New-York tribune., 1879-04-22

of Office he retired from public life until the cam
paign of 1852. when he warmly supported the nom
iuatIon Of FIankhn Pierce He was offered the Po,
! stion OF Secretary OF state but ms tfoe oolI
sentiments caused Southern men Ot the Mhsoh
| and Shdcll school to object % the nonIla-
ton, and Mr.. Dix declined IN favor ot Governor
! Marcy. He wa aftcrward rendered the MISSION 10
| France, but declined that also. IN 1913 ne "as
made A>Sistanj Treasurer 81 tie UultCd Slai'S az
! Ncw-NOIk, but on the appointment OF JOhn T. Ma
| son 10 the French Embassy he resigned ana WIZ
held from politics. giving his time to Tie law uhn
| 1860 when President Buchanan appointed HIM
! Postmaster M kcw-lOTk. In the lat er part ot
1860. Howell Cobb, of GeoIga Tr9igued the once
| of Secretary OF the Treasury. The finances ol tue
| Government were then IN a depiofab'e cohdluoh'
| II WAS found impossible TO do anNthlnR "'th-
| out the ald OF capitalists in NoM-l0 n; IN a
! low weeks delegation hastened To Washington
from this city and insisted with President buchanan
/ that the Treasury Department must be placed
! in the hands OF one ia whom they had confluence.
and ayOwed th I they would not be satisfied unless
! the appointment fell upon Nr. DIX. In The tol oW-
| ing January Sir. DIX assumed the duties Ol tIe
| Office. Not long after this Major Anderson made
! his famous movement from Fort Moutrie to Fort
sumter, which excited the Indignation ot SeCre-
tary Fio,d thJt he threatened to resign u Ander-
| son not ordered back. 1hereupon Mi. DlA an
once tOlu the President that the recall oI MJor an
dcrsOn would be signal for the INN, date res'gla-
! tiun OF himself and Mcssrs Stanton aud Hot, also
members OF the Cabinet his decided the wavrr-
ing Executive, ana Mr.. Fiovd lett the pO'eIhiheht
"suoor HIN on THE sPor'
New Orleans at this time IN virtual possession
Of the Secession party. Two revenue cutters the
Caro- aud tho McCleand, which were there, the
new Secretary ordered to New.York The special
agent whom he had sent to bring them ar
rived at New-Orleans too late. The captain OF the
McCleland after consulting with the Collector OF
that Port refused to obey and the other cutter was
already in possession of the State authorizes OF
Alabama. Secretary Dix thereupon telegraphed his
agent to arrest the captain. and he offered
any resistance TO treat him as a mutineer. closing
his dispatch with the memorable words: " If any
one attempts 10 haul down the American iag shoot
him ON the spot"
A few years ago General DIX related to a reporter
Of one of the New-York papers the circumstances
which attended the sending Of this famous order.
The authorities in Washington had looked quietly
on AT the seizure of forts arsenals and cut
ters without word OF TemOnstrance. and u
confess hc said, that my blood boiled When
he received word from his agent that the captain OF
the McClelland refused positively III writing to
obey his orders he went from the White House,
where he was staying temporarily, to his room II
the Treasury Building sat down, and obeying the
impulse Of the moment wrote the dispatch When
he had finished it he thought of taking 1t over to
the President for approval, but remembering his
caution and prudence, especially his paramount de
sire that if there must be blood shed the North
should not spill the first drop, concluded to act
at once and on my own responsibility" The letter
was given to clerk who copied it and
went with it directly to the telegraph
Office Receiving no reply from the agent
Mr. Dix feared his dispatch had been In
tercapted, and two or three days aterward, at the
next Cabinet meeting, he remarked to Mr.
Buchanan: " | am afraid, Mr. President. we have
lost another revenue cutter" and explained TO rim
the loss Of the McCelland. What did you do
about itT asked the President sent
word 10 Jones to have BreshwOod tthe cap
tain arrested, to put Caldwell IN cOihHauu
and if anyone attempted To haui down tne amer
lean nal IL shoot him on the spot" The President
start d. aud said, somewhat stemiy with an AR OF
increduIty: Did you write thatF NO; i tcle-
prapbrI it, was the reply. The President never
slid,d to the matter again, although Mr. DiX saw
him almost constantly until the Atm OF MaIch IO-
/ lowing About a week aftcrward Louisiana Sc
! crGeI CAPTAIN Breshwood, saying that ne acted
uudcr tle orders Of the Legislature, had meanwhile
transferred the revenue cutter to the care OF that
! body, aud when the ordinance oi secession passed.
he nois,ed the ag OF Louisiana III pace ol the stars
g. An ordinary seaman continued Mr. Dix in
| the interview "On board the cutter saw where
| the American tag was sccreted alier IL i;"l
! been taken down. and when General Butler
hasttned 10 the cutter. took the flag from lis place
Of cOHccament and gave 1t to the u neral VINO sent
! il to me. IL Is now IN my possession Upon my
| Recommendation the patriouc seaman ap-
pointed lieutenant in the Revenue Service.
yhero he dd galIant .EoTf yEoTf t5ac throughout 5ga
The order 10 JONI, very unexpectedly me- leaked
| out through tha persons who bad intercepted IT,
and was soon the subject oi remark III Washington
where II was accorded - variety OF receptions. one
| day at dinner Nd the White House. a large number
| of guests being present niece Oi the Presidents
turned Suddenly TO me with the question, Did you
Issue thlt OrderP She was, believe, connected by
| mariag with prominent southern family. At
! auy rate, her sympathies were strongly WIN the
! South. and were ardent IN the extreme | answered
her very quietly that did. She stralgbtened her
self and with a bearing of queenly dignity and au-
! thoTity not devoid OF 4 certain spice OF sarcasm,
! sald: What authority had you for doug i 2 oh,
Madame replied, II was sentiment The Pres
! deLt made DO remark"
| WAR TINES AND SINCE.
On the inauguration of President Lincoln in
March 1861. Mr. DIX retired from the Cabinet
Not long after this the great Union-square meeting
was held in this city, and organized the Union De-
fence Committee, with him as its chairman. From
this time on for several years Ilr. Dx's public
services were transferred from legislation and the
affairs OF state to the seat of n the South Early
in Nav he war appointed AIajOr-General OF NOlun-
teers and in the following June President Lincoln
gave him similar position IN the regular Army.
On July 20 he was appointed TO the command of
the Department OF Maryland, and ordered to Balti-
moro. where he took up his headquarters. This
was 1t critical period IN the breaking out
Of tho Rebellion. and General DIx's com
mand made the first successful military movement
of the war. He sent General Lockwood into the
Counties ol AcCOLnac anu NoTthdhptoh 'a'' huo"H
as the Eastern Shore. with orders to occupy it and
drive out the few rebels that might remain.
proclamation was sent with the expedition, which
contained the following passage.
Tho military forces the United states arc about 10
enter your counties part OF the Union Ihey VIII
20 you friends. and with the earnest hope that
they may not BY your acts be forced to become
your en- euics. They will invade rights " person Or
property. On the contrary, your laws, your nStitu
tious. your usages Will be sUrupulOusly respected
There need b. fear that the quletude Of hesCe
Will be disturbed unless tho disturbance Is caused by
yourselves Special directions have been Civ not 10
Interfere with the condition OF any person held to do
nestle service.
The mildness Of General Dix'5 government