Letters and Literary Memorials of Samuel J. Tilden, v. 1Tilden, Samuel J. (Samuel Jones)
History
Letters and Literary Memorials of Samuel J. Tilden, v. 1
Tilden, Samuel J. (Samuel Jones)
Tilden, Samuel J. (Samuel Jones), 1814-1886
"In that event, care should be taken, by a well-considered and powerful
article in the _Union_ of a semi-official character to place the
removal on the true grounds--and as little as possible on the one by
which the correspondence will probably be used by him and by the Whigs
to frame; and that article should be especially shaped to carry the war
into Africa.
"If, as I fear, Bronson should delay answering in the knowledge
that time lost is all in their favor and against us, there is one
other resource. Let the administration treat the open avowals of our
organized movement to change the Cabinet, which have been made since
the correspondence commenced, as a _new development_ of the designs
and character of the movement with which Bronson is implicated, and as
a new offence which calls for immediate action. I see no difficulty
in doing this if the administration is really earnest for action
instead of wishing occasion for temporizing. Take an affirmative,
energetic course, and the details will work out themselves or be easily
brought into conformity with the broad grounds on which you act. The
administration is perishing by slow disease, the result of indecision
and want of energy. I do not say this because I am willing to think
it is the administration's duty to come up to any personal wishes
or opinions of mine, but I should be blind if I failed to see the
indication of a general and prevalent public opinion.
"If you had not known me, and I have known you more than twenty years,
and will not think I speak rashly, I would not speak so frankly, though
it is at once the highest office and best testimony of my friendship to
convey early what is slow and late to reach the ears of men in power.
"The bolting movement in this State would have utterly failed if it
could have been understood at the outset that this administration were
united in discountenancing it. We should have carried the State, and
the President's policy, wise and right as it was, would have had the
double triumph of carrying at once Georgia and New York, and faction
would have been silenced in and out of Congress. The main force of the
movement here has been the false pretence that it was favored by a part
of them, representations of this nature being readily believed when
made by local leaders in whom they have confidence. It is idle to say
that enough has been done to counteract this evil, when we are daily
argued with by respectable men to show the contrary.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account