Memoirs of John Adams Dix; comp. by his son, Morgan Dix.

1830-1842.]r CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE UNSHAKEN. 167
husband goes to Boston in a few days to deliver a lecture, not
a stum p Bpeech; and as he stops in New York on his way he
and papa will doubtless come to some sage determination."
The letter from which I have just quoted rustles with indignation against the fickle and inconstant people, of whose
"virtue" and "intelligence"l my mother appears at that moment to have entertained a contemptible opinion. The General, however, adds a re-assuring postscript in their vindication, from Boston (November 26, 1840), saying:
" My confidence in the ' virtue and intelligence of the people' is unshaken. They have been deceived; but I await the
' sober second thought,' and even the third, if necessary."
But his own sober second thought was that it was best to
remain where he was; he felt, no doubt, that his career as a
public man was not yet finished; he had, perhaps, the intuition of future successes.
What the address or lecture was which he went to Boston
to deliver I do not know, and have not been at the pains to
find out; but there is a point in connection with it too good
to be lost. Writing to his brother, Captain Roger S. Dix, of
the army, after his return, December 13, 1840, and referring
to what he had been told-that the newspapers in Boston,
with one exception, had spoken well of it-he says:
" I wish to know what paper is referred to as an exception,
and what it said. I desire to know for my own benefit.
Nothing does a man so much good as honest criticism, however severe it may be. I can truly say I have never been
anxious to hunt up compliments, when I have been told that
they have been paid to me. But fault-finding criticisms
I am always desirous of seeing, because they often furnish
hints which may be turned to good account. As I have been
of late, and shall probably be hereafter, somewhat engaged in
public speaking, I wish to know what my faults are, that I
may correct them if I can."
Thus thrown out of public life, General Dix directed his
attention to a new pursuit. Desiring to add something to