"LITTLE FALLS, _August 4, 1878_.
"HON. S. J. TILDEN,--I write to express to you the
gratification I have felt on reading the _exposé_ in this morning's
_Argus_, by Mr. Marble, of your opinions and course in respect to
the memorable arbitration for the Presidency. The common sense of
public opinion pointed in the same direction. Moral courage and
firmness from the start in the House would most certainly have
secured a just result.[22] The perpetrators of the wicked fraud
would have cowed. If Grant's military _penchant_ had brought in the
use of arms, the rash resort and its consequences would be for the
other side to answer for. But timid counsels prevailed. Your friends
consented to arbitrate whether your coat belonged to you or to Mr.
Hayes--they had, moreover, the weakness to confide in the fair
professions of the other side, so far as to give them a majority of
the arbitrators.
[22] This remark was confirmed to me by a very competent authority.
In June of 1877 Mr. James G. Blaine was one of the Inspectors of
the United States Military Academy at West Point. He spent an
afternoon with me at my residence in the immediate neighborhood,
and the action of the Electoral Tribunal, among other things,
became naturally enough a topic of conversation. He said, with some
emphasis, "I was surprised at the time that the Democrats consented
to the Electoral Tribunal," and added in substance--I cannot pretend
to recall his exact words--that if they had remained firm it could
not have succeeded.
"I am glad to learn by Mr. Marble's _exposé_ that you gave no assent
to the arbitration, but took your stand upon the true legal and
constitutional ground. And in this expression I believe a great many
of your friends concur. When the decision was made, by a tribunal
appointed by law, it was too late to revolt. Concurrence was then
the only manly course.
Sincerely yours,
"ARPHAXED LOOMIS."