Year: 1874

publican and democratic, are trying to con-
duct the present canvass on the old ward
system Of assailing the moral integrity and
personal honor of the opposing candidates.
There was never a political canvass in which
this debasing species of tactics had SO little
excuse. It's ignoble absurdity is more appar-
ent here in New York, where both candidates
for Governor are well known, than it can be
in the rural towns. General DIX and Mr..
Tilden are our fellow townsmen, who have
gone in and out before us for many years. If
we have any virtuous citizens among US these
two gentlemen deserve to stand in the fore
most rank Of those who have earned a solid
title to public esteem We cannot doubt that
they respect each other in the same measure
that they are respected by all just-minded
men in this community. If Mr.. Tilden were
not competing candidate for the same
Office and were asked what republican would
make the best Governor for the interests of
the State, we have no doubt that he would
name General DIX And, on the other hand,
if the same question were put to General Dix
as to what democrat would make the purest





there is as little doubt that he would name
Mr.. Tilden. However much these two gentle
men may differ in personal popularity and
magnetic qualities, they are equally entitled
to recognition as upright and publc-spirited
citizens. The shafts of vulgar calumny will
fall harmless at the feet Of either. Such is the
opinion of this community, and the people of
the city where both have SO long resided are
better judges of their character than the hot
headed partisans of the rural districts.


MIR. Tilden is assailed by the rural republican
organs for his course at the outbreak of the
civil war and for the pay he received as a
member Of the Constitutional Convention Of
1867 Both heads Of accusation are sheer base
ness and folly. At the beginning of the W.T.
there was reasonable ground for difference of
opinion, and Mr.. Tilden's course may have
been as patriotic, if not as popular. as that Of
men who were more prompt to surrender old
opinions. The charge about his pay as a
member of the Constitutional Convention is
pitiful. 1t is simply preposterous to arraign
a gentleman Of Mr.. Tilden's wealth, generosity
and public spirit for taking the legal pay
which other members received for service in
the Constitutional Convention. It is not sup
posable that man OF his standing would sell
his integrity at any price, much less for the
beggarly pay of an honorary position like
that of member of a convention charged with
the duty Of revising the constitution of the
State. And the accusations which the rural
democratic organs make against Governor Dix
are equally discreditable to their intelligence
and manliness. II is pretended that he made
improper gains in his position as President Of
the Union Pacific Railroad. No tair-minded
citizen believes that this charge has any
foundation This contemplate and pitiable
way of managing political canvass deserves
the reprobation Of oil honorable men. Much
as General Dix and Mr. Tilden may differ in
other advantages for popular favor, there is
no difference of opinion in this community,
where both are so well known, as to their in
tegrity and high sense of pecuniary honor.
There is disgusting moral baseness in dis
| torting and discoloring facts to make strained
differences against the personal character of
either They are both citizens of whom the
city Of New York has long been justly proud,
and the community which has had the best
opportunities tor knowing them will scorn
every elecnoneerlng lie invented against
either.


The actual effect of these efforts at defama-
| ton is to excite the renewed zeal Of friends.
No party cares to see its leaders sacrificed,
and the people are chary of the fame of their
statesmen. General Grant, in his inaugural
address on entering upon his second term,
alluded with sentiment Of pride. which was
criticised at the time, but was not altogether
unjustifable, to that reelection as a vindica-
ton of his character from personal assaults.
He had been assailed with unusual acrimony
| His motives, his administration, the Lead
ing events of his career, his justly earned
fame had been aspersed, and although ad-
mitted by the general opinion Of the United
States and of other nations to be our first SOL
der and citizen, the effort of his enemies was
to degrade and be,ittle him. The result was
his triumphant and astonishing success. The
common sense Of the country, its desire for
! fair play and the natural reluctance to see its
most conspicuous citizen overturned and
thrown into the dust like common felon, all
arose in protest against the injustice with
which he had been treated. This result
is natural to free and generous people.
Something like it was seen in Washington's 8
time, but more notceably in the time Of JEFF
ferson, who was held up to reprobation as
paragon of all the vices-as everything from
lbertine to Jacobin. The foul miasma of
slander died away, and the resplendent fame
of these illustrious men remained. The same
effort was made against Henry Clay, who was
criticised as gambler and a coward; and
John Quincy Adams, who was publicly
assailed as the partner of Clay in
his vices and his schemes. Andrew