The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1868-10-01
Letter From General John A.
Dix.

Dix.
He Believes that the Election of Sey-
mour to the Presidency ,oould be the
Greatest Calamity that could BefaH
the Country.
New York, Sept. %.
General John A. Dix, American
Minister to France, has sent the fol-
lowing letter to q friend in this city.
1t was not written for publication,
but the gentleman to whom it was
addressed has consented to give il to
the public:
GENERAL DIx's LETTER.
Paris, September 4, 1868.
Ny DEAR SIR: 1t was my hope
that my distance from home would
have saved me from all participation
in the political excitement prevailing
there; but 1 notice in ono of the news.
papers a statement that / am heart
and hand with Mr.. Seymour.
am not aware Of anything In the
present or the past, which could
rightfully subject me to such an i'm
putation.
have been acquainted with Mr..
Seymour more than q quarter Of q
century. He is an amiablc gentle
man, of unexceptionable private
character and respectable talents;
but you know as well as / that he
has not siugie qualification 70: the
successful execution of the high off,
cial trust to which he has been nom.
mated, and is especially deficient in
the firmness of purpose which in
critical emergencies is the only safe
guard against public disorder and
calamity. He has been twice, at diff
ferent times, Governor of the State
of New York, and he has in neither
case had the talent or the tact to
keep the Democratic party of the
State together more than two years.
/ should regard his election, at
this juncture, when steadiness ofpur-
pose, decision, and self.control are 80
much needed, as one of the greatest
calamities that could befall the coun-
try. Moreover, he has been put in
nomination by convention which
has openly declared the purpose of
those it represents to pay the great
or part of the public debt contracted
to preserve the Union in deprecated
paper. Such q measure would, in
my judgment, be q palpable viola
ton of the public faith, pledged un-
der circumstances which should have
been binding on all honorable men,
Seymour has made public speeches
to show that it is our duty to pay
the debt in specie. In accepting his
nomination to the Presidency be
adopts the declaration that It ought
to be paid in paper. know nothing
SO humiliatlng in the history Of
Americen politics as this tergiversa-
tion. 1t was, perhaps, not unfit that
Mr.. Seymour, after presiding, ln 64
over the Chicago Convention, which
declared the wara failure, should pre-
side over the convention Of 1868, in
which a proposition to discredit the
debt contracted to carry on the wal
was received with tremendous
cheering, and that he should be the
chosen instrument toexccute this act
of national turpitude.
l do not believe that the wishes OF
opinions of the great body OF ths
democratic party are fairly express
ed in the proceedings. They have
nothing in common with tho states
manlike view Of the policy and thu
high sense of national honor which
guided the party when Martin Var
Buren,, William l.. Yancy, Sila'
Wright, Lewis Cass, and Stephen A
Douglas were among its most con
spicuous members.
| l see but one source of safety fol
the country under the existing cir
cumstancos, and that is the election
of Grant. In his decision of char.
acter, good sense, moderation, an,
disintcrested patriotism believe tn
South will have far better hope Q
rcgaining the position in the Uniol
to hich it is entitled than under
man whose political career has bee
in nothing more conspicuously mark
ed than in utter infrmity of purpost
Independently ofall these conider
ations, should be greatly surprise
if the people Of the United State
We're to elect as their Chict Magis
trate y man who was making, ut tn
Academy of Music, on the 4th
July, 1864, speech deficient in a
the characteristics of an elevate
love of country, at tho very hor
when General Grant was carryiu
the victorious arms of tho Union int
Vioksburg, and when Thousands
our fallen countrymen were pourir