Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1857-11-21
LETTER FROM GOVERNOR WISE.
To dc Editors Of the Enquirer:
RICHMOND, VA, Nov. 10th, 1867

to the position l. occupy touching the cleo
ton of Senator of the United States; and,
believing that they are in good faith fair,
and not unfrendly, Ipronptly reply to your
questions. as: publicly as they are put.
For more than twelve months rumors haye
been circulated that it was my desire and de-
sign to oust Mr. Hunter, if could, from
.this seat in the Senate Of he'WnItod States !;
and my maine in thatcennexion has been
banded abudtsin conversation and by the
press, with a license wfieh assumed the air
of authority ywhom, sssitl1'%hab motive
to what end, these sumors were started, it
is not my purpose now to discuss. My OBJ
ject is to allay excitement and prevent divis-
ion in the Democratic pperty of Virginia ;
and to that end I aver, thh5 thsse rumors
are unauthorized by anything said or done
by me, that they are without foundation,
'andiI defy the. production of the proof or
evidence that have ever expressed or man
Tested the imputed desire or design.
After my ardaous struggle in 1855 for
the salvation of the Democratic party, l
fondly hoped to have the support and SYM
pathy of all its sections in Virginia, and to
be able te.act.with all in equal confidence,
and to serve all IN the Office Il nnew Fill.
regret to say that in this was disappointed
A short time only elapsed, after entering
upon my duties, before jealousy and dis
trust were seen where, L-mest, expected con-
fdcnce and friendly aid and eonastl. I did
my best. by turning away frem this, to avert
both its caase andiits effect. But, inoppor-
timely for harmony, the contest for the NOM
nation for thei Presidency came on early in
1856 ,'and any preference for Mr.. Buchanan,
entertained for many years, was again made
known. j adhered to his nomination, for
reasons which now smust be too obvious to
every candid and conservative patriot and
Democrat, to need either argument or ex-
cusc. No other nominee of the party could
probably have been elected. There was not
one of Ibis competitors for whom would
not ehccrfully 'haye voted. | had, in fact,
aided, among other friends Of AR Ruehen-
an in 1852, in nominating Mr.. iPierce, and
liz 1850, had Unlimited my approval of 9TH
er candidates. l'ut, having for his eminent
abilities and services, preferred Mr. Buchan-
an in 1874, 1915, and 1852, and deesiins,;,
him the only available candidate in 1856, |
co-operated zealously with his friends in Sc
curing for his nomination the vote of Vir-
ginia. But no effort was made, no resort
had to any means, to secure this, which
,eeuld justly be complained of by his rivals
and their friends He had, without effort,
comparatively, two-thirds of the delegation
of Virginia at Cincinnati, and that majority
did not fully represent the constituencies
Which preferred him. And notwithstanding
the attempts Of those opposed to his nomi-
nation, to destroy the prestige Of Virginia
by attempting to split zhcr delegation in the
Convention, and, in fact, to nuilify major
ity by minority, by dividing her districts as
we'll as the State, and to count the Old Do
cation stood rs FIRM IS it bad done at Balti-
more in 1852, when thifty-four successive
ballots were east fer Buchanan, and the vote
of Virginia decided the Convention in his
favor. The election proved how pre-emi-
nently pop.lar he was in this "geed old
Commonwealth" Thirty thousand pro-
claimed him the choice of Virginia. by far
more than two thirds, if not four-6fths of
the Democratic voters. a majority of poi
uicions IN place preferred others, but the
people preferred him by an overwhelming,
almost unanimous voice.
The election was marked by cxtraordina-
~ manifestations. The contest was: wIETH-
Err sEcTIoNMIsM, eAltsEo BY THE FOREIGN
INFLUENCE OF OLD ENGLAND ass CaSgpA,
OPERATING IN THE FORM OF BLACK REPUBLIC
cANIsM UPON New York AND TIE New Eng
LAND STATES, AND UPON THE LAKE BORDERS
OF OTHER STATES, SHOULD INVADE US FUR
TIER SoUTH OR OUR OWN NATIoNALIsM OF
DEMOCRACY SHOULD DRIVE zT BACK FURTHER
N'sgrh.
Pennsylvania decided that issue but for
time it was extremely doubtful. And in
the midst of that doubt there wars heard a
low muttcfing in the South Of a subdued,
but sullen discomfort d7cong s1sse .,tsr NJ
those anho sote2 eren for M. Buchanon's
election. The feeling, grumJlcd rather than
openly expressed by thenl, was Of hope
that the Black Flag might be raised over us
to rouse the Southern people to revolution
which would throw off the bonds of the
Union 1t is well known and proudly adj.
niitted that, had that been hoisted over the
Capitol of the United States, under the opcr
proclamations of the elaesion, I for one
would have waited for no other covert act
of aggression or oppression; but I was
therefore, the more anxious to secure o De.
mocratic triumph, to prevent revolutios and
to preserve the Union This separated yne
/ from the extremists South.
i doubt whether they would all have fol.
lowed me to the lengths would have gone
had cause for revolution been given bni
whilst | was for warding off extreme issues
by electing conservative Democrat who
could unite all patriots and save the Union
they. small and very exclusive clique
were for driving us upon evolution-reluc.
family supported the Democratic nominee
and at heart were disappointed at the Dem.
ocratic triumph which saved us from al
''last extremetiesn The horse and the ri.
der Of Black Republicanis,n were overthrow
but in the general rejoicing there was nc
shout from the hearts of the Erclusire Elk.
trcmists. They, however honest, were sad
and their countenances were dark and dis.
mai in the midst of general congratulations
and smiles that the National Democracy had
saved our country once more from extreme
peril
Soon after the Election Of President, and
J Il