Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1855-04-18
NIr. Wise If stannton.

According to appointment, the hon. ienry n.
Wise delivered his speech in this place on Satur-
day last. The audience was large, and SO far as
we observed Mr. Wise could not complain of the
attention and respect which he received. We
must say also that while Mr.. Wise was sarcastic
and severe upon SAM" and at times rather I'M
dignified, he did not indulge in the abuse which
he is reported TO have uttered at other places.
Mr. Wise took the stand at quarter past
levcn o'clock, and spoke about four hours. lie
appeared feeble-said his lungs were lacerated,
and the water of this region had "seourged" him
He had spoken forty times, and altogether one
hundred and fifty hours. 1t might have been ow-
ing to physical debility, but he certainly labored
throughout the speech, and succeeded In getting
mp very little enthusiasm among the people
The occasional applause was rather feeble and
speedily died away.
We shall not attemp. to give even sketch OF
tho speech, which was substantially the same de-
ivered at every other point. We will, however,
allude to few of the topics discussed, and may
notice others hereafter. Mr.. Wise said he lnten-
dsd to address tho people without distinction OF
party, but appealed to them to testify that he had
been fairly nominated by the Democratic State
Convention, After a passing reference to the
Know Nothings, he took up the Winchester tick
ct. He said it was a mongrel, antl-fetorm ticket
-Flournoy was lately representative of FEEDER
al Whiggery, and mixed basis man; and Pat
If N
State policy. Mr.. Beale was placed between
them, as "a Mediterranean politician" He did
not attribute any improper motive to Mr.. Patton
in accepting the Winchester nomination--it was
only the result Of his yindiclyeness to reform
Mr.. Patton had played upon his name aad he
would play upon Pattons-"he was not only on
Pat but Patton 'Sam.'" O Mr.. Wise then
referred to his course on the basis question, and
spoke at large for some twenty to thirty minutes
upon the condition Of Virginia.
But, said MIR. Wise, the people do not care to
bear about these things-they want to know my
opinions about something they call Know-Nsth-
npism--"dark lantern" "fame of blue light"
"nightmare," singular delusion," ''judicial
blindness" He entered upon tbs subject, and
considered it under distinct heads. Flournoy's
letter, he said endorsed the basis principles Of the
American party-what are these principles
where published? He wasn't going to be 'hou-
eyfugglsd and fooled" There was one set of
principles IN Virginia and another at the North.
The Winchester platform, signed by hessrs.
Kennedy, Gray and Dabbs, was said to be for
Virginia Mr.. Wise knew Andrew E. Kennedy,
aud remembered that he suffered; ''Dabbs" SCUM
ded like Know Nothing name. He suspected
Patton had been "honey fuggled." Hero MIR.
Wise took out a little blue book, which purported
to be the Know Nothing ritual &c., and read
from it the names of the officers OF the Grand
Council DR.. Williamson, of Alexandra, was
the only one from Virginia. Mr.. Wise said the
Doctor was very clean gentleman, and told
story about turkeys, which we could rot hear
He called upon some Know Nothing to show him.
self, and give the sign. Some body in the crowd
put his finger to his nose, which MIR. Wise OBJ
served, and good deal Of merriment ensued.-
He said he had always gone for Hickory" and
objected to the Know Nsthings on account Of
their ''eormoTant appetite for the spoils." We
believe he denounced Jackson in 1888, and the
alusion to the ''spoils" might have been eonsid
cred inyidious.
In the next place Mr.. Wise called the atten-
ton of members Of the church to which Mr..
Flournoy belonged, to the fact that the Know
Nothiugs were Unitarian in religious belief
With due personal respect to Mr.. Wise we must
say that this portion of his speech was very ride
ulous. The Know Nothings, he said, required be-
lief sin the existence of ga Supreme Being" as
a condition of membership in their order, and
therefore deny the Trinity. Yet Mr.. Wise him
self repeatedly, and, we may add, not very rev.
erenty, appealed during his speech to God as one.
In BaHmore, said Mr.. W., there is Unitarian
church with the inscription ''To the One God"
and near il a Catholic church inscribed, "We
preach Christ crucifed" Sc. But the Know
Nothings would not tolerate the Catholics, al
thoegh they tolerate the MornOns, whose pras'i-