Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1855-10-25
LETTER FROM HENRY A. WISE.

LETTER FROM HENRY A. WISE.
The committee on the Slavery Lectures have
received the following very spicy and very
characteristic letter from Gov. Wise of Vir-
ginia. The letter is italioised according to
the authors manuseri pit
ONLY, NEAR ONAEcooK,
AccoMAoK COUNTY Va. Oct. 5, 1855.
Geatiemen On my return home, after
an absence of some days, 1 ioucd yours of the
10Th ult., respectfully inviting me to deliver
one of the lectures of the Course on Slavery,
at fremont Temple in the City of Boston, on
Thursday evening, Jan. 10Th, 1876 6; or if
that time will not suit my engagements, you
request that will mention at once what
Thursday evening between the middle of De-
cembcr and the middle of March next, will
best accommodate me"
Now, gentlemen, | desire you due respect,
yet you compel me to be very plain with you,
and to say that you request 10 every sense, is
insulting and offensive to me. What subject
of Slavery have yoa mitiated' lectures
upon l cannot conceal il from myself that
you have undertaken m Boston. to discuss
and to decide whether my property in Vn.
ginid ought to remain mine or not, and wheth.
er it shall be allowed the protection of laws,
federal and state, wherever it may be carried
or may escape in the U. States; or whether
it shall be destroyed by a Higher Law than
Constitutions AMI Statutes
WHO are you to assume thus such juris-
dir tioa over Il subject so delicate, and already
fixed in its relations by solemn compact be-
tween the States, and by States which are
sovereign? | will not obey your summons,
nor recognize,your jurisdiction. ,t
= You have no authority and no justification
for thus calling nae 10 account at the bar oil
yonr tribunal, and for thus arraigning an in
stitution, established by laws which do not
reach you, aud which you cannot reach, by
calling on me to defend it,
You send me card to indicate the char
a't,r Of thu lect.~ers [of the last year 1t
reads; Admit the bearer and lady to the
Independent Lectures on Slavery. Lecture
COMMITTEES, s. G. Howe, T. Gilbert, Geo. F.
Williams, Henry T. Parker, W. Washburn,
B. B. Mussey, W. B. Spooner, j. w. Stone"
It is endorsed: Lectures at the fremont
Temple, Boston, 1915 Nov. 23d, Hon.
Charles Sumner Rev. John Perpoint, poem.
Dec. 7th. Hon. Salmon P. Chase Of Ohio.
Dec. 18th, Hon. Arson Burlngamc. Dec.
r 2lst, WendeIl Phillips, Esq. Dec. 2Sth,
Cassius NJ. Clay, Esq, Of Kentucky Jan.
4th, Hon. Horace Greeley. Jan. 11th, Rev
Henry Ward Bcecher. Jan. 18th, Hon. John
P. Hale. Jan. 25th, Ralph Waldo Emerson,
: Esq. Feb. 9Th, Hon. Nath'l P. Banks Jr
, Feb. 18th, Hon. Lewis d. Campbell, of Ohio
= Feb. 22d. Hon Samuel Houston, of Texas
D March 9Th, Hon. Charles W. Upham." All
: Ifonorabtes and Squires except those who
are Reverends! The card does verify indi
cate their characters by simply naming them
i, And your letter, gentlemen, is franked by
.. &c. Sumner, U. s. s." With these charac
' teristics, ! am at no loss to understand yor
and your purpose.
You say, "during the next season larger
:, number OF gentlemen from the South will b.
o invited, &C., &c. regret it, if any Others
S, can be found in the saveholding states to &C
Il cept your invitation. You plead the example
!. Of Gen. Houston. 1t is the last l would fol
low. have no doubt you accorded very re
n spectful attention to him last winter, and were
very grateful for his services in your cause.
You offer lone hurdred and fifty dollars
' to be paid to the lecturer, he bearing his owr
expenses" Let me tell you that fremont
"a Temple cannot hold wealth enough to pdr
" ehase one word of discussion from me, there
. whether mine here. shall be mine or not bul
: am ready to voluatrcr, without money and
z without price, to suppress an instruction
o aud repeal an invasion which threatens or en-
' dangers the State Rights of Virginia, or my
n individual rights under the laws and constitu
n tons OF my country, or the Sacred Union
: which binds Slave States and Free together
y in one bond Of National Contcderaey, am
u in separate binds Of Independent Souercign
. tics.
In short, gentlemen, | will not deliver one
+ of the lectures Of the course on Slavery, al
. the fremont Temple, in Boston, on Thursda,
evening, January 10th, 1856; and Their, viii
a be no Thursday evening between the middle
. Of December and the middle of March next
or between that and Doomsday, which viii
y best accommodate me for that purpose.
: give you an immediate answer, and a
my earliest convenience indicate to you tina
+ the particular phase of the subject that
d will present" is-deliberately, tn fght if 40,
j mast Your ob't serv't,
G HENRY A. WISE.
To the C,mmitfye