New-York tribune., 1872-10-17
OF SECESSION RECORDS.

The Erening Post is still ignorant of the
course Of Gen. John A. Dix during that period
of American history when. to use its own
words "he who was not right was fearfully
" wrong,n and still contrasts his attitude at
the beginning of the secession troubles with
the position occupied at the same time by Mr..
Greeley "As it," exclaims The Post Gen.
"Dix and Horace Greeley had advocated the
Same doctrine; az if Gen. Dix had given
" aid and comfort to the Rebels by insisting that
" the North should succumb to them and the
Union be rent into fragments.'
We should like to make The Erening Post
understand, if the effort is not TOO great, that
we have no desire to rake over the old for
gotten speeches Of Republican candidates
"If any one undertakes to raise an issue
"about dsunion," said Mr.. Greeley the other
day at Pleasantville, telling you that Gen.
"Dix said this, or Mr.. Tremain said that, or
"Mr. Greeley said the other thing, ten or
"twelye years ago, the answer is, That has
"n0thing pertinent to the issues of to-day
"The country is reunited. and will remain
" 50 forever" But The Ereaing Post thinks
differently. 1t has insisted, in season
and out OF season, that Mr.. Gree
ley would once have preferred peaceable
secession to civil war, il there had been no
other alternative, and that therefore he is not
fit to be President We reply that Gen. Dix
was in favor Of secession, and on The Posts
principle he is therefore not fit to be Gov
ernor; that Mr.. Tremain was in favor of Sc
cession and therefore he is not fit to be Con-
gresham. What answer do we get from The
Post? Why nothing but downright denial
of notorious and incontestable facts. 1t of
fers no explanation or excuse, but stolidly and
stupidly sticks to its story that Dix never gave
aid and comfort to the Rebels by insisting
/" that the North should succumb to them
L" and the Union be rent into fragments"-
sticks TO this story although it has been con-
fron.ed over and over again with the follow
ing extract from Gen. Dix's address to the
South, Dec. Is, 1850:
"When the painful truth shall have forced itself the
conviction that common brotherhood be DO
longer maintained In the mutual confidence in which its
whole value consists-n a word, when reconciliation
shall become n5pees ana u shall be manifest (which
may God forbid that future paths must lie Wide
apart let DO all That becomes reasonable 10 break
tie force great calamity by departing IN peace Let
us remember that we have public obligations at homo
and abroad which, for good name must not be dis
bonorodth1t have great interests within and with
OutOn the ocean, In our cities anu tOWus IN widely
extended internal mprOy yements, in fields aud at
our fresideswhich must not be inconsiaeratoly and
wantonly sacrificed II, undertaking the great boon
Of prosperity longer consent 10 enjoy IL in
common, let as disde rhat possess the hand
and rhat Toe Ove on the other, and SAGE the Republic
the nOblest the Horld has seenobi he horrors Of orI
rar and the degradation Of financial disercdfL"
If Gen. Dix had frankly ayowed that he
held these sentiments in 1860, and that he was
now satisfied of his mistake, nobody would
have thought of reproaching him with them.
But his newspaper organs choose to deny that
he ever held them at all, while the General
himself has the eifrontery to say this, under
date of July 27, 1872
II you had been familiar with the OF my pub
lie life, and equally with Mr. Groeleys you could not
have supposed me capable OF advocating his election
tho office OF President of tho United States without
putting 10 utter abandonment OF all political prin-
cipe. am opposed TO Mr. Greeley:-
as Because in the darkest hour OF the eounrys peril
when trnitorous combination had formed TO over
throw the Government. no openly oounselod the cow
aIdly policy OF nonrcsistance and acquescence In
the dissolution OF the Unon whenever the Cotton States
should make up their minds 10 go."
Gen. Dix himself, therefore, must be held
responsible for tho falsehood and for the hum