Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-10-28
Gov. Wise and the IzarPer's Ferry I'm

The Richmond Enquirer Of the 25th inst,
contain. report of the spesch made by Gov.
WISE on his return TO Richmond from his
trip to Harper's Ferry. Like every thing
that comes from the notable Governor, the
speech abounds in racy passages. With his
volunteers he sped to The post of duty with
alacrity, but when he got there he was morti-
fed. chagrined b, yond expression. 10 find that
the arsenal has been taken and held twenty
four hours ny body OF fourteen white ruf-
fans and five negroes- "How could" he
asks. "such nufrage and disgrrce be brought
upon country like this, strong it is in
everythingr he proceeds TO answer his
inquiry ''Congress," he says, had by law,
displaced the regular army from the super
intendence of its own arms, as il il were I'M
worthy of the trust of its own affairs, and its
officers very naturally turned away in dis
gust from giving attention TO this arsenal"
He adds
A civil superintendent was placed in
charge; and f-know the gentleman. Vir-
Oinian a. WORTHY of 10 as any civilian can
be. He was absent on official duty at Spring
field. Mass, and have great confidence that
had he been at the Arsenal il could not have
been captured and held as t was. Aud
do not mean to go into The dispute or ques-
tioo. whether civil or military superinten-
dence is most proper over q manufac tory and
Arsenal of arms. But this / do say en-
phaticaly and Indignantly. that whether the
observation-disclosures was civil or military. there
ought 10 hdUe been organized and sufficient nnLi
tary gudrd there; and there t0ds nothing If the
kind. There t0atch eUea icOrth naming
f,YH fl,4C
ought 10 be depot of arms and munitiUn OF
defence, for the citizens at all times 10 flee to
for means of protection, became Il 4, pot for
desperadoes TO assail us and positive danger
to our people. Ii would be better Tor Vir-
ginia aud Maryland To have the arsenal re-
moved from their borders, than To allow II
to thus to become danger by being left un
guarded. The Civil Superintendent was not
responsible for u military guard. The ques-
ton who is responsible! l leave to the
proper executive authorities of the United
States. BY the grussrst negligence some
where-whch il Is not my duly 10 look alter
or to correct, except 10 proclaim il and COM
plain of it, for the sake OF The protection due
TO our own people-nineteen Iawlvss men
have seized this arsenal, with its arms aud
spoils, and have imprison,d aud Iobbed aud
murdered our inhabitants!
Very true, Governor WISE, there was the
"grossest negligence, somewhere aid may
not that somewhere" be 10 the departm, Mt
of the Secretary OF War? He had been in
formed in advance, anonymously, il is true,
but still informed, and ordinary prudence
would have suggested the detail of sufi-
cient guard OF United States troops. or the
appointment of a guard from amongst the
oil nf oh.
In the arsenal II there be truth in the state
ment made by REDPATH in the New York
Tribune, that the plot of BRowN and his fell
low-conspirators, was "btruyed' to the
Government more than twelve months ago
by wealthy Engli,hman, a military charac-
ter, this ought to have been done unquestion-
ably, and Gov. FLOYD negl, cted his duty in
not having it done. Let the gross negli
gence" then be placed where it belongs, TO
him. In this connection the question natu-
rally arises, why was 20 important q post as
Harpers Ferry, with the Government ar
senal, given over to civil superintendence?
1t was done several years ago, at the instance
of the representative from that district, Mr.
FAULKNER, and we doubt not with view TO
reward DemOcrstic partizans, and to continue
Mr.. F. in Congress.
The taking of the arsenal 10y a platoon OF
rufiians is a sore point with Gov. WISE; but
IL is not the only sore point connected with
the affair. The arsenal Was rctakrn by
trDelpe United States marines; after hundreds
OF the chivalry of Virginia had paused before
its walls for many long. weary hours, and
declined to make the assault. Upon Ais sore
point the Governor says:
"And now say to you that / would have
given nv arm 90 it's shoulder. for that feat
60 have been performed by the Volunteers of
Virginia on Monday before the marines ar
rived there. But there was no cnwaIdice or
panic OIL the part of the inhabitants who
were made prisoners, or on the part of the
volunteers who first reached the scene They
first were bewildcrcd by the surprise; they
were caught, unsu~ pccting aud uuarmcd, and
knew not what to make OF the extraordinary
thing; they could not, at first conceive what
il meant. They, more than 100 of them.
were prisoners before they realized the phrr-
pose OF the invaders, aud then they could
not ascertain their numbers and could not
but believe that they were in very consider
able force to attempt 81 daring nm act. Aud
go thought the volunteers, who had bat few
arms, no cartridges, and no training, and who
were wholly ignorant of the force they had
TO overcome, and who felt fer their neigh
bOrs and friends, the prisoners, with great
anxiety, fer seeing how remorsrleSsiy Tur-
ner aud Beckham had bern shot down.
They vigorously play their fire arms
and made one assault and retired onl, after
sustaining severe volleys uf balls from riff
securely entrenchrd behind brick walls dense
ly Ia In
without any artillery or means of baticring
doors or walls. The prisoners were the
walls OF the marauders stronger with the
volunteers than bricks and mortar. They
loved Washington. and Alsladt and Mills
and other prisoners. and would not risk
their lives. This was wrong but natural
and not cowardly. | chded them for their
mistake. and told them thai had | arrived
there in time, [ would have stormed the
stronghold in tbs short st possible time, aud
that if Gen. George Washington had btcn
one of the prisoners and even his life had
been imperrilled by the attack, il should not
have been delayed i've INMATES. The lives
outside, in this case, were AS precious ~ The
lives inside of the prison, and to prove that
il was not inhumanily TO rink the lives oi
the prisoners. | would have gladly risked
my own lie to rescue them ut evrry hazard
Of their lives and my own: such wa> my
o ho~ VI VIC iohaNioG az "sitNshS thSSt "i"ia
ders to hold that Arss nal with it, prisoners
for i've minutes. | would not have parlryed
with th' m moment. would have ordered
the attack, and I'D II.
i would proudly have risked my life to
have gotten my guard there la time, and To
have taken the pace with our own Virginia
boys was ready 20 weep when found
tile whole torce overcome. Was only some IL
or Is men, and the Virginia volunteers had
not captured them before Col. Lee arrived.
Passing from this Gov. WISE makes the FOL
lowing remarks relative to the negroes and
their wouldbe liberators
But NV E.lIow-eitizans Won ,n.st not Ina,