Truly yours, "S. E. CHURCH." In the first volume of my _Life of Tilden_ (page 226) I had occasion to refer to some of his reasons for declining to withdraw from his candidacy for Governor in favor of Mr. Church. The statements there made gave offence to some of Mr. Church's political followers, which found expression in one of the most devoted newspaper organs of the Canal Ring in Syracuse. In the preceding letter from Mr. Church the reader will find some additional justification for the opinions above referred to, and which helped to inspire Mr. Tilden's distrust of Mr. Church as a leader of a party for reform. TILDEN TO COMMITTEE OF ALBANY BAR "NEW YORK, _Dec. 25th, 1868_. "GENTLEMEN,--I regret that I shall be unable to be in Albany to-morrow at the meeting of the Bar, which you have invited me to attend, and which is to be held for the purpose of 'taking appropriate action in regard to the death of our esteemed friend and professional associate, _Peter Cagger_.' "I should, however, do injustice to my own sentiments if I did not avail myself of the opportunity to join my expressions with yours of our common sense of the personal and public bereavement which is the occasion of your meeting, and of the esteem and affection with which we regarded our lamented associate and friend, while living, and with which we still cherish his memory. "I hope that some one of those who best knew Mr. Cagger will make an enduring record--not merely of the frank and genial and hearty nature which beamed upon us all; not merely of his characteristics as a citizen, a friend and a man, which are known to everybody; not merely, even, of that remarkable executive ability which he manifested in his profession, in business, and in the broader relations with men in which he acted so important a part, but of his great undeveloped capacities as a lawyer and a public man, which were evident to those who saw him intimately and were only kept from the public view by his unambitious temper, which deferred to others and voluntarily limited his own sphere of action. "With great respect, gentlemen, I remain, "Very truly yours, "S. J. TILDEN." CH. O'CONOR TO S. J. TILDEN "N. Y., _Nov. 11, 1869_. "MY DEAR SIR,--I am so pressed for time that I do not know that I shall be able to find a printed copy of the opinions read in the Legislature of New Jersey on the motion to rescind the assent of the 14th Amendment. "They were three in number, I think: one by Reverdy Johnson, one by George T. Curtis, and one by me. If it should become desirable to use any of them they can readily be found in any file of a Democratic paper. "Should mine be deemed worth using, I should like to have a correction made.