Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-08-07
Gen. Dix Supports Gen. Grant

w c print below a letter from Gen. J0uN
A. DIX, Of New York, giving his reasons for
preferring GIN. GRANT to Nh. GREELEY, for
President GEN. DIX will be remembered as
q prominent Democrat before the rebellion
but as a staunch supporter Of the war for its
suppression. We believe, however. he still
acted politically with the Democratic party,
and has done so until now. He gives sound
reasons for preferring the present Executive
to Mr.. GREELEY; and they are reasons which
ought to have weight with thoughtful, indie
pendent voters, everywhere, whatever may
have been their former party associations.
This is the letter
WEsTHAMPToN, July p, 1872.
Dear Sir: Your letter of the 18th inst
asking my aid to procure a speaker for a
Greeley meeting at Hancock, was sent to me
while was in New England, and I have
been unable until now to acknowledge its
reception.
do not understand on what ground you
considered yourself authorized to address
such a request to me. If you had been fa-
miliar with the course of my public lite, and
equally so with Mr. Greeleys, you could not
have supposed me capable of advocating his
election 10 LDC OulCt VI fICHlutuk VI tut 2 lll-
ted States without imputlng to me the utter
abandonment of all political principle.
| am opposed to Mr.. Greeley:
l. Because | believe him to be as e. unsta-
bic as water, perpetually laundering (to
carry out the Scriptural fgure) amid the
surges of opinion, and deficient in all the
requisites essential TO a firm, steady and con
sstent administration of the government
,. Because he has usually been found
among the most extreme ultraists on the
great questions of political and social duty
which have been brought under public dis
cussion during the last quarter of century.
| 3. Because he has been the advocate (and
in this instance persistently) OF that most
unjust and unequal commercial system
which is destroying our mercantile and ship
ping interests and heaping up enormous ac-
cumulations of wealth in the hands of the
protected classes to the oppression and
| impoverishment of all others.
/. Because he is associated, in relations
more or less intimate, with some of the chief
plunderers of the city of New York, justly
warranting the apprehension that through
his completely or his facile disposition the
same system of fraud and corruption which
has disgraced the municipal government OF
this city may be carried to more infamous
extremes in the administration of the FEEDER
al Government; and
5. Because IN the darkest hour OF the
country's peril, when traitorous combina-
ton had been formed to overthrow the Gov.
eminent, he openly counselled the cowardly
policy of non.resistance and an acquiescence
In the dissolution of the Union, whenever
the cotton States should make up their minds
to 60.
The coalition which has been formed 60
promote his election is one of the most extra
ordinary in the history of parties, in respect
both to the discordant elements 1t embraces
and the surrender of principles it involves
The Cincinnati Convention, called to bring
before the people important measures of re-
form. nominated him, greatly to the surprise
of the country, knowing him, il regard to
one of those measures, to be an implacable
opponent-nominated him, too, against the
wishes and Judgment of the chief promoters
of the movement, who accepted him. either
with an avowed OF an ill-coneealed disgust,
which would be far more creditablc to their
feelings if the act of acceptance were not
utterly irreconcilable with their principles.