gave him no greater advantages than are enjoyed by a large majority of the young men of our Union, he has attained by his own energy, industry, and perseverance an exalted station, and made for himself a name and a reputation of which any man may well be proud. He has succeeded because he has diligently and untiringly used the means, and the only sure means, to accomplish those ends. Our country has its thousands and tens of thousands as richly gifted by nature, and as much favored by circumstances, as was the subject of this sketch, who, by pursuing the same methods, may attain equally distinguished success. HORATIO C. KING. TURNING ON THE LIGHT. PART I. CHAPTER I. ELECTION OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN. Treasonable Course of the Constitution Newspaper-Correspondence of ex-President Pierce, John A. Dix, Postmaster of New York, Nahum Capen, Postmaster of Boston, Hon. D. S. Dickinson, and the Author, with Remarks on the Loyalty of President Buchanan. I HAVE often regretted that I did not keep a complete diary of the more important events at Washington during the fall and winter of 1860-61; but the truth is, I had not the requisite time and strength to do it, so onerous were the official duties then devolving upon me. I did, however, find time to make some brief notes, and these, with some of my private letters hastily thrown off in connection with my official correspondence, serve to refresh my recollection of many of the startling occurrences of that appalling epoch. Many of these private notes were addressed to General Dix and Mr. Capen, the postmasters of New York and Boston, through whose kindness I obtained copies of them, those from General Dix having been received about a year before his death. Of others of my letters I fortunately retained copies, and all, together with the answers to some of them, have been shown to a few friends, who have earnestly advised me to allow them to be published. To this I have consented, hesitatingly, with the assurance that any seem 23 ing egotism will be pardoned, if not overlooked, since it is apparent that I am not actuated by any selfish motive. I have put the letters as nearly in their order of date as practicable, introducing only such explanatory remarks as may seem necessary to their correct understanding. "P. O. DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, D. C., "MY DEAR SIR,- .. Politically the signs look dark. It is painful to hear so many sound and conservative men give it as their decided opinion that there will certainly be resistance to Lincoln's administration of the government. Property holders in this district are greatly concerned. "Very respectfully and truly yours, "HON. JOHN A. Dix, P. M., New York." "HORATIO KING. "P. O. DEPARTMENT, November 7, 1860. "MY DEAR SIR,-. . . I write this (on the business of the department) early in the morning, before seeing hardly any one. The bright sun is shining into my office window, and everything is quiet, but a weight presses on my heart which I never felt so sensibly before-all foreboding 'breakers ahead.' "Very respectfully and truly, "HON. JOHN A. DIX, New York." HORATIO KING. "P. O. DEPARTMENT, APPT. OFFICE, "MY DEAR SIR,-As indicating how I feel to-day, I take the liberty of enclosing a copy of a letter I sent to the President this forenoon. "The article in the 'Constitution' referred to will do infinite mischief, and I am not certain that the writer of it ought not to be stretched up as a traitor. I presume, however, it is the result only of bad judgment. "HON. JOHN A. DIX, New York." "Very truly, 'HORATIO KING. "WASHINGTON, November 7, 1860. "MY DEAR SIR,-The die is cast, and Lincoln is elected. "Shall we now fan the flame of disunion, or shall we exert our influence toward calming the already excited sentiment of the South? "What course should we, here in the District of Columbia, pursue? Should we join hands with the disunionists and help on the storm, or should we not rather pour oil on the troubled waters? . . . "My own will illustrate the condition of thousands in this district. With us everything depends on the Union being preserved. "What, then, was my indignation on learning that men holding office here under your administration were parading the streets here this morning with disunion cockades on their hats! and the leading article of the 'Constitution' to-day can have no other effect than to encourage and fan the flame of disunion, both here and at the South. "You will bear me witness that I have never intruded myself upon your counsels. But may I not, in the most respectful yet in the most earnest manner, now appeal to you-for if you are silent your enemies will, I am sure, attempt to hold you responsible for these things-to use your power in at once checking this dread spirit of disunion here in our midst? "With great respect, "Very sincerely your friend, "HIS EXCELLENCY, JAMES BUCHANAN." "HORATIO KING. The editorial article of the Constitution referred to in the preceding letter concludes as follows: "We can understand the effect that will be produced in every Southern mind when he reads the news that he is now called on to decide for himself, his children, and his children's children, whether he will submit tamely to the rule of one elected on account of his hostility to him and his, or whether he will make a struggle to defend his rights, his inheritance, and his honor." "CONCORD, N. H., November 7, 1860. "MY DEAR SIR,-Your note of the 5th inst. has just been received, and I must thank you for your prompt attention to my little request, in which I, of course, had no personal interest. "So far as returns of the election have reached us, I can discern but one green spot, and that the Fifth Massachusetts District. Mr. Appleton's election is important in several aspects, but under the circumstances it could have been predicted with no confidence. “Indeed, it is singular, considering the sweep of this foul current, that the only signal defeat should have met a man who has floated so long and securely upon its surface as Mr. Burlingame. As the overthrow of a party merely, the result [of the presidential election] is comparatively of |