New-York tribune., 1879-04-22
DEATH OF GENERAL DIX.
Contiuncd from First Page

| ont at once, and in 1880 when the office of Aaju
tant-General was made vacant by the death Of Gen
| eral Beck, Governor ThroOp appointed Mr. Dix to
! fill the vacancy. This appointment had al that
| time more than ordinary significance. new and
| powerful party had been organized in the Western
part Of the St tgtc, growing ont of the alleged Masonic
murder of William Morgan. Moreover Governor
| Throop's position one of great delicacy. oNnc
to the divisions in the party and the tact required
of n man who had been long ont of Office in making
his selections. Going thus to Albany in an otlicial
| capacity, Mr.. Dix became one of the managers of
the new administration party, and in tho midst of
many d iiculties so well secured his hold upon 1t
that in 1888 be was chosen Secretary of State under
peculiar circumstances. William h. Marcy, United
States Senator from New-York had been elected
Governor, thus leaving the Scuatorship vacant.
The choice of a man TO fill il was at that time a
grave and important question. Mr.. Van Bureu was
Yice-President and his position as candidate
for President rendered il of supreme moment that
the choice should fall upon q man who not
only Mr. Van Buien's personal friend, but a shrewd.
sagaciOus and prudent politician, capable OF ac-
quitting himself successfully on the floor. The
choice of the Legislature accordingly tell upon
Silas Wright, who held the Office of Controller
Azariah Flagg was then transferred from the Office Of
Secretary of State to that of Controller, and Mr.
Dix named to fill the vacancy thus caused.
These leaders of the New-York Democracy, Mar
tin Van Buren,, William l.. Marcy, Silas Wright,
Azariah Fiagg and John \. DIX, had reduced polI-
ties to u science and received a name since become
famous" The Albany Regency" The power they
exercised was something quite unparalleled in re-
cent political history. In company with the
"Kichen Cabinet at Washington, and the
"Junta" at Richmond, they were the great leaders
and arpi, al OF thn tti
In all parts Of the country in Nashville Charles
ton Boston, Concord and Columbia they had their
faithful friends, with The AibGay dJggs at the head
Of newspaper opinion. The public patronage which
these men dispensed was enormous The principle
enunciatcd by their great leader Andrew Jackson,
,hat TO the yictOs belong the spolls,
was carried ont with scrupuOus precision. Thur
low Weed had been an ardent CntOnan, while
Mr. Dix was a "BUcktail" Democrat Ia 1928 the
Morgan business aroused people IN the western
counties. and on that wave Of excitement Mr.
Weed was sent TO the Legislature, meeting there
for the first time William II. Seward, who had been
elected to the Senate the same issue. The
capacity for political work which Mr. Weed soon
developed recommended him 30 the party as fit
person TO send to Albany and oppose the
Regency" He was accordingly made editor OF The
Albany Journal and began his work. This was in
1880 three years before M DIX was made Secretary
of State But the two men became well known
to each other almost immediately the arrival of
the new editor of The JOYrHdi But the acqualnt-
ancc. though one Of hostility, gathered new mean
ing in 1888, when Mr.. DIX, by virtue ot ms oihce
was Superintendent of the Common Schools,
member Of the Canal Board, and one Of the Com
mi-siOuers OF the Canal Fund.- the last two bodies
having charge of the vast internal improvements
then m progress. In 1891 Mr.. seward was nomi-
mated for Governor and defeated 10y william H.
Marcy in she next election tie same men were can
diGatCs and seward carried The stale 10y lO,OOO
majority. This was a terrible blow to the " Re
goucyp aud several Of the members, Mr. DIX among
them, retired to private life. me Ii64Ry argus
lost be printing; MIR. Weed got u, ana when 4
Democratic LEGISLATURE attcTTard passed 70 law
abollshiug the Office of state Punter, Governor
Seward percmptorly vetoed II!
TIE GREAT WIG VICTORIES.
These days witnessed the first great victories of
the Wing party. Nuliihcaton, led by Calhoun IN
south Carolina, had somewhat depleted the ranks
of the opposition and the policy OF President Jack
son toward the National Bank gwen an impulse
| to the new party which then numbered Webster
| and CLAW among IT'S leaders. Moreover, the hnan-
ciaf commissions Of 1897 were laid at the door of Mr.
Van Buren's administration. These disahections
combined to prepare the way for the great victory
oflS4O. But the blow which had fallen upon the
Regency in 1886 was douby eftctual. The
| WbIg, even carried New-Y0Ik CIty-sometning un-
known beforehand six out Of the eight Senate dis
tricts with 100 out Of 12S members Of the Assem-
bly. MIR. Weed. in his journalistic efforts, had a
powerful ally in The JlgersoHiaH, which, under the
cdItorship of Mr. Greeley, had reach'd circulation
of >. 900 copies.
Mr. Dix now retired from public life and resumed
the pract CO Of his profession. He resided in Albany,
and ,yhenoyer occasion gave the opportunity
was active in politics, participating with his friends
in the disappoiutments which followed the defeat
y n,,r. in, tba Loo alb
I'm 1911 lie was sent TO the Assembly aud
took an active and influential part III the important
measures of the session. such The liquidation Of
tbe State debt by taxation and the establishment
OF Congressional Districts on a new basis. la lhe
Fail of 1912, his wife being an invalid, he accom-
| nauird Ler 10 Europe spending the Winter ana the
following summer in the sou hcrn cllInate Oh tne
| Continent In 1915 he was chosen to MI the va va
| cuucy IN the United States Senate caused Dy the
| election OF Sias Wright a. Governor lhls was re-
| glrGcd as a victory Tor the Barn burners
the Free nsb Sg ,r Tng Dix OF edry 9S RGiS5ai
| n sympathy. His term OF Otnce lasted
| four years and was signazed by distinguished
services lie was made chairman oi iIle Coiiina',Vo
| ON Commerce and member of the Committee on
| Military Affairs. He became the author OF the
| warch0uslug system then adopted by Congress and
| in l545, when the Santa te DebentuIe 9lh was
| proposed, he secured an amendment lncluding lne
| HaIadas which, together with the original Dlll,
was largely indebted for ITS passage TO The support
| he gave IT, A bill introduced by him Tor IccpIo-
cal Trade with Canada formed the basis Tor the SUD-
se1ueut reciprocity treaty. lie took great interest
n, ,rrv affairs and IN the nucxation of leXas the
| war with Mexico aud the Oregon difficulty: lie
firmly maintained the right OF Congress TO legisiate
| with regard 10 slavery IN Territories ne lexos
nroect had two purposes in view. 1t was Democratic
| IN iis origin and Its first object was the defeat OF
| Mr. Van Buren, IN the nominating convention OF
| 1911 and iis second, the defeat OF the WING can
didafc-then apparently to be Mr.Cay-in the cleo
| ron when followed. Mr. DIX was a friend of Van
Ruren and opposed the bill. but at last he yielded
t',.bar onnrared TO be the will of the party and
oconie.ced IN the decision of its leaders. Early III
| 1913 stephen A. Douglas, then newly-chosen SEN
| ".nt nf Oregon mud debate Of great elrnestneSs
! and forensic abuity continued through several
,yc.ks I'm the course OF that debate the question OF
| lc09liyng slavery came up anu Ni. DIX hdue al