Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1856-01-26
Governor Wise.

ing History of the political campaign
in Virginia, IN 1855. with biographi
cal sketch Of Hon. Henry A. Wise, iron
advance proof sheets.
The ancestors Of Governor Wise On both
sides were Virginia Federslists. His faith
er was man of sound practical mind.
charitable and liberal. He acquired con.
slider abI. fortune by his profession, the
law. Prior to 1900 he was Speaker o!
the House of Delegates, ard according to
the res objection Of Judge Stdnard, wa. a
supporter of the resolutions Of SO and SO,
In the hasty arrangement of this sketch,
we have not had this opportunity to ex-
anime the House Journal of that day
We are inclined % doub. the fact as to
Mr.. Speaker Wi>e's supporting those res
olutions, because their passage created an
epidemic in the ranks OF The Federal par
ty and lis aliases. from which they have
never recovered. AT the time of the birth
Of Governor Wise bis father was Clerk of
the Courts Of Accomac. He died in 1872
After the death of Mr. Wise's father, in
1912, and his mother, in 1913, he was
taken to Bowmans Folly, the old family
seat Of his great, great grandfather, the
knight, Sir Edmund Bowman. Soon
thereafter be was sent TO Accomac Court
House. and tor the first time put under
the charge Of an old fIend Of his father,
chilcless man with good wife, John Y.
Benedict, TO commence his education.-
He was only suffered to remain with Mr..
Benedict a very short time, when he was
placed under the care Of tw o paternal aunts.
at Clifton, on the Cbesconapeck Creek
His elder aunt, Mrs. Ou.en, taught him
his letters aud the Lords PRAYER. He re-
NAMED at Clifton two yeais and was sent
10 Margaret Academy. This school is
sai6 TO have been wretchediy conducted.
The boys that wete sent there learned
nothing but mi-chle!, and 10 murder Greek
aud Latin. Consequently, the time he
spent at Margaret Academy was almost
squandered. He was sent from there in
his fifteenth year to Washington College,
Pennsylvania. He reached there in 1922,
and, with much difficulty, entered the
Sophomore class. The College at that
time was under the dominion O. the Scotch
IRISH Presbyterians. DR.. Andrew Wyle
was the President and the head and front
of the institution. 1t is SAID he wds a
gentleman, philosopher, l.nguist, and d
metaphysician--a blue stocking who loved
gallantry and high game. lie was also a
cavalier who loved virtue tor virtues sake,
truth for truths sake, and his fellow crea-
lures for their own sake. At the time
Mr.. Wise commenced his collegiate course
at Washington, Pennsylvania there We're
h..
Union and the Washington. He Joined
the former. 1t was the custom with these
literary societies to contest every Spring
with each other the palm Of debating, OF
original Grafton, of essay writing, aud of
select oraory. In the Spring OF 1928, Mr..
Wise had gwen such evidences at this
early horr Of his otatorical powers, hat
hr was selected by his society as the cham
pion to deliver the original grafton. Mr.
Iomlinson, about twenty Years of age,
from near Cumberland, MaryIan was the
champion of the Washington. The ora
tons were decided By the judges in favor
of Henry A. Wise. Mr.. TomInson de-
clared from that time eternal hostility 10
all boards for, said he, at was the beard
upon my face that caused child to strip
me of my honors." Mr.. Wise was chosen
orator by the Union Socir,y three tunes
during h's collegiate career. gaining the
victory twice, and the third time bringing
the Judges down to tie vote.
He graduated in 1925, a short time be-
fore he was nineteen; dividing the first
honor with young man by the name OF
Mitchell, from Mar, land. William II.
MeGutfy professor of Moral Philosophy
IA! the University OF VirgnIa,) would have
taken the same honor without any oppo-
nenl had he remained the session out
Tie was suspended for ,hrashing a fellow
student. Mr.. Wise volunteered his de.
ience before The faculty. He pleaded
guilty. ms young attorney justified his
course. and came well nigh suffering the
penalty OF hi, client. The standing of
Mr. McGuffy was such that the faculty
gave him diploma without examination
lhis was the first case in which MIR. Wise
appeared as a lawyer. Hoy now stand
these gentlemen OF the same Alma hfater ;
Oae adorns the chair of Moral Philosophy
in the greatest. best regulated, best con-
Quoted aud most r publican University in
the land aud the other presdes over the
Commonwealth of Virginia. Mr.. Wise
lett college in 1925, returning through
Canada aud New York home. He com
menced the study OF law BY reading Back
stone, in the school Of Henry ST. George
Tucker, in tae winter Of 1S25-'26. He
remaiLed with Judge Tucker until the
fall of 1928, when he returned home and
east his maiden vote for General Andrew
Jarkson for President.
In 1927, whilst Mr.. Wise was at Win.
chester. he addressed his first wife, Miss
Ann Eliza Jennings, daughter OF the Rev.
o. Jennings, d. D.. of Washington Col
iege. He became enamored OF this lady
whilst at college, and never rested until
the marriage rites were celebrated, Oh the
9Th day of October, 1928. in the city OF
Nashville, Tennessee, where her father
had been called as pastor OF .he Presbyte-
fan congregation OF that place. Mr.
Wise had made his arrangements previous
ly to leaving Virginia to settle in Nash.
Vile, whicA he did, He soon formed a
copartnershp in the law with Thomas
Duncan, Esq, who was soon afterwards
accidentally killed in Louisiana. MI.
Wise had some ceses in the Supreme Court
VI the State, and respectable practice Cor