DIXON, Archibald, American statesman: b. Caswell County, N. C., 2 April 1802; d. Hen derson, Ky., 23 April 1876. In 1805 he removed with his father to Henderson County, where he received a common-school education, studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1824, and attained high rank as a criminal law yer. He was a member of the legislature in 1830 and 1841, of the State senate in 1836 and lieutenant-governor in 1843-47. In 1849, when the proposition for gradual emancipation of the slaves was before the people, he vehemently opposed the scheme, and, being chosen a mem ber of the Constitutional Convention, proposed a resolution which was substantially incorporated in the new constitution, declaring that whereas the right of the citizen to be secure in his per son and property lies at the bottom of all gov ernments, and slaves and children hereafter born of slave mothers are property, therefore the convention has not the power nor the right to deprive the citizen of his property except for the public good, and only then by making to him a just compensation. Dixon was the Whig
candidate for governor in 1851, but he was not supported by the emancipationists in that body and a Democrat was elected. During the agita tion for the dissolution of the Union, Dixon eloquently seconded before the people the ap peals for its preservation uttered in Washington by Clay and Webster. He and Crittenden were rival candidates before the legislature for the next seat that fell vacant in the United States Senate, but for the sake of party harmony both withdrew. When Henry Clay died, shortly afterward, Mr. Dixon was elected for the unex pired term. He took his seat on 20 Dec. 1852, and served to 3 March 1855. During the Civil War he was an advocate of peace, and in 1863 was a delegate to the peace convention at Frankfort, Ky.