Chapter D: Magone to Daniel Manning

"_Confidential._

"OGDENSBURG, _Apl. 24th, 1884_.

"DANIEL MANNING, ESQ.

"MY DEAR SIR,--Permit me to advise that whatever your individual opinion is, as to the propriety of Mr. Tilden's candidacy for the Presidency, he should not authoritatively decline until after the election of the delegates to our State convention.

"His name will greatly aid in securing honest delegates. Please give me any point you can, as I only wish to know what may better enable me to second you in the hard work that I know you have to do.

"Truly yours,
"D. MAGONE."

LYMAN TRUMBULL TO TILDEN

"CHICAGO, _June 7, 1884_.

"HON. SAMUEL J. TILDEN.

"MY DEAR SIR,--The Republicans have now made their nominations for President and Vice-President of men who are fair representatives of the Republican organization. Their election means a continuance of the partisanship, abuses, corruptions, and centralizing tendencies of the last twenty years which you and I both believe dangerous, and, if continued, in the end destructive of Republican liberty. It seems to me the patriotic duty of all men so believing to sacrifice all personal considerations for their country's good. The Democracy all over the land are looking to you as the one person above all others to lead them in the coming political contest. The only question seems to be: will you consent to be the candidate? I know nothing of your determination, except what may be gathered from the conflicting statements of the press, and I do not expect or ask a reply to my letter. My only object in writing is to urge upon you the _duty_ of yielding to the united demand of the Democracy. There are times when patriots must not hesitate, if necessary, to take their lives in their hands for liberty's sake. I know not your physical condition, but mentally you are all that your friends require; and even at the hazard of your life, I believe it your duty to listen to the united voice of the friends of constitutional liberty. I _know_ that you were once fairly elected President. I feel confident that you can be again. Whether any other Democrat can be is uncertain. I fear not. It was a great mistake not to have nominated you four years ago. I felt it at the time. The country now sees it. With the highest regard for you personally, I beg of you to let us make you President in fact.

Yours very truly,
"LYMAN TRUMBULL."

Memoranda made by Charles O'Conor in conference with Mr. Tilden and myself about Mr. Tilden's will, which his brother Henry's death had made it necessary to remodel. It was the last professional consultation O'Conor ever held. He left New York the following day to return to Nantucket (Thursday), and on Monday lay down upon the bed from which he never rose alive. Before leaving New York, however, he posted the following notes to Mr. Tilden:

"Trusts cannot be created to receive and accumulate rents or
income of real or personal estate for any of the purposes you
have in view.

"You will be obliged to set off at once their shares or
allowances to your kindred out of your _capital_.

"The residue can be appropriated to such public purposes as you
may name to be created by the legislative allowance within two
specified lives after your death."

PATRICK FORD TO TILDEN

"OFFICE OF 'IRISH WORLD,'
"PARK PLACE, NEW YORK, _May 13, 1884_.

"ESTEEMED SIR,--One with whom your name is sacredly linked is passing away--a private telegram informs us that Chas. O'Conor can live but a few hours. As Americans first, as likewise of the race upon whose name his genius and character shed lustre, we desire to fittingly honor his memory. If you will say a few words to our representative as to the public worth and services of Mr. O'Conor, that we may give to the _Irish World_ readers as your personal estimate of the man, it will be a favor that we shall heartily appreciate.

"Very faithfully yours,
"PATRICK FORD,
"Per A. E. FORD, Man. Ed."

MR. TILDEN'S REMARKS ON THE DEATH OF CHARLES O'CONOR

"In my judgment, Mr. O'Conor was the greatest jurist among all the English-speaking race. He carried the best spirit of philosophical inquiry into every professional investigation.

"In variety of resources, in every form of experience, participating in every important legal controversy during fifty years, with unexampled power of discrimination and memory, he had a vast mass of information on every professional subject.

"He was a man of lofty integrity and honor, and scorned all idea of making his professional abilities the means of acquiring money.

"His character is worthy of a more elaborate tribute than I have the opportunity to pay to him in the brief time of your call."

JOHN A. McCLERNAND TO TILDEN

"SPRINGFIELD, ILL., _June 5th, 1884_.

"To His Excellency, SAMUEL J. TILDEN, President-Elect.

"DEAR SIR,--The crime which defeated the will of the people in 1876, and kept you from exercising the Presidential office needs to be avenged.

"Time and your example have subdued and conciliated all factious opposition to you in the Democratic party. The opponents of former years are now your most noisy partisans. Your nomination in July will follow as a spontaneous and consentaneous act unless you prevent it.

