“I am very thankful to you for your kind letter of congratulation on my nomination for the office of Governor of this State. You are aware, no doubt, that I declined it before the Convention was held. I am deeply sensible of the honor conferred on me, especially by the manner in which it was tendered; but my objections to the acceptance of the nomination are so strong, that I would not think of it a moment, were it not for the deep concern I feel in the result of the election, and the great public interests at stake. “I expect Mrs. Dix to arrive from Europe on the 2nd or 3rd proximo, and as soon as I am able to confer with her, I shall reply to the letter of the President of the Convention, advising me of my nomination. “I am, dear General, very respectfully and sincerely yours, JOHN A. DIX.” “HIS EXCELLENCY, U. S. GRANT.” It is evident from this correspondence that General Grant’s letter, which I take the credit of having inspired, reinforced by the latent, loving power and good judgment of Mrs. Dix, assisted in the wise decision of the war Democrat to accept the Republican office which was judiciously thrust upon him. The election of Dix made the second calling and election of Grant sure. The Republican party took General Dix into its fold, and the effect was, as I had anticipated, to bring thousands of others similarly situated, to vote, at the Presidential election, for General Grant. The Dix nomination was the worst black eye that Mr. Greeley received during that campaign, and the Sage of Chappaqua acknowledged on his death bed that that event, together with the Grant mass meetings at the Cooper Institute, described in another chapter, sealed his political doom. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHAPTER XXX. CONSEQUENCES OF THE UTICA (DIX’S) CONVENTION. A CHAPTER OF SECRET HISTORY.—CONKLING GETS THE CREDIT FOR DIX’S NOMINATION AND HIS “SILENCE GIVES CONSENT” TO THE HONOR.—ROBERTSON REGARDS HIM AS A MARPLOT.—THE SENATOR INNOCENTLY CONDEMNED.—THE MISUNDERSTANDING WHICH DEFEATED GRANT FOR THE THIRD TERM, AND ELECTED GARFIELD.—HOW THE NOBLE “306” WERE DISCOMFITED.-“ANYTHING TO BEAT GRANT.”—THE STALWARTS AND THE HALF BREEDS.-“ME TOO.”—THE EXCITEMENT WHICH AROUSED GUITEAU’S MURDEROUS SPIRIT TO KILL GARFIELD. The political events succeeding the Utica Convention and the nomination of General Dix for Governor contain some inside history of more than ordinary importance.