Year: 1879

act is done in this world because men have
not the habit OF seeing things as they are.
They weakly justify themselves to their own
copsciences by excuses which have no real
bearing upon the matter at issue.


Here is Mr.. Tilden, Tor instance; no
doubt he fatters himself that he is entitled
to the democratic nomination next year.
He has certain political ideas, good enough
in their way, and he has persuaded himself
that no democrat ought to be trusted with
carrying out these ideas except himself
But the plain fact, after all, is that
! Mr. Tilden wants to be President. Ihat
is all there is of it. He is, as it happens,
what he would call Jeifersonian democrat
but if he were anything else in the political
dictionary-an old whig, for instance-and
this Presidential maggot had got into his
head, it would be just the same. He is an ex-
tremely ambitious man, who has set his heart
on four wears in the White House; that is
the simple, plain fact, divested Of all ex-
| traneous wrappings. If his party wanted
him and if the country wanted him it
might be all right; but as it is notorious
that neither his party nor the country wants
him, what he wants would not be very i'm
portant if it were not that in his struggle to
get his wishes he threatens to defeat his
party.


If Mr.. Tilden were compelled to make an
exact statement of his real situation in re-
lation to the Presidency it would neces-
sarily run in some such words as these,
which he would send out to the democrats
of New York;


''To THE PUBLIC -


"Having determined in my own mind
that the democratic party ought TO nom
mate me for the Presidency in 1880, as am
the man best able to serve the country in the
White House, hereby give notice that it
is necessary to my plans in regard to the
Presidential nomination that should con-
troll the State Convention and dictate
the State ticket this year. 1t will
suit my purposes better to have
my nominees defeated by the people than
to allow my opponents within the party to
control the Convention. I therefore require
that the anti-Tilden delegates be ruled out
of the Convention and that my own sup
porters be placed in control of that body.
have determined to obtain the democratic
nomination for myself next year, and if
am disappointed in this foresee and warn
you that the party will receive deserved
defeat. S. j. TILDEN."
Of course he is far from putting the case
so directly as this even to himself He
probably satisfies his own mind with the
belief that everybody who opposes his
4 \
triot He regards those democrats who do
not favor his Presidential ambition as op-
posed to the best interests of the party
and the country. He will regard the
above supposititious 'notice" as grossly
misrepresenting him, and perhaps as in
spired by personal dislike, which is by no
means the case. Yet, SO much difference
does it make whose OK is gored, that if Gen
eral Grant presently on his return to this
country should issue public address in
some such terms as we give below, Mr..
Tilden would be one of the first to point out
that Grant was guilty of an overweening
and discreditable ambition-in which we
should agree with him:-


''To THE PUBIIc:-.





desire to confer on me the honor patri-
otically refused by General Washington,
of third term of the Presidential
Office, hereby make it known that having
enjoyed eight years of military power and
eight more years of civil authority, l am
now willing to accept of four years more,
and will gladly be once more, for the third
Ill A.,


'U. S. GRANT"


Or to reverse the case, should General
Grant, on landing in San Francisco, issue
an address to the people, in such words as
follow below, we have no doubt even Mr..
Tilden would at once and frankly give him
credit for elevated patriotism, and would
admit, with the rest of the American
people, that such an act placed the General
alongside of Washington as one who valued
the liberties and the sacred traditions Of
his country far above any petty personal
ambition


ITO THE AMERICAN PEopLE:-


~ find on my return to my native land
that am spoken of in some quarters as Il
possible Presidential candidate. While 1
am grateful for the good opinions OF those
who thus speak of me 1 take the earliest
opportunity to make this public declaration
of my inhexble determination to remain
hereafter in private life. Our country is,
happily, in no circumstances to require my
military services and for civil government
! it has q number of eminent and patriotic
civilians from whom to choose. / am not
paadad and NAV houorablv indulpe nv
desire and fixed purpose to remain here
after, and for the rest of my life, private
citizen. U. 5. GRANT"


Undoubtedly such letter as this would
raise General Grant very greatly in the es-
TEEN not only OF his countrymen but of the
/ whole ci xiliznd world This is so cartnin