Note: Images of the original pages are available through Internet

coup d'etat
on one side or
the other, followed by civil war or practical change in the character of the
relations of the people to the Federal Government. At that moment Mr.
Tilden's habit of balancing caused him to pursue the course that he did. It is
reported that Mr. Tilden's letter explaining to Mr. Hewitt the reason why he
would not do so is still in existence. Of this we know nothing; but that he
had reasons and assigned them is certain. Why he consented to the method
of arbitration is one of the mysteries of his career. Taking all the
possibilities into account, the fact that the issue passed without civil war is
an occasion of devout thankfulness to Almighty God. But the method of
determining the question is one which the good sense of the American
people will never repeat.
Mr. Tilden must have had considerable humor in his composition. Some
years ago a Methodist preacher came to the city of New York to raise
money for a certain church in Pennsylvania which had been grievously
embarrassed. He stayed at the house of one of the ministers in Brooklyn.
One evening he said to his host: "I am going to call on Samuel J. Tilden and
see if I can't get something out of him for our church. He has a 'barrel,' and I
understand it is pretty full." The next morning he went, and on returning
said to his host: "Well, I called on Mr. Tilden, and I said: 'Mr. Tilden, I am

---

from——, such a place, in Pennsylvania. My name is——. I am pastor of a
church there. We have met with great misfortunes, and are likely to lose our
church. There are more than sixty members of my church that voted for you
for President, and they are ready to vote for you again, and they wanted me
to call on you and tell you of their misfortune, and ask you to give them a
little help.'"
"Well, what did Mr. Tilden say?" "He looked up and said he was busy, but
told me to come the next morning at nine o'clock." He went, and on his
return reported, when the question: "What did Mr. Tilden say"? was asked.
"He said to me, 'Your name is——? You are from——, in Pennsylvania?
You said that you had more than sixty members who voted for me for
President, and who are ready to do it again"? "Yes." "And they wanted you
to tell me of their misfortune"? "Yes." Then pulling out of his pocket-book
he counted what money he had, which amounted to $15, and handed me
$14, and said: "You tell them that Samuel J. Tilden gave you 
, 
." In all
probability he was satirizing an appeal under those circumstances.
For his service in breaking up the Tweed ring, and for his career as
Governor of the State of New York, apart from purely party aspects, he is
entitled to the thanks of the people. His own party will say to the end of
time that he was elected president of the United States, and defrauded out of
the office. But neither they nor anyone else can say, after the plan was
agreed upon and adopted for determining the result, that the person who did
occupy the chair did not have a legal right there, and was not president after
the acceptance by the House of Representatives of the conclusion.
Mr. Tilden will never be considered inferior in intellect and learning to the
many great men of whom New York can proudly boast. He will ever be
ranked with Daniel Tompkins, George Clinton, William L. Marcy, Silas
Wright, William H. Seward, John A. Dix and many others, and it is not
strange that it was with a feeling of deep and genuine regret that on the 4th
of August, 1886, the people were told of his sudden death at 'Greystone.'

---