-
ted months to the exposure of their ras-
cality; their venom, hate and impotent
rage; his prosecution of the head men in
the municipal and canal gang of thieves,
step by step, until he landed them in
the penitentiary-all these things are
fresh in the public mind.
In 1872, while a member of the Legs
lature, Mr.. Tilden added to his great
services against the rascals, and was
fully recognized everywhere as the man
who had led and won the fight for mu-
nicipal reform. For sixteen m onths he
had been withdrawn entirely from his
private business, and he had consecra-
ted all his energies and talents, and not
little money, to the public service.
"The total surrender of my professional
business" he said, ''has cost me a sum
that would be a respectable endowment
of public charity"
In 1868, Mr.. Tilden wrote several let
tiers which he devoted to an enun-
citation of three Democratic doctrines.
The first was written to Tammany and
was devoted to the proposition that the
Republican party was drifting to des-
potism, for, he said, "centralism is des-