Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1839-12-05
POLITICAL,
SPEECH OF MIR. WISE.
Al Louisa Court House.

- A-""fsU ,O"t Rouse.
nc following was given as the fourth regular
Our distinguished guest the Hon Uc,,.
wise The faithful sentinel upon the watch tower
" hioe'y Tue untfing investigator of Treasury
n"uus me uncompfomslng opposer of Northern
interference with Southern rights; ever ready 10 do
battle IN his country's cause he may be oy.,come
/ but not conquered"
Nhen the enthusiastic cheering with which tins
sentiment was received bad subsidized, Mr. WISE
arose aud addressed the company as follows:
Mr. President and Gentlemen Most cordially
anu gratefully do desire to express my sense of Ihp
compllme I rendered TO me on this 90 casiop How.
ever dlihenlt II may have been on another occasion
W assemne Inc citizens oil Louisa, aud more d ficull
10 md excuses for their failure to attend "gfeat
OCCASION they have met in numbers and in
greeting sufficiently gratifying, and 1 shall return
rom among them satisfied with lheii generous vel
come, and without on their account, "A murnur an
excuse. or a complaint.
But, gentlemen, did not presume to meet YOU
here Tor any personal object SO far as an occasion
Ike TINS may be prepared TO do homer 20 any mere
man, be he whom he may, tits liable to the obiec-
IONS winch some make to what is called "a public
dinner" But public dinners" have at this day
been sanctioned by popular custom, as a proper
meaos OF assembling from various aud distant parts
persons OF The " same faith aud of the same IA
t1ets" hut who are strangers to each other and
VINO may wish 10 form better acquaDtance-to
confer together for some patriotic end--to ensrine
some holy prInclp!e-to renew the sacred VOWS of
allegiance to a common country, her constitution
and her laws, and TO perform the holy rites Of ber.
! ~ and iraternal love. Yet, gentlemen,
q There is time and this is sure the lime
When noble virtue may ITSELF
And conscious honor glow with lis own fires"
When you, gentlemen, have done me the honor 70
prepare this OCCASION in my poor name, and to de
clare IN my presence your honorable testimony that
have been The fditlfM sentinel upon The aoateh
lotccr 81 HbcrtV."
/ This IS mean compliment to any man To be
] afthyat seniinelon The high walch-towcr Of this
broad land, in these dark times no easy ask-"no
chllds play 1t requires "A sodler-dU a soldier
with Keen eye, bold man, a ready hand, IA strong
arln-'withont fear and above reproach.'- HIS ie-
Sponsblty Is awful, his trust sacred, his peril inn
/ mlnent. lie walks the rampars Of his country in
the darkness rs well us in the da, ght when the
sky is urld and red with wrath or black with the
raging storm, as well as in the halcyon hour and
II he escapes the bullet or the bride or the snare of
the lurking toe,-to him. because foe to his country
he may ascrlbe the preservation and praise to
Heaven aud Him who there presides to guard pa
triot's fate and patriots charge
Lives there the man. alas ;uncn,ied part
Dares love his country with an honest heart
Firm 10 his rim, pHrsue' his interest still,
! Inswered, undazzlod, unbegued, unpaid,
To none subscrsient, and ofnone afraidl
] Nor woes are his, and worse than e'er bcie
Herecs on earth or Ssphus in hell
Hate, envy, rage, which n0ugii 5at death mny tune,
Suspicious friends, cen good deeds turned shune
IA
Or rogues detected as they meant to steal:
Unmuskcd deceit, and bailcd malice turn,
Like nngered serpents which the foot mig spurn;
Round him the bood-bonnds howl-ench blow accursed
timed at his country strikes his generous bosom frSf'
Such, gentlemen, has been my hard fate in pub
lie life. 1t has been mine especially, owing my
peculiar task in Congress. an these far days.
"When patriots push for places bat to prove
They Owe their county as themselves they love-
it has been my dire duty hold up the mirror 10
the knaves lest they should haIftotgst their own
delormty." ''cheai their own consciences, aud hope
to pass by cheating Others 100" This has been no
enviabe part, and could not fa to give mortal Of
fence to those tho could not bear Their own fefec-
ted images. And for showing them themselves,
they have exhausted all the powers aud all the arts
OF temptation, brbe, iDtmdation threats and SLAM
der upon my frame aud fame. knowing that where
they cannot buy, or shake, shoot a senli-
mel at his post then sures plan OF removing a
faithful guardian OF the eounlry's camp, is TO raise
suspicion against HIM amidst freedoms own host,
cause his warning to be discreded, aud then they
can sap the citadel they aim all then blows first at
linn, but the country feels their force at last. The
wounds they lnfct. then, honorable. | thank
them for the sears wear. and can point to them
with as much pride, as evidence Of PATRIOTISM as
did old Maiius of Rome, or Old Hickory of this
Republic, point insdlously to his IN battIe.
Gentlemen there is need oil faithful sentines.-
The nation has that with which Republic has ever
been corrupted and desroyed-goId; a treasury to
be watched and you have been pleased to add to
your encomium. that 90 The uRtiriHg inreStiga-
tor Of Treasury traudS."
The Treasury is the stable which have been try
ing cleanse. 1t would take the twelve abors
each oftwelve Helcues. These Treasury frauds
you call them properly, are not UNDERSTOOD
They looked on, by most OF friends even,
as Individual cases only of neglect, malleasance,
or corruption. But, gentlemen they have broader
character and scope. They net merely the dere-
c,ions OF individuals but, the contrary, are
paris and parcels Of grand system of party ambl-
ton, of a personal lust for party power. conspuIng
against public liberty, and are natdral and ueces
sary results and effects from precouceited and con
trved causes, which are now operating, and have
been oper uing for years, aud which must be Grad
caed. before the effects, the frauds themselves, will
cease.
Their cause and effect and entire philosophy, are
beautifully illustrated, Cenlleneu, in "a satire
which | lately read, called Old Things and New
or Ancient Fables and Modern Men, written by
whom don't know. The pledge OF Mr.. Van Buren,
that he would "ioow in the footsteps of his Illus
trious predecessors" was forced pledge; il was
welcome his wishes, conformity with his own
previous plans This merlin. prince OF he wiz
ard tribe, ;" had the sube art" sway the will and
faint the yielding heart" Of Gen. Jackson. In
him was united the serpent and the fox, the venom
of the and the selg Of the other. He is pas
sionless aud "A heart of guile and face OF
. Establishment. lie had certain quanium Of power
belong ing TO hi, native State, which he could WELD.
With him, men knaves fools The one his
victim the other lis tools. What a bold man
would seek by force. he would gain by gold. To
, corrupt with him, is safer than destroy. lie
loves power, but brave and if he cannot