Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-02-07
WASHINGTON, ID. G.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY z, 1855.
vEsPAsIAN ELLIS, Editor.
X. M. HEATH, Assistant,
MIR. wise a. AIerandria.

In continuing our remarks upon the speech
of Mr.. Wise at Alexandria, as reported for the
Washington Star, it affords us some gratiica-
ton to find, that he has sOisely abandoned the
strongest point of opposition TO our order,
which he made in his manifesto of the 18th of
September last, and to which point he devoted
a very large portion of his manifesto and on
which he then INDUCED IN characteristic Ian
guage Of denunciation and anathema. This
Of his then strongest ground Of
opposition to party, leads us to believe, that
q few months more reflection will change his
views entirely upon other points, touching
which the errors of his judgment are quite as
manifest
In his manifesto Of September last, Mr..
Wise denounced in the strongest language, the
Known Nothing association, because it was a
secret" order, One half Of the first column
Of his manifesto" as published in the Rich
mond Enquirer, is filled with inquiries and re-
sponses, on the point Of secrecy, and the whole
force of his rhetoric is spent in assailing this
SECRECY, as unnecessary and unjusti6able.
But how changedl In his reported remarks
at Alexandria, he says: 5.s
"He did not hate the Know-Nothings for secrecy.
He was member Of q secret order himself He
was n brother Mason"
When we see such evidences Of returning
reason, is it not fair to conclude, that the time
will come when Mr. Wise win lke-wIsE change
his views, and recant his opinions, upon other
questions upon which, in his September mani
festo, he wronged tho American partya"
Open, frank and magnanimous in his ma
ture, he naturally and invariably furnishes the
antidote for the poison which-he had previous
ly administered. We trust that his advocates,
whose presses are still furnishing stereotyped
editions Of his September manifesto, will be
equally generous with himself and, by the
publication of the above quotation from his
speech at Alexandria, make amends for the
wrongs they have done, not to our party only,
but the people Of Virginia, in essaying to pre-
JUDGE them against us, on the silly, ridiculous,
and now recanted objection that our associa-
ton is secret in its organization. M
But, said Mr.. Wise at Alexandria, "if you
put me down-if you put slave power down
then will follow social and political revo-
luton"
We are not amongst those who believe that
the existence Of the South, OF Of Virginia
alone, or of the institutions Of the South, de-
pend upon the success of Mr.. Wise as candi-
date for governor. If that were our opinion,
we should at least warn all our friends, both
personal and political, who reside in Vir-
ginia, to migrate elsewhere with all convenient
speed, and not permit the fourth Wednes-
day of May next to find them standing on dan
gerous ground. We have often before read
and heard the appeals of candidates to thepeo-
pie, on the eve of elections, protesting that the
safety of liberty, Of the Union, and of State
rights, depended upon the results of the pend
spire-we have seen these candidates defeated
but we have yet to see the aa9ful catastrophies
which they predicted.
Mr.. Wise may think otherwise, but it is our
deliberate judgment, that the Potomac river
will continue its course-that Virginia will
still remain on the southwestern side of that
noble stream-and that all the institutions of
Virginia will remain unimpaired and untouch-
ed, even though this worthy and eloquent
champion shall fail to "crush tho RnoD-
Nothings"
We apprehend there viii be no occasion that
Governor of Virginia shall call out the militia
of that patriotic State" unsheath his sword
and throw away the scabbard"-"c cry havoc,
and let slip the dogs of war"-upon citizens Of
that State or Of any other State in this glori-
GUS Union. 1t is possible that there may be a
design on the part Of some of the adhcrents Of
Pope Plus the Ninth to deluge our land in
blood. We have read the appeals Of the En-;
quirer TO the naturalized citizens Of Virginia
we have read the appeals of his coadjutor, the
famous John Mitchell, to the Irishmen of Mass
achusetts, to purchase guns and form indepen-
dent companies Of foreigners-but all this we
have regarded as the 6rutuna .fnlnasn of ambi-
tous and disappointed men, designed to alarm
the Know Nothings and drive them from their
counsel
Little did we think that Henry A. Wise
would taunt the natiye-born sons Of his opn
Virginia with such language What did he
mean, when he exclaimed, "Citizcnsl there
are Aboitionists amongst ?" Does he charge
the American party in Virginia with abolition
ismH There is not one single Abolitionist in
the ranks Of our party in that State, so far as
we know, have heard, or believe Not one.
But the Know-Nothings Of the Old Dominion
are amply able to vindicate themselves from
such charge, If such were the meaning Of Mr..
Wise. We doubt not that in due time, Mr..
Wise will hear from them. They win be quite
likely to resent the imputation at the polls.
We are aware that the late election of Sena-
tors in Massachusetts, and New York, furnishes
a pretert to our assailants for the sweeping
charge, that our party is allied to aboliionism,
but it is only pretsrt, without the semblance
of justification for the slanderous accusation.
The cause Of the defeat Of our party in New
York, is well known to cur readers and to the
oonntrv Tho election Of w vi Seward 10 MT