"Mr. Tazewell replied at once, saying substantially that, while entertaining the same opinions, and cherishing the same hopes expressed by the committee, he must decline to allow the use of his name as a candidate, and that no additional numbers, however respectable, would alter his views. "He advised them to select a candidate from another class; that the Priams of the party said that he could only hope to last _telum imbellisim ictu_, etc., etc. "In his private letter to me he said that, recognizing me as the son of an old friend, he would say that, while old and infirm (upwards of eighty, I think), he regarded it as the duty of the citizen to serve the State when called on. That Coriolanus had admitted this. That any man could say he would not become a _candidate_, but no one could say he would not _serve_ the State. "I am one of the few survivors of the patriotic but mistaken associates who addressed that letter to Tazewell thirty-six years ago. On his declination no further steps were taken, and the matter was kept quiet. Some of them have since filled high offices--one was afterwards a justice of Supreme Court, New York, others Senators in Congress--places which they would never have filled had this affair become public. Had it become public it is possible that Yancey's influence would have been so far impaired that he would not have possessed the power, in 1860, to 'precipitate the South into a revolution.' "I thought that a history of this matter might be interesting to you, and that I might draw some inferences from its discussion with you which might enable me to render a valuable service to the country. I believe that Hon. John A. Campbell is the only man now living who could be compromised in any manner by what I have said as to the correspondence with Mr. Tazewell in 1848; but can rely, of course, on your discretion for the preservation of a curious bit of political history. "Resp'y and truly yours, "HENRY C. SEMPLE." D. MAGONE TO DANIEL MANNING "_Confidential._ "OGDENSBURG, _Apl. 24th, 1884_. "DANIEL MANNING, ESQ. "MY DEAR SIR,--Permit me to advise that whatever your individual opinion is, as to the propriety of Mr. Tilden's candidacy for the Presidency, he should not authoritatively decline until after the election of the delegates to our State convention. "His name will greatly aid in securing honest delegates. Please give me any point you can, as I only wish to know what may better enable me to second you in the hard work that I know you have to do. "Truly yours, "D. MAGONE." LYMAN TRUMBULL TO TILDEN "CHICAGO, _June 7, 1884_. "HON. SAMUEL J. TILDEN.