<--PREV Doc #1134  |  Memorial Commission Home Page  |  First Term Table of Contents  |  Presidential Papers Home Page  |  Doc#  |  NEXT--> Doc #1136 Document #1135; November 1, 1954 To Amon Giles Carter, Sr. Series: EM, AWF, Name Series ; Category: Personal and confidential The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, Volume XV - The Presidency: The Middle Way Part VI: Crises Abroad, Party Problems at Home; September 1954 to December 1954 Chapter 13: "A new phase of political experience"   Dear Amon: Last evening while talking to a friend, your name came into the conversation; it reminded me that it has been a long time since I have had any direct word from you.1 Particularly I wonder about your health, and whether the doctors are letting you be fairly active or are keeping you under pretty tight rein.2 For me the last few weeks have been hectic because, in addition to a considerable volume of governmental business, I am the target for a lot of political requests, arguments, predictions and so on and so on.3 Of course any one who has put as much effort as I have into a comprehensive plan of any kind--in this case the legislative program submitted to the last Congress--has a very human and very intense desire to see it through to completion. Consequently I have been hopeful that in spite of precedent and predictions, that a Republican Congress will be returned to Washington. But nonetheless, I think I have a rather calm perspective toward the whole prospect; I got involved in politics from a sense of duty and I have no personal ambitions to serve. So whatever disappointment, if any, I am doomed to suffer, my feelings will be far more objective than subjective.4 Of course, if I do have a Congress of the opposite Party, we know that politics, in the partisan sense, will probably have a field day in Washington. It would be a pity if such things will so preoccupy responsible officials that we shall not succeed in pushing along for another two years a program for getting America back on a "moderate" way. Give my love to Minnie and the family, and, of course, all the best to yourself. As ever P.S. I have not seen Sid in a long time.5 Please remember me warmly to him when you see him. 1 The President had last written to the Fort Worth newspaper publisher on June 29 (AWF/N). 2 Carter had suffered a heart attack in February 1953 (see nos. 143 and 383). He would tell Eisenhower in a December 15 letter (AWF/N) that his doctor had told him his "principal trouble" was "old age and meanness, and both of them have such a start that it is hard to do anything about it. However, seriously," Carter continued, "I am moving along in fairly good shape." 3 See, for example, nos. 1093 and 1102. 4 The November 2 elections would result in a Democratic Congress (see nos. 1138 and 1141). 5 Texas oil magnate Sid Williams Richardson had been Eisenhower's friend and financial adviser for many years. Bibliographic reference to this document: Eisenhower, Dwight D. Personal and confidential To Amon Giles Carter, Sr., 1 November 1954. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, ed. L. Galambos and D. van Ee, doc. 1135. World Wide Web facsimile by The Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission of the print edition; Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996, http://www.eisenhowermemorial.org/presidential-papers/first-term/documents/1135.cfm <--PREV Doc #1134  |  Memorial Commission Home Page  |  First Term Table of Contents  |  Presidential Papers Home Page  |  Doc#  |  NEXT--> Doc #1136

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