The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-01-18
Wise,s late Pronunciamiento.

FTU tht NhHoEV tiiou"tJ
The letter of Gov. Wise, of Virginia, wherein be
takes strong ground in support of Douglas az against
the President II a tribute to the prevailing senti
ment Of the North which was not expected from that
quarter. But, since the friends OF Wise affect no
further concealment Of his aspirations for the Presi.
dency, his eloqience, which In the campaign OF
1856, was as fiery as Mars and cratic as a comet,
has been gradually waxing milder and more pacific;
and he has come at last TO a state Of mind In which
his conversion TO the doctrines Of political decency
IL not the most unlikely thing to happen. The
Governor does nothing by halves. When a whig
he was the most boisterous, rampant, trenchant and
unmanageable of all wings In the nation; and when,
after the disruption Of the old party. he went into
the ranks OF his former opponents, this slavery
question being the hobby -horse that bore him
of, be siRnalzed his conversion by the most
furious campaign ever known in the history OF
the Old Dominion. Since then he has been proving
his sincerity by a series of plungiugs and cayortings
that would have made his fortune as the leading
man in any equestrian troupe OF showmen In the
world. He dissolved the Union at least a dozen
times during the Fremont canvass; and though the
discovered fragments would, like the pieces OF our
Western Joint snake" crawl together again, the
Governor was never discouraged. but took up State
after State and pitched them about as II he were the
Sampson OF our dav, and these sovereignties the
pigmies upon which he displayed his strength.
Lately, as we before said, he has cooled of. Whether
his ground and lofty tumbling has brought on the
weariness which might have been expected; whe-
Their there is in his relations 10 his Virginia rival.
Senator Hunter, anything in the way OF Niger
breeding that he cannot hope to equal; or
whether, looking outside of Virginia, he sees
that his immoderate and vaulting ambition IL
nothing when opposed 10 the earnest and infexi-
BILE sentiment of the North, we cannot be ex.
pected 10 know. No matter what the motive which
lies behind. this pronunciamiento will be a new com
~plication Of the Kansas imbroglio, the eject OF
which cannot be calculated. Wise's missives are
not obedient TO any known law OF projecttles. Ihey
traverse space, making all sorts OF angles, curves
and evolutions. and not unfrequently, 40 cratic IL
their course. come back 10 the exact point whence
they were sent, and knock him over who discharged
them. This one may be an exception; 1t has seemed
to drop down into the Buchanan camp like a bomb
she'll into an openhrench. The telegraph gives us no
account Of the effect which IL has had upon the qtss-
ton at issue, or upon the administration forces. Pos
sibly II may be only a rocket discharged in the air
az n signal for the battle between the two embittered
factions in Virginia to begin. We shall see in due
time.
Our own explanation of the matter il this: The bust.
ness OF dissolving the Union has proved a dead failure.
II has frightened the North for the last time, and Wise
knows II. ~ is evident TO him, Douglas, Walker, aud
the whole tribe OF crazy politicians, that the North
rs daily growing more and more willing to take up
the gauge which the South has thrown down. and give
the hre,eaters all shey want, u they can win i in q
fair and open handto-band fight. They are clawinQ
Of as fast as a due regard for their remaining repu.
tation for consistency will permit. Bullying badg.
ering and brow beating are exhausted; 40 now away
they 20 on another tack. Wise's letter il a bid to
the free coil sentiment Of the North for the Presi
dency. II is following up Douglas move for the or.
ganization Of the national democracy upon = new
and patent plan in which the dissolution of the
Union Is not the leading feature5a democracy 10 be
true 20 the North until the purposes OF slavery can
he served by a betrayal, as in 1864, Of principles and
policy which the North now avows and defends.
Republicans are warned not % throw up their hats
until they sec S@ Mbat aud whom Ibey are "a basga