Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-10-16
ONLY, NEAR ONANcoCK,
Accomac County, Va, Oct. ), 1855

nSeohhiS Souht1, W., oSl' y, iOoo-
GENTLEMEN On my return home, after an alb
sence of some days, | found yours of the 10Th
ultmo, respectfully inviting me to deliver one
of the lectures of the course on Slavery, at Ire
mont Temple, in the city of Boston, on Thursday
evening, January 10, 1856; or, if that time will
not suit my engagements, you request that will
mention at once what Thursday evening, between
the middle of December and the middle Of March
next, will best accommodate me-"
Now, gentlemen, | desire TO pay you due re-
spect, yet you compel me to be very plain with
you, and to say that your request, in every sense,
is insulting and offensive TO me. What subject of
slavery have you ''initiated'' lectures uponi |
cannot conceal it from myself that you have I'M
dertaken in Boston ito discuss and to decide
whether my property in Virginia ought 10 remain
mine or not, and whether 1t shall be allowed the
protection Of laws, Federal and State, wherever
il may be carried escape in the United States;
or, whether 1t shall be destroyed by higher law
than Constitution and statutes
Who are you, 10 assume thus such lurisdc-
ton over a subject so delicate and already fixed
in its relations by solemn compact between the
States, and by States which are sovereign; |
will not obey your summons nor recognize your
jurisdiction. You have no authority and no justi
ficaton for thus calling to account at the bar
Of your tribunal, and for thus arraigning an in
stitution established by laws which do not reach
you and which you cannot reach, by calling on
me TO defend it.
You send me card, to indicate the character
of the lecturers. Ii reads:
"Admit the bearer and lady to the Indepen-
dent Lectures on Slavery Lecture committee,
5. G. Howe, I. Gilbert, George F. Williams
Henry t. Parker, w. Washburn, B. b. Mussey,
W. b. Spooner, James w. Stone"
II is endorsed:
Lectures at the fremont Temple, Boston,
lS54-5, November %, Hon. Charles Sumner,
R-u I'm nhar
Salman p Chase, of Ohio December IA, Hon.
Arson Burlingame. December 81, Wendell
Phillips, esq. December %, Cassus NJ Clay
esq, of Kentucky. Jan. 4, Hon. Horace Gree
ley. Jan. IL, Rev. Henry Ward Beecher. Jan.
Is, Hon. John p. Hale. Jan. 25, Ralph Waldo
Emmerson, esq. Feb, 9, Hon. Nathaniel ?.
Banks, ir. Feb Is, Hon. Lewis ID. Campbell,
of Ohio. Feb. 90, Hon. Samuel Houston, Of
Texas. March /, Hon. David Wilmot, of Penn
syvaRia. March !, Hon. Charles w. Upham. I"
All Honorable and Squires, except those who are
Reyerends! The card does verify indicate their
characters by simply naming them. And your
letter, gentlemen, is franked by &C. Sumner, U.
| 5. s" With these characteristics, | am at no
loss to understand you and your purposes.
You say, " during the next season, a large
number of gentlemen from the South will be IN
vited," SC, sc. ] regret il, if any others can
be found in the slaveholding States to accept
your invitation You plead the example Of Gen.
Houston. II is the last ! would follow. j have
no doubt that you accorded very respectful atten-
ton 10 him last winter, and were very grateful
for his services in your cause.
You offer some hundred and fifty dollars to
be paid to the lecturer, he bearing his own ex-
penses." Let me tell you that fremont Temple
cannot hold wealth enough 10 purchase one
word Of discussion from me there, whether mine,
| here, shall be mine or not; but ! am ready TO
volunteer, without money and without price, 10
suppress any instruction, and repel any invasion
which threatens or endangers the State-rights OF
| Virginia, or my individual rights under the laws
and constitutions Of my country, or the sacred
| Union, which binds slave States and free to-
\ gether in one bond Of national confederacy, and
| in separate bonds Of independent sovereignties!
In short, gentlemen, will not deliver one Of
the lectures Of the course on slavery at the Ire
mont Temple in Boston, on Thursday evening,
| January 10, 1856, and there will be no Thursday
| evening between the middle Of December and
| the middle Of March next, or between that and
| do0Hlsday, which will best accommodate me, for
that purpose
| give you an immediate answer, and, at my
earliest convenience, indicate 10 you that "the
particular phase Of the subject" that ! will pres
| sent is, deliberately TO FIGHT " We MUST
Your obedient servant,
HENRY A. WISE.
| To Samuel G.. Home, Phys. and Superindcnt
Blind Inst.
John VI. Clark, High Sheriff.
Samuel May, Merchant.
Phlo Sanford, EK-Treasurer State.
Nath b. ShurtleF, Phys and Antiqusry.
| Joseph Storey, Pres. Com Council.
Thos Russell, Judge
James w. Stone, Phys