Transcriber's note: Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). Small capital text has been replaced with all capitals. The carat character (^) indicates that the following letters enclosed in curly brackets are superscripted (example: pai^{mts}). * * * * * LETTERS AND LITERARY MEMORIALS OF SAMUEL J. TILDEN EDITED BY JOHN BIGELOW, LL.D. VOL. 2 NEW YORK AND LONDON HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS 1908 Copyright, 1908, by Harper & Brothers. _All rights reserved._ Published February, 1908. LETTERS AND LITERARY MEMORIALS OF SAMUEL J. TILDEN DAVID A. WELLS TO TILDEN "NORWICH, CONN, _Jan'y 6th, 1876_. "MY DEAR GOVERNOR,--I do not know as I can testify of my admiration of your message better than by saying that I want you to send me an early copy in pamphlet form for more careful reading and preservation. "When the novel which Mr. Sherman and I have been writing (now in press) comes out, in a week or two, please see how curiously prices worked on our imaginary island, where the people used something for currency which had no value as a commodity. "Very truly yours, "DAVID A. WELLS." Answered January 10, 1876, by the Governor, that he desired to submit some of the messages to Mr. Wells, but it was a race against time. The tables were not completed until the discussion was in the proof-reading. "Even I was surprised at the surplus of currency which they evince." CHARLES O'CONOR TO TILDEN "FORT WASHINGTON, _Jan'y 12, 1876_. "MY DEAR GOVERNOR TILDEN,--In this form I will say nothing of the proceedings, surprising to me, as they must have been to you, which have marked the movements toward trying the Tweed civil cases. I have neither seen nor heard from the present chief of the 'bureau of municipal correction' since the newspapers began to regale us with its recent fortunes. "My object in addressing you is to submit certain suggestions for consideration. "When the present leading counsel for Tweed fell into a line of practice which, steadily pursued for years as it has been, might well have led to his being dubbed Attorney-General for Rascals, it was my lot to be much in professional antagonism to him. I found him to be neither wise, learned, nor, properly speaking, able, but essentially a trickster. He seems capable of being very troublesome, and to a _negligent_ or unskilful adversary he may be regarded as dangerous. "In dealing with his class, one will generally find a central device around which all their series of tricks revolve, and from which all their force and effectiveness are drawn. This man's course and career furnish an admirable illustration of this fact.