"SPRINGFIELD, ILL., _June 5th, 1884_.
"To His Excellency, SAMUEL J. TILDEN, President-Elect.
"DEAR SIR,--The crime which defeated the will of the people
in 1876, and kept you from exercising the Presidential office needs
to be avenged.
"Time and your example have subdued and conciliated all factious
opposition to you in the Democratic party. The opponents of former
years are now your most noisy partisans. Your nomination in July
will follow as a spontaneous and consentaneous act unless you
prevent it.
"Preventing it calamitous consequences must ensue. The Democratic
party will be left to fall into strife, anarchy, and impotency.
The Old Guard and your old friends--what will become of them? The
barriers to latitudinous construction will be broken down, and
license given to public extravagance, official corruption, and the
greed of unscrupulous and powerful monopolies.
"Your declination is inadmissible. Accept the nomination, even if
death should overcome you during or after the fight. If I know
myself, I would, in the present extremity of country and party,
suffer the martyrdom for you vicariously if it was possible to do so.
"Excuse the freedom and energy of these remarks. They proceed from a
sense of duty. I have done.
"Very truly your obt. sert.,
"JOHN A. MCCLERNAND."