Samuel J. Tilden

The Democratie Convention met in Louw on the 27th of Juno. It differed from all previous couventiona of the aamo party, accordiug to a writer ia the Tribune, in this remarkablo particular: It was composed maiuly of yonng men, or of thoso who had grown up since the timo wheu that powerful unity, making its fatal mistake on the slavery issue, was braken iuto pieces, and a largo fragment went wandering into the wilderness. The frienduof Mr. Tilden, theacknowledgr-d New York reformer.easily obtaiuod the organizatton. and from beginnim: tO end held tho upper hnnd la all tho proceedings. Only two bailóte wero taken - the lirst merely formal and complimentary - wbeu Mr. Tilden waa unanimously nomiuated. I Ie was, however, mt unoppoaod in spite of liis ascendency, bnt the opposition to him canio chit lly from wbat are rogarded as the most iueationable elementa of bis party- the representativo! of Tammany Hall at the Kast, and the abettorH of financia! eccentricity at the West. Tüum, by the niauuer of bis seloction, Mr. Tilden bet-iimo not üiinply the candidato of a faction of hia party, but the exponent of a principie. Who, then, is Samuel J. Tildón ? lu reply, good friends of tho conference, let me speak to you from my personal knowledgo. I have been intiroately oquafnted with Mr. Tilden for nearly fort; years, and thougb. I bave ofton differcil with him politically, eonietimes even lamenting his strange reliauce on party agencies, I havo never had the litl :t::-L occasion to suspect his absoluto intsgrity of purpoae and sincority of couviction. In all the relations of private lifo he is pnrity itaelf. At the same timo he bas a'.ways been a pubhe-spiritod citizon, taking an activo ] art in what concerned the welfavo and prv greas of the címmunity in which ho lived. Hij devotion, indeed, to public affaire began while he was slill a youtb, and liis early discussions of intricate questions of nuance attraciod the attention of maturer minds by their singular penetratiou and judgment. Professionaily, he bas taken rank with Van Buron, Brady, O'Conor, araham, Evarta, Kirkland, and othcr foremost lawyers, and in a peculiar clase of cases - heavy and complicatod railroad litigations - he ia admitted to be fatale princp. lliu counsel, wbeu important and deciaive action was involved, has been deemed invaluable. In still higher relations Mr. Tilden aeom to me to oombine, more than auy man now before the public, hardly excepting Mr. AdamB, of Masaachuaetts, tbc two great kind of quality, theoretic and practical, which form the truo statesman - a profouud understandmc of lbo philoöophic grounda of political opinión, iind the sagacious tact and energy of the man of business. This unión of theorotic ineigbt with praotic&l capaoity nae been ningulaily ahowu m bis adraiuistration of tho affairs of tilia State. Nuw York is tho largcet commonwealtirof f.lic Union, the largest in population, in apri cultural roducts, in manufacturing entorprise, in commercial capital - in a word, in the divoraity ;md importauce of its businoss relations : and tho Govornorship there is not a mero clerical fu:ic;ion, conñued to t!ie appointmëut of notaries and tlie signing of commissions, aa in many of he nower Woatern States, but an onerou, m;iicate, and respousible trust. Tho!Gov(r.ior is invested with the voto, which makea him a :art of tho legislativo power, while tria tv u;ivo connocUon with the complica 'ed jusiness of tho nuarautine, tbo salt works, the State prisona and cbaritiea, and an immense systom of canala, imposes upon him the moet varied and diflioult duties. Mr. Tiliien, in liis short teuure of the place, has eviued a ni id: uoga for all its dutjes. He Uas dofeu il nialtituila of U-oon8itiered and Itnpi ii'.Ih, overthrowii & frsivi sfüHCV. Kii.l rt-lu..'.] Ihf tttion frOD I 815.000,000 in 1875 to leaa than $8,000,000 1876, witli au aesurauco that il tho changa Í5 has suggested are followed, the decrease ! be 2, 000,000 or L3,000,000 moro in 1877. , part of this reduction is due to tbo extinctit of tlie bounty debt, bat the rent to Gov t? den's direct efforts and iniluenco. I have said that Mr. Tilden was more of partisan than ouited my om 'emperamoJ but I onght in justice to add that iie waa B, ; so mucli ot a partissn as to render him in6Dgi: b)e to the higher duticH of the citizétt ]i separated from the bulk of his own parhí tina city, with other free-soilors of the st'( when we thonglit it adviable to protest ftgait certaln encroacbmeuts of tho slavo power, j septrated from tho bu'k of his party in :! city when he undertook to beat down ik iufamous Tweed gang, intrenched by th! laws, and posseesed of an almost ovcriíhel Dg iorce. It was against the adyice tí many of the mout eminent men of his own w, ty that lio assailed the canal ring, whoao nu. ucations extonded through nearly every couott in the State, and wbuse1 weakh and it)iluenc; were eupposed to fee invinciblo. Anditu agninnt a large a6d well-eombined. factiooti hT own party tfarf he lifted ii at 8t. Louis out (J tho qusgniirea of doubt and error in which i was floundorimf, and pfaccd it on t lic w. ground of its aucient traditiona. Mi. Tilde j cautious and wary, and nerer acta nntiJ aasnrtj of f oothold on truth and rlght ; but theu he i ar tenacious in pursuit afl a öïetith-honnd, t absolKfflly inflexible. The Republican party, wliich is n. sponsihle for tíie greater part of the ui, spread demoralizatioa, i eubstantiaÜT n. changed. It will be for tb next four yen, whc it bas been for the paet en yeatá. i calididate chosen expreesly for h:u neutnj fjualities will not direct ïU têndeucies or inttg vigoi ör conslatency into its councile. 1;ership will continue to be, ás hcretofore, j the hands of its ÍHainoB, ita ConkÜDj'. il s Mortone, ita Camerons, iU Logm and iti Kelluys. On the coutran the Democratie party, abjuring fowner errore, and rising to the fu!l mande o' the situatiori, puta iteelf into tially new Jiands. lts bearcr, t . gacious, prudent, ïnoBt accomplished etah man, inured to mauagetnent, and frebli ín desporate contücts with tho enemie of pm governmont, ha lifted it toa higher plsu faith, and will also lift it to a higïer pla practico. But he must be sustained 1 men ever.Twhere who sympathizo wüh ín objecta. He hae tronght us the reinfocoowi! of a mighty organi7,ation ready to adogtf our cause and to fight otr battle? Can i turn it away? Can we, sinkÍDg bsvk into fit blindneaa of mere partisan feelinK, neglect tbs [ glorious opportnnity, which puts anoTerwhelt ing voto at our dispoeal for the reeene ot tu i Government? I do not see how therectofc two answera ; bui be that aa it may, 1, t hare for many years stood by this noblo nm and been the eye-witne?s of liis galiant figtot with " the beasta at Ephesus," would )jo r(ml: ant to tho labor and aspirations of my h life not to lend him my heai tiest supiwri. Pabke üodwb. I