The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-09-24
GENERAL DIX.
LETTER TO A FRIEND IN NEW
YORK.
HIS OPINION OF SEYMOUR.
HIS ELECTION WOULD BE A
CALAMITY.
Only Safety for the Country the
Election OF General Grant.
NRM YoRK. Sentember FL.

NEW 1OhAI oelAenDeE -.
Gen. Dix, American Minister to
France, has sent the following letter to
friend in this city. 1t was not writ
ten for publication, but the gentleman
to whom It was addressed has consent
ed to give 1t TO the public:
PARIS, September 4, 1868.
DEAR SIR: It was my hope that my
distance from home would have saved
me from all participation in political
excitement prevailing there; but no.
tice in one of the newspapers that / am
theart and hand with Mr.. Seymour" +"
am not aware of anything in the pres
ent or the past which could rightiully
subject me to such an imputation.
have been acquainted with Mr..
Seymour more than a quarter OF a CEN
tury. He Is an amiable gentleman of
unexceptionable private character and
respectable talents, but you know, as
well as /, that he has not Il single quail
fication for the successful execution of
the-high official trust 10 which he has
been nominated, and he is especially
deficient in that firmness 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 has in neither case had
the talent or tact to keep the Democratic
party of the State together moro than
two years. should regard his election
at this junCture, when steadIness Of
purpose, decision, and self-control ago
SO much needed, as one of the greatest
calRmlties that could befall the coun
try.
Moreover, he has been put in nomi-
nation by a convention which has open
ly declared the purpose of those 1t rep
resents to pay the greater part of the
public debt contracted to preserve the
Union in deprecated paper. Such a
measure would, in my judgement. be a
paIpable violation OF public faith,
pledged under circumstances which
would have been binding on all honor
able men. Seymour has made public
speeches to show that 1t Is our duty
to pay the debt in specie. In accepting
his nomination TO the Presidency, he
adopts the declaration that it ought TO
be paid in paper. 1 know nothing SO
Illuminating in the history of American
politics as this tergiversation. 1t was
perhaps not unfit that Mr.. Seymour,
after presiding in 1854 over the Chicago
Convention, which declared the war a
failure, should preside over tine Con-
vention of 1858, in which proposition
20 discredit the debt contracted to carry
on the war was received with tremen-
dous cheering, and that he should be
the chosen instrument to execute this
act of national turpitude. 1 do not be-
lieve 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
statesmaulike views of policy and the
high sense of natural honor which guid-
ed the party when Martin Van Buren,,
William l.. Yancey, Silas Wright,
Lewis Cass, and Stephen a. Douglas
were among its most conspicuous mem
bers.
F,A. r.. 1.
country under existing circumstances,
and that is the election of Gen. Grant.
On his decision of fcharacter, good sense,
moderation and disinteTesIed patrio-
tism, believe the South will have a
far better hope ofregainiDg the position
in the Union to which 1t is entitled than
under a man whose political career has
been in nothing more consPicuously
marked than in an utter inirmity of
purpose. Independently of all these
considerations, 1 should be greatly sur
prised II the people of the United States
were to elect as their Chief Magistrate
man who was making, at the Acade-
my of Music, on the 4th OF July, 1868,
speech deficient In all the character
istics OF an elevated love of country, at
the very hour when General Grant was
carrying the victorious arms of The
Union into Vicksburg, and when thou
sands OF our fallen countrymen were
pouring out their blood on the plains OF
Gettysburg in defense of their homes
and the government, which Mr.. Sey-
mour was doing all in his power &c
embarrass and discredit. / am quite
willing you should show this letter to
any friends who may take an interest
in my opinion in regard to the coming
election, and am particularly desirous
of removing the impressions. IL it exists
that am in favor of Mr.. Seymour oil
the repudiation of any portion of the
public debt.
am, sir, very truly yours,
JOHN A. DIX.