Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1855-01-19
Mr.. Wise I'm Bedford

/
/ Democracy. met few of the most curiously dis
posed among the good people of Bedford, at Lib
! erty. Wednesday evening, and, according to ap-
nointment addressed them briefly some of the
political topics Of the day at length on others,
and with special rim, on the subject Of Know
Nothngism, aud the siege Of Sebnstopol in par
ticuar.
II was the first occasion on which we have had
the pleasure of hearing Mr.. Wise. aud we con-
fess to the interest with which his peculiar man
ner apart from any rules Of augmentation. aud
his nimtabo mimicry and gesticuation impress
sed Us.
The audience, as we have minated, was unn-
sualy small for any occasion Of interest in Bed
ford, not numbering. we should suppose, more
than 80 or 200, very few of whom had come from
beyond the limits of the village. The speech,
however. though prolonged to about "a hour,
was listened to with the most respectful atten-
ton. aud with all the courtesy which usually
oharacterizcs the people Of thnt good old con-
scryatye county. II was, too AN ablo effort IN its
way, mud did credit to the reputation of Mr..
Wise, as mmitabc in herieqaindde and rs n
pungent snrtlrist, n fearless denouncer and alto.
gether a very amusing and attractive popular
speaker. But his speech certainly did not come
up TO conception of the living, fiery orator..
cal efforts of the man, rs, in Imagination, whilst
reading his spotlcss "rccord" we have seen him
in other days, when, in the strength of CON
scious patriotism, he hurled his DIRE anathemas
at Jack .onism and Van Burcnism, and sounded
clear aud loud and far and wide over the land the
clarion notes, of 1.-THE UNION OF TIE Wings FOR
THE SAKE OF TIE UNIoN."
We say Mr. Wise did not come up to our con
ception of his capacity and effectiveness as n
popular orator; but how could ho how could
he, in fact. be himself again---and glowing with
all the nerve and fire which he whom possessed
when he is now numerically pressed and bur
dened by preccdonts weighty enough, in all con-
science, to crush the energies Of "a giant and
when too, in addition to all this, those infamous
Know Nothings, day and night, with their secret
signs and grips and grnaces. their mysterious
slips of paper and shoe TICKS and bood-tipped
arrow heads and such like denominations, are all
around him, and threatening him with annlbila-
tom he knows not when--nor whether by as
saut on his rear or front Marvellous man, in
deed would Mr.. Wise be, if under distressing
circumstances like these IA few sparks of his old
frc-cy his consuming whig fire, did not flick
er and die out. Bat Mr. Wise is mortal, aud il is
the fate of mortal things to chunge-to die. 1t
would he strange indeed, if he, politically half
eAih''u num- P"sS''S'" "' .,ie NV "'i' ""'s
OF h'S hc"''n''' uoyS' 'HHNh' "fNt' 'hNth
ori"RSiN' Is 'ne So'''''" sentence uno'' "'''on
he appears, against fate aud fortune, to labor
"ec"h scarcely RESTRAIN Il t'hl al INC lh"usn' 'ha'
That sentence must be executed ny lh' minus III
SO many oil 'n"'e IN the RANKS I'll "'oh h' VIZ"
his earliest ana Hr'entHt '""f'lT ANA To who' TOO
he was once 80 i"nd'y bound by the tender nes
OF the most elevated ""Sf"cf'
Bnt lew w"rdS'mor' directly to the speech ana
the topics "hch were discussed contrary 10 our
l"'a al HIS Ieo'Ie'S 'h'Na'l III u'"a'''o"l we con
les with comnendab'e prudence ana caution Mr..
Use opened ms remarks 10y simple aliuslen 10
MS Pcc'd'h's ana MS ute to p-Inoeroey'
without amy 'ApiHh"loh OF defence lorthef thah
TINT he was endorsed by the Convention at stann-
ton, recently deceased. lie claimed, moreover,
II Is troo-ond iunmiy enough too-to have been
at all times since his majority, IN sentiment and
onpnncpI"' "'cntre (ereTy ihch y and clrcum.
terence II democrat Yet he did not ask the
party t" stand by num- but by their "anaient
talth lie came he SAID, to address himself not
l" party but I" the people thence and
thereafter Mr. Wise d'd address himself to the
people, ANA without further troubling himself or
th'm' ms t" how they would probably agree IN
their Interpretation OF the "anc'ent ialth' by
which ho would have them abide. 1t would hive
been curious "nqu'ry-and we had hoped the
speaker would not overlook 1t rs he did,-to as
certain what would be the respective positions OF
Mr. Wise and those people NOW, IT the ''uHclPHi