(Confidential.)
P. O. Dept., November 25,1860.
My Dear Sir,—I have good reason to believe that the President is beset by secessionists, who are almost exclusively occupying his attention; and it is important that the true friends of the Union should do all in their power to strengthen his hands. Why will you not either write or come and see him, and get all the strong men of your city to do the same? I cannot call names, but rest assured what I tell you is true. The course of the ‘Constitution’ is infamous, but the President, I presume, has no means of controlling it. Pray let him hear from you all in a most decided manner on this subject. Let him know how much the paper and suspicions of disunion influences near him are injuring him.
Stephens’s speech is admirable; but observe that you do not see it, or anything like it, in the ‘Constitution.’ Get the papers to come out and denounce the ‘Constitution.’ You may rely upon it, all its secession articles are directly against the feelings of the President.
As the existence of the Department depends on the stability of the Union, I shall treat this as ‘on official business.’
Yours truly,
Horatio King.
HON. John A. Dix, New York.