"But regrets are now idle. Our part is to repair the past in the future. Your leadership in the late canvass regenerated and renewed the Democratic party, and brought it back to the mansion of its fathers. It revived its ancient energy and devotion. It is now capable of great achievements. This is saying much for both you and it, yet not more than the truth. You are now the acknowledged leader of the _reform Democracy_, and your leadership must be continued for the contest of 1880. This is the sentiment and demand of the _Old Guard_ who never desert or surrender. "Your ob't ser't, "JOHN A. MCCLERNAND." ROBERT M. McLANE TO TILDEN "BALTIMORE, _3rd March, '77_. "MY DEAR GOVERNOR,--Certainly it is not an agreeable greeting I have to offer, but I cannot let the communication of the foul work in Washington pass into history without expressing to you the disgust I feel and the hope I entertain that the country will yet recover its moral sense, and vindicate the men and principles that have been overthrown by fraud and _quasi force_, for this last alternative was always in the perspective, and as you know greatly influenced and demoralized good men! "It is certainly to be regretted, I think, that our friends were ever beguiled into the electoral commission scheme, and though I did my best, within the bounds of my influence, to secure from its action the triumph of truth and justice, I have the satisfaction to know that from the hour we had the returns of the Presidential election my utmost effort was directed to influence the House of Representatives to assert its constitutional prerogatives and elect a President, rather than co-operate in the declaration of a result which is false in fact and which outrages the moral and numerical sense of the country. If such a result was inevitable, I could accept it as well as another; but I would have left its consummation to the conspirators who did the counting in the Southern States and the Federal army at the seat of government, under the immediate direction of the retiring President. "Until I have the pleasure of a personal greeting, I remain, Very truly and faithfully, "Yr. friend and obt. servt., ROBT. M. MCLANE." "_To Hon. S. J. Tilden._ A. E. ORR TO TILDEN "BROOKLYN, _Mch. 3d, '77_. "MY DEAR GOVERNOR TILDEN,--I regret exceedingly that illness has confined me to the house for the past few days. "I wanted to say to you personally what I feel towards you in my heart. "Under cover of law--justice has no part in it--a great wrong has been committed, and you are deprived of a position to which all honest-minded men believe you were fairly elected.