Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1855-09-05
LETTER FROM HENRY A. WISE.

A.. u.
We copy from the last Democratic Pioneer, the
following eloquent letter, addressed by the Hon.
Henry A. Wise to the Committees of Gates and
other Countess who had invited him to address tho
people Mt Gatesville during the late campaign. The
Pioneer says: eve publish in another column
letter from the Hon. Henry A. Wise, in reply to an
invitation to attend the late Democratic Mass Meet
ing near Gatesyle. We regret exceedingly that
the gentleman who received it failed to place it in
in our hands at an earlier day. But, though the
occasion is past which called it forth, it loses none
of its interest thereby 1t is characteristic of its
anthor-bold, able and withering. 1t gives pass
ing notice to those Know Nothing emissaries who
went to Virginia TO electioneer during the recent
there and expresses the earnest wish of the
author for an opportunity to scourge them at their
doors i'll return. But the whole letter is full of
interest Read it, and if any regret is felt after ri
sing from its perusal, it will be that you did not
have an opportunity of hearing its distinguished au-
thor scourge" Know Nothingism on the stump"
LETTER FROM THE HON. HENRY A. WISE.
ONLY, (ncar Onancock,) Va,
July 1st, 1856.
Jtmes c. Skinner, Esq:
DEAR SIR: have delayed a reply 20 yours of the
18th uit., in order to try make arrangements to
accept the kind and pressing invitation of the Com
mittees of Gates, Perquimans, Pasquotank, Chow
an, and Currtuck, IN North Carolina to participate
with them in Democratic Mass Meeting to be held
in the County of Gates, sometime between the 10th
July and the lst of August next, the precise day to
be fixed by my appointment | have the strongest
desire to meet yOnr Democracy 1t holds the bright
than golden links which bind the two elder sister
States OF the South, North Carolina and Virginia,
together. Those links of our earliest history
of revolution for independence of our past po-
litica struggles for republican freedom, of
sacrifices and cooperation in the past and of
mon hopes for the future. The Federal party of
old and the Fanatical party of the present day he
last is worse than the trs) never tried and never
tended to unite themselves with the Southern States,
or parties Or men, but rather with Northern. When
ever Democracy has been dominant in North Caro-
lina that State has always been united with Virgin
ia, which has always been Democratic; and when
ever either Federalism Fanaticisin has prevailed
there, Virginia and North Carolina have been divi-
ded from each other, both in councils and in action
| would gladly see them separable-inseparablc as
Macon was from Jefferson and Madison. Our faith
JOnathans and Davids to each other
and would have their children united as to pre-.
se7're the uni0n Of all, North and South, by their
inseparable union aeiM each other! No, not for
selfish sectional ends would bind them togeth-
er, but for national, constitutional, State rights
Union-abiding ends would have them so solid
phalanX of freedom, st; ndirg side by side and
school, that influence ism," shall be able to
assail destroy the institutions of Confedera-
cy Those institutions, State and Federal have been
sorely and insidiously invaded of late. The inva.
ders daring enough to touch the sacred soil of
this blessed mother Commonwealth. They muster
ed emissaries from every quarter-from abroad,
from Exeter Hall in old England, from Canada, from
New England, from New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio.
Tennessee and regret especially to be compelled
to admit that some of the most venomous desperate,
most unscrupulous and audacious came here from
the South of us-f'om North Carona-to corrupt
the popula- mind, to instl poison and SOW Dragons
teeth among us. They dared not interneddle in our
canvass publicly on the stump" in debate, before
the people, but they skulked to secret concaves,
and by the light Of u" dark lanterns" which burnt
their plots of mischief from exposure and explosion.
They urged in their agony of midnight harangues
that the battle acas aciM them for life or death-
that If they did not succeed they could sink dozen
to lo'eer depths Of intamy-thot # sieto'y did not
ero,'n Their e9"spsr%ey mey sooua De d1>honored
politically torecer! They covered before the lance
of Democracy in Virginia, and the monstrous treas
was here hurled to its despair. Pandemonium
has lately been held in Philadelphia, and there it
was plainly proved that not the worst enemies of
the South were from the North. The Sans of Vir-
ginia AID North Carolina less traitorous to
our Constitution and laws, and Federal Union and
State Rights, and homes and affairs than the
priestcmtt party of the North who would not seen.-
iagty,keep them company or abide their councils.
TO expose these Southern emmissaries in your midst
| would like, at their own doors, to scourgc them
for their nightly prowng about our doors in the
late Virginia But these would be the least
of my aims in attending your District Mass Meet
ing. would be glad to implore You in person to
be true to the faith of the Fathers of this Repubc
to protect the fanes of Protestant churches to
forbid the bans between Church and State which a
subtle and willy priestcrat is contriving under the
false cry of prescribing popery; to fight on and
fight to have this land continue forever to be
the 'sand of the free and the home of the brave;"
to contend for Constitutions and Bills of Rights
and Statutes to reign US, and not to subject
to the higher law of secret oligarchy, worse than
that of any German Gehime Gericht Ito free
from the dagger and the cord - of political assas
snation Ito preserve the dignity and individuality
and independence Of voters at the pols!-to save
the laws from conspiracy against their operation
to save the South from an Old England and New
England combination which would shave the Amer
ican Sampson Of his strength, knowing that cotton
is his hair and that cotton cannot be cultivated but
by African slave labor in the land of the lagoon and
the alligator, and which is, therefore, now striving
to abolish African slavery in the South to dis
solve the blessed Union of these United States,
strong, By their poaoer to pull the cotton string
that they need no standing army, no navy, no tax
for either, whilst all the world besides is necessarily
armed and taxed for the cost of war; This is not
halt, this is not beginning of what would dis
course you and all North and South about in these
strange times, when old things to be passing
away and all things seem to be becoming new [
would go back to the old would "recur to fun
damcntal principles, to the teachings of the Revo-
luton to the faith of the fathers to the religion of
the simpler and purer times of the Republic But
| can't pen or by word, or in public meeting any