Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1868-09-30
FROM GEN. DIX.
He is for Grant for President.

A gentleman in New York city, a
few days since, received the following
important letter from Gen. JOHN 4.
DIX, American Minister to France
1t will be observed that he is most
emphatically oppOsedt to Seymour, and
would regard his election as a calami-
ty:
PARIS, Sept. 4th, 1865.
My DEAR Sm:-It was my hope that my
distance from home would have saved me
from all participation in the political excite
ment prevailing there, but / notice in one OF
the newspa pers that / am heart and hand
with Mr.. Seymour" Tam not avian of any
thing in the present or past which could
rightfully subject me to such an imputation.
/ have been acquainted with Mr.. seymour
more than a quarter of n century. He is an
amiable gentleman, Of uneXceptionable pri-
Vate character, and OF respectable talents;
but YOU know as well as ! that he has not a
single qualification for the successful eXecu-
tiOn Of the high official truSt to which he has
beer nominated, and he is especially def
cient in that frmneSS Of purpose which in
critical emergencies Is the only safeguard
against public disorder and calamity. He
has been twice, at different times, Governor
of the State of New York, and he has in
neither case had talent or tact to keep the
Democratic party Of the State together more
ALleh NNo NEaANa ! EAN0AAA AN6dA0 AA-C NAlNAA0AA
at this juncture, when much steadineSS OF
purpose, decision, and S~elf-cOntrol are so
much needed. as one of the greatest calami-
ties that could befall the country. Moreover.
he has been put in nomination by a
ton which has openly declared that the pur-
pose of those il representS is topay the greater
part Of the public debt contracted to pre-
serve the Union, in deprecated paper. Such
a measure would, in my Judgment, be
a palpable violation Of public faith, pledged
under circumstances which should have
hon hFn1Tnn IN oil hnmnHnhla mon Mr.
Seymour has made public speeches 10 show
that It is our duty TO pay the debt in specie.
In accepting his TO the Preslden-
cy, he adopts the declaration that II ought to
be paid il paper. I know nothing so humil-
iating in the history Of American politics as
this tergiverSatiOn. II was, perhaps, not I'M
fit that Mr.. Seymour, amer presiding IN 1854
over the Chicago Convention, which declared
the war a failure, should preside over the
convention of 1868, in which a proposition TO
discredit the debt contracted to carry on the
war was received with tremendous cheering,
and that he should be the chosen instrument
to execute this act Of national turpitude. l
do not believe that the wishes or opinions Of
the great body of the Democratic party are
fairly expressed in these proceedings. They
have nothing in common with the statesman
like views Of policy n the high sense Of
national honoT which guided the party when
Martin Van Buren,, William l.. Nancy, SilaS
Wright, Lewis CaSs. u stephen A. Douglas
were among its most conspicuous members.
l see but one source OF safety Tor the country
AAAAE GAA~AAAAs NAANAAAAAaNAAAANS1F 49, NA8-N - ~
election of General Grant. On his decision
of character, good sense, moderation, n
DISTINGUISHED patriotism, l believe the South
viii have p far better hope OF regaining the
position in the Union TO which IL Is entitled,
than under a man whose political career has
been in nothing more cOnspicuOusly marked
than in an utter infirmity OF purpose. hide
pendently Of all these considerations, l
should be greatly surprised If the people Of
the United States were TO elect as their chief
magistrate a man who was making, at the
Academy of Music, on the Fourth OF July,
1863, a speech deficient in all the characteris-
tics of an elevated dow of country, az the
very hour when General Grant was carrying
b victorious arms Of he Union intO Nlcks-
burg, and when thousands Of our fallen
countrymen were pouring out their blood on
the plains of Gettysburg in defense OF their
and the government which Mr.. Sey-
mour was doing ALI his power to embarraSS
discTedit. lam quite willing You should
show this letter 20 any friends whO may take
an interest in my opinion in regard to h
coming election, and l am particularly de-
sirOus of removing the impression, If II eN-
lists, tina I am in favor Of Mr.. Seymour or the
Reputation Of any portion Of the public debt.
JOHN a. DIX.