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

1860-1861.] FUTILE EFFORTS ANID MISREPRESENTATION. 349

"At the Pine Street meeting the letters which I referred
to were read, together with replies which had by that time
been received. I regret to say that they were not as conciliatory as had been expected.
" Mr. Fillmore was unable to go South; but I carried the
address and resolutions, and read them to Jefferson Davis
and the Governors of South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama.
The general response was an expression of regret that the
action had not taken place earlier, before all parties were so
far committed to secession. While I was at Mobile, making
a Union speech before the Chamber of Commerce by the request of members of that body, irrespective of party (General
Walker, brother of the Secretary of War of the Confederate
Government then just organized, presiding), the meeting came
to a speedy end, before I had concluded my remarks, in consequence of the reception of news by telegraph that the attack
on Fort Sumter had commenced.
"By invitation of the Union merchants of New Orleans I
went there to address the Chamber of Commerce of that city;
but the newspapers assailed me, and the Mayor, calling on me
at my hotel, requested me to return home at once, and said
that a Union speech at such a time of excitement might produce a riot, and certainly could have no effect in the interest
of my mission. I took his advice; and on my return to New
York I found great excitement here, even against myself, the
papers having stated that I had gone to the South to give aid
and comfort to the rebellion! Such is life!"
Among my father's papers I have been so fortunate as to
find the original of the address referred to, with the autographs of the signers. These I now present to the reader,
and with a personal statement which will explain one motive
among others for preserving them as they stand. It will be
observed that.my father's signature is at one side, with that
of Mr. James T. Soutter, and that these two names are somewhat apart from the rest. Mr. Soutter was at that time President of the Bank of the Republic, a man of unsullied repu