The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-08-04
A LETTER FROM GENERAL DIX.
HIS Reasons for Preferring Grant To
Greeley.

WEST HAMPTON, July q, 1879.
DEAR SIR-Your letter Of the 18th inst asking
my aid to procure speaker for Greeley meeting
| at Hancock, was sent to me while was in New
England, and have been unable until now to
acknowledge its reception.
l do not understand on what ground you con-
sidered yourself authorized to address such q re-
quest to me. II you had been familiar with the
course of my public life, and equally so with Mr..
Greeey's, you could not have supposed me CAPABLE
OF advocating his election to the Office OF Prest-
dent OF the United States without imputnQ to me
| the utter abandonment Of all political principle
am opposed to Mr.. Greeley
| First--Because l believe him to be as "unstable
as water" perpetually houndering TO carry ont
the Scriptural hgurel amid the surges OF opinion,
and deficient in all the requisites essential to a
trm, steady and consistent administration OF the
government
the most extreme ultraists on the great questions
OF political and social duty which have been
brought under public discussion during the last
Thi'd--Decause be has been the advocate land in
this instance persistenty) of that most unjust and
unequal commercial sytem which Is destroying our
mercantile and shipping interests and heaping up
enormous accommodations OF wealth In the hands OF
the protected classes, to the oppression and I'm
Fourth-Because he is associated. I'm relations
dercrs of the city Of New York. Justly warrantnr
the apprehension that through his completely OF
ms laciie disposition the same system OF fraud and
eminent OF this city may be carried to more infa-
nous extremes In the administration OF the federal
Firh-BeccSse in the darkest hour OF the couu-
try's peril, when traitorous combination had
openly counselled the cowardly policy OF nom
resistance and an acquescence in the dissolution
OF the Union whenever the Cotton States should
The coalition which has been formed to promote
OF IN n m n @
elements It embraces and the surrender OF princi-
The Cincinnati Convention, called to bring
before the people important measures OF reg
form, nominated him, greatly to the SURPRISE
to one OF those measures to be an implacable op-
ponent-nominated him, too, against the wishes
cpe %n an Se o.
an ill-cOncealed disgust, which would be far more
were not utterly irrecOncnable with their prin.
| ciples.
The Democratic Convention at Baltimore en-.
dorsed and commended him to the support of their
party--not as the exponent OF any principles they
have protested, or any measures they have advo,
Gated but as known and bitter opponent of
both-the man who, perhaps Of all others has been
the most malignant Of the democracy, impeaching
It's integrity, traducng its motives and vifying its
The adoption OF such a man as their candidate for
spcuous overwhelmingly Of potica priucnes Known
to party contests.
II remains to be seen whether the great body Of
the democratic voters, and the true friends Of re-
form, can be made parties to this INSCRIPTIONS
coalition between political leaders
That General Grant has committed mistakes his
most sincere friends admit. But II his errors had
been f0urfOd more numerous he would, In my
opinion, be much better Chief Ma gistrate than Mr.
Greeley. He has In that capacity done much for which
he deserves the thanks OF the country. Above ALL
he has kept 1t at peace notwithstanding the
efforts OF sensation Journals ond popularity
seeking politicians to provoke hostilltles with
spain on the question OF Cuba, and with
Great Britain on the Alabama claims and the
II regardless of these titles to the approval OF
his fellow citizens, and OF his Invaluable
services during the late civil war, they should
set him aside Tor Mr.. Greeley; II the latter, a.
mere cratic politician, untried in any impor-
tant public trust should be elevated to the
Chief Magistracy OF the Union-a Union which
would not now exist II his counsels had been
f0owed-and II the man who, Of all others, has
done the most to preserve 1t should be discarded
for successor 80 Ill qualified and so unscrupu-
lousy nominated and sustained the example
would be most depOrable In Its influence on ala
high motives to political action and justify the
most painful forcbodings as to the future. am re-
specially yours JOHN A. DIX.
A. B. CORHwELI, Hancock, N. Y.