"'Herald' Office, Editorial Department,
"Omaha, Neb., Dec. 26th, 1879.
"Hon. Samuel J. Tilden.
"My dear Sir,—Pardon a preliminary statement before I reach the main object of this letter.
"Since I last saw you I have met the slanders circulating against you, to the effect that you were seeking a second nomination to the Presidency by corrupt and other means, by saying in my paper, as a matter of my own opinion, that you would neither seek nor accept such nomination. I have also said, on my belief in Governor Seymour's sincerity, that he would not accept a nomination to the Presidency. I now want to give you some news for your special information.
"I have a letter from a leading Democrat of Oneida County who has peculiar facilities for getting at the 'true inwardness' that Horatio Seymour will not decline a nomination to the Presidency. He will not write any letters forbidding the use of his name, and if he is interviewed at all the result will be uniformly that which was recently seen in the New York Times. He will not change front exactly. No one will be authorized to say he will consent to run, but it will appear that the Governor's health is greatly improved, and that he was never better in his life, and nothing authentic will be got from him to show that he would not accept a nomination.
"I said this is sent to you as news. It may not be such to you. But the information I get is such a great surprise to me that I could not rest without sending it to you.
"I am, most truly yours,
"George L. Miller."
JOHN A. McCLERNAND TO TILDEN
"Springfield, Ill., Jany. 27th, 1880.
"Ex-Governor Samuel J. Tilden.