"Preventing it calamitous consequences must ensue. The Democratic party will be left to fall into strife, anarchy, and impotency. The Old Guard and your old friends--what will become of them? The barriers to latitudinous construction will be broken down, and license given to public extravagance, official corruption, and the greed of unscrupulous and powerful monopolies.

"Your declination is inadmissible. Accept the nomination, even if death should overcome you during or after the fight. If I know myself, I would, in the present extremity of country and party, suffer the martyrdom for you vicariously if it was possible to do so.

"Excuse the freedom and energy of these remarks. They proceed from a sense of duty. I have done.

"Very truly your obt. sert.,
"JOHN A. MCCLERNAND."

JOHN A. McCLERNAND TO TILDEN

"SPRINGFIELD, ILLS., _June 6th, 1884_.

"To His Excellency, SAMUEL J. TILDEN, President-Elect.

"DEAR SIR,--Respectfully reiterating everything I wrote yesterday, I write again to-day to deprecate, if possible, still more emphatically, but with all courtesy, any purpose on your part to decline a renomination.

"I am aware that the question of acceptance has a personal, as well as a political, aspect. I have given consideration to both, though it may be not without prepossession. The wish is often father to the thought. The grave matter of health has already received my attention. Life, even comfort, may well challenge our solicitude and care; still, I am of opinion that both may be dutifully staked upon a transcendent issue involving the welfare of a people. _Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori._

"What is the situation? The ruling party has overridden the voice of the people, usurped their sovereignty, oppressed the laboring classes by discriminating and unjust taxation, and that as a means of perpetuating its domination and enriching political adventurers. It would be worth the life of the greatest and best man in the land to expel it from its ill-gotten and abused places of power.

"In saying this, I am not unmindful of the memories of the past: of the shameful persecution which the same party wreaked on you, and of its unhesitating readiness to return to its habitual vomit; nor of the ungrateful return formerly made by recusant Democrats to your steadfastness and devotion, but such has not unfrequently been the lot of other public men of positive and decided qualities. Jefferson and Jackson, your illustrious predecessors, did not escape it; yet it is known and admitted that it detracted nothing from their energy, usefulness, or merited renown. Persecution and ingratitude are often the price paid for envied eminence and superiority. But may I not say that the march of events and opinion has raised you above the reach of harmful malice: that it has reformed the sin of recusancy?

"I am persuaded that the rank and file of the Democracy are with you, and are eager and resolute, under your leadership, to vindicate their violated electoral rights and the sanction of the ballot-box.

"Lately I was in Missouri, Arkansas, and Texas, where I sought and conferred with a number of leading men, who assured me on my representation that the Northwest was almost, if not quite, unitedly in favor [of] your nomination; they would heartily co-operate to effect it, and, indeed, while I was in Texas, several districts passed instructions in favor of it.

"As to the 'Old Guard,' although its ranks are thinned and time has stricken it with age; although it can scarcely hope to survive much beyond the impending contest, yet its spirit is unbroken. It asks not office or emolument: it covets only the post of duty and danger. It never surrenders: it will stand by you whether for a nomination or an election--for both it will keep the faith to the end. Will you not lead it, as its tried, trusted, and honored chief, to deliverance from the humiliation of unceasing contumely and proscription?

"Upon the whole your refusal to lead the Democratic masses would fall on them as a stunning and bewildering blow. It would balk their welling expectations and overwhelm them with disappointment. Would it not provoke a reaction of feeling and opinion injurious-- seriously injurious--to both you and the country? I candidly think so.

"In conclusion, I assume, as I believe, that your nomination would be followed by your election.

"Your obt. sert.,
"JOHN A. MCCLERNAND."

* * * * *

In spite of the earnest and almost oppressive urgency of friends to whose counsels he was always anxious and usually ready to defer, Mr. Tilden's consciousness of his lack of strength for the work that would be expected of him if elected President and ought to be required of him, did not permit him to weaken in his purpose. It even hastened his official termination of these importunities before the meeting of the State convention, which had seemed to him the appropriate occasion for any announcement that the four preceding years had worked no change in the views previously expressed of retiring from public life. The circumstances which led him to anticipate by a few weeks what he regarded as the fit time for such an announcement, I hope I may be excused for giving, as I set them down at the time in my diary, premising that delegates from every part of the State to the national convention were already appointed with instructions, or with the understanding that they should support Mr. Tilden for the nomination.