Year: 1876

dicate that he attaches unusual importance
to his letter of acceptance, and is preparing
it with deliberation and care which inn
plies that it will have powerful electioneer-
ing effect. We doubt ii this is wise, for he
may excite greater expectation than he will
be able to satisfy. But 'all is well that
ends well, and if Mr.. Tilden's letter, when
it at last appears shall be remarkable for
boldness sagacity and firm grasp of the
political situation, the delay will be of little
consequence. We are entitled to expect
something better than tame and servile
assent t. the ST. Louis platform, since if
that were nll there would be no need of pro-
tracted deliberation. The country has
justly come to regard platforms with con-
tempt and to care great deal more for the
individual views and purposes of the candi-
dates. We sincerely hope that Mr.. Tilden
may be able to satisfy the reasonable ex-
pectations Of the country.


Among the topics on which the people de-
sire an explicit declaration Of his views the
first place is due to the relation between the
two races in the Southern States. We do
not suppose that Mr.. Tilden will give it the
first place. He was nominated the repre-
sentative, par ercellencc, of administrative re-
form, and he will, of course, put this ques-
tion into the foreground. The country will
be content if he expresses himself with vigor
on the race question in any part of his let
ter 1t is an old jest that lady puts the
thing she has most Mt heart in post
script, and we do not care where Mr.. Tilden
expresses his views on the race question,
provided they are strong and pertinent. The
reform question, important as it is, is only
an appeal to the pockets of taxpayers ; but
the people of this country care little for their
pockets when their feelings are aroused on
question which comes home to their moral
sensibilities, was signally proved by the
prodigous pecuniary sacrifices to which they
consented in the prosecution Of the civil
war; Questions of economy and taxation
can be made paramount only in seasons
of tranquility Mr. Tildens admirable pol
icy of reform can gain fair hearing only on
the presumption that the Southern question
has been definitely settled but the people
of the North will refuse to regard the South
ern question as settled so long as the negroes
are butchered in cold blood. The logical
result of the war is to make them citizens of
equal standing with the whites, and SO long
as this result is in doubt the republican
party will stand on strong vantage ground
in every national canvass. If there is any
point on which the public sentiment of the
country is fixed and final it is in the unal-
terable determination that distinctions of
race shall be abolished and that colored cit
izens and white citizens shall stand on a
perfectly equal footing. The country would
incur new debt of thousand millions
rather than see this principle infringed.
The pecuniary reform and relief from taxa
ton, of which Mr.. Tilden is the champion,
have no chance of success SO long as
the people of the North are not
satisfied that change of admin
istration would not put the equal
rights of the negroes in jeopardy. 1t is for
the interest of Mr.. Tilden to remove this
exciting question out of the canvass. which
he can easily do by few pregnant sentences
in his letter Of acceptance The sole hope
of the republican party lies in alarming
Northern sentiment for the safety and fair
treatment of the negroes, and II strong
declaration by Mr.. Tilden in favor of equal
rights would take the wind out of the repub-
lican sails Will he have the courage the
sagacity, the justice to make such declara-
tion? Questions of reform, of economy, of
taxation can gain but feeble hearing SO
long as the country doubts whether change
of administration would not give free license
to the Southern whites to persecute, oppress
and slaughter the Southern negroes. 1t is
the evident interest of Mr. Tilden to remove
oil doubts on this point by bold declara-
ton that he will regard the rights of all
citizens as equally sacred.


We are aware that it will be asked what
the President of the United States has to do
the protection of life in the separate States
1t might be sufficient to remind the objectors
that precisely the same question was asked
in relation to slavery in the States, and on
grounds that. seemed equally strong. All
the world knows how slender this fancied
barrier proved against the aroused popular
feeling OF the North, and we warn the demo-
cratic party that it will prove equally inef-
fective if the Southern negroes continue to
be slaughtered at the caprice of their white
fellow citizens. If Mr.. Tilden promises
them protection, and makes the promise in
language which attests his vigorous SINGER
ity, he will spike the republican guns and
may expect a triumphant election on the
reform issue of which he is so eminent a
champion. But he may be perfectly assured
that the Northern people will not abandon
the negroes to the tender mercies Of their
prosecutors without assurances Of protection
from democratic President.


We perfectly understand the cheap logic