Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1879-05-14

JUDGE BLACK EXPLAINS HOW DIX En-
TERED THE BUCHANAN CABINET.
YORK, April 2s, 1879

YORK, April 2s, 1879
To the editor Of Ths Tme'.
An obituary sketch Of General Dix,
published in the New York Times, says
that President Buchanan was pressed
to appoint him Secretary of the Treas
ury by 'large delegations of leading
capitalists and Democrats from New
York" This is not 80. Mr.. Buchan-
an was moved TO make the appoint
mcnt by his personal friendship and
his confidence in General Dix's fidelity
to principles of honest constitutional
government. Only one person men
toned the name of General Dix before
the place was rendered to him. The
talk about "large delegations" from
New York is purely fictitious.
General Dix responded in the most
affectionate manner. He not only took
the portfolio that was offered him, but
accepted the Presidents invitation to
live at his house at Washington while
he held Office there In all their lingo.
ings and outcomings, public and pri-
vate, the harmony of these two men
was absolutely unbroken. They never
differed in opinion on any administra.
tive question, nor did either of them
find fault with any public act Of the
other
Yet the eulogy.maker in the New
York Times says "it was the threat Of
Secretaries Dix, Stanton and Holt to
Immediately resign that prevented
President Buchanan ordering Major
Anderson back from Sumter to Moul.
trie," and adds the statement that
thereupon Floyd resigned and went
South, whore he belonged" THIS is
utterly false. So far as General Dix
is concerned it cannot be true, because
he was not in the Cabinet when Major
Anderson's removal was discussed. He
came in after all questions connected
with that subject had been finally set
tled--after the Presidents refusal tc
give up Fort Sumter had been notified
to the South Carolina Commissioner
after their insolent letter in reply
had been sent back and after Floyd'l
resignation General Dix had nothing
whatever to do with any OF these of
tairs and never said a word about them
except as things of the past, properly
acted and done before his time.
Messrs. Stanton and Holt were mem
, bers of the administration when thu
President refused to order Major An
} derson back. But they did not preven
such order by threatening to resign
: Neither Of them ever threatened th,
: President with resignation at any tim,
: or for any cause, then or before or af
terwards. To make this contradiction
= full it is necessary to add that FloyC
, went "South whore he belonged" /" no
r because ofanything done orsaid by eth
! er of his colleagues, but because th,
) President himself demanded his resig
!. nation for certain financial mismanage
9 ment of his department
! This is one of the fragments of al
, old story long ago exploded. 1t il
Q known to all tolerably well-informet
l persons to be absolutely inconsisten
E with the truth. The insertion OF it il
D this posthumous biography OF Genera
3 Dix makes it doubtful whether Carlyl
was right or not when he said "no Ii
can live forever" AT all events, i
D proves that this one is hard to kill.
: II is quite impossible to beiev,
that General Dix, in his lifetime, eve
5 authorized this canard. He was
gentleman OF perfect veracity and stain
less honor, who kept himself immeas
: urably above the meanness of tryin,
Q to swell his own Importance by such
I paltry invention.
d J. S. BLACK.