Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-05-20
Letter from Governor Wise.

plar, from Boston and Providence, in Rich
mond, number Of toasts were drunk with
much enthusiasm. Among them was the
following
VIRGINIA:
..Breathes there a man with soul so dead,
Who never To himself hath SAID
This is my own, my native land?
o. Jennings Wise, esq, on behalf of his
father, Governor Wise, read the following
letter as II response to the above sentiment
RICHMOND, Va, May 18th, 1883.
To WM. b. lSAACs. Esq, for Committee. etc.
NY Dear Sir and Brother: Two days ago
regretted to be obliged to apprise the Com
mittee of Invitation, that | could not be pre-
sent ut the reception of the Boston and
Providence brethren. | had thought they
would arrive here about Wednesday of the
past week, and FASTENED To return to this
city from Il visit to Norfolk Oh that account;
and long before had made appointments to
be in Washington this week Oh my way TO
Accomac These appointments | cannot,
with any propriety or convenience, torego.
1t was due 10 YOU and To your worthy guests
that should have been present To do my
humble part in rendering TO them the hospi-
talilies of Brotherhood and of our Homes
To which they are SO deseryedly and cordial
" welcome; but for the reasons | have
named, | cannot be- with you i'll person,
though leave my house and heart and this
letter, behind me, to aid in greeting Your
guests with my warmest expression Of wei
come | have requested my son to represent
me-, ~ find he has been honored 10y tickets.
aud he will open the Executive mansion, its
doors, beds, and board at your command.
wish had time and space {" respond 10
the touching sentiment upon which y"n pro
posed 10 call me out at the banquet. Ii has
in it all the life and spirit Of the iervor of
patriotism. My own, my native land" is
my country-my whole country--my
blessed, and best beloved country. But the
love of country, the amor patr'p is found
ell, nationally and tervently, on the love Of
Home, the amor loci The people of the
United States have Homes. They have Il
confederacy and union of States and these
States have cities and towns and corpora
tons, and counties, and parishes and hun
dreds, and these have houses and house hold
ers aud these housc-holders are patriarchs
Of Domestcty. They are Husbands Of the
soil and they have wives and identity OF OH
spring and their children have fathers and
mothers, and brothers and sisters, and cou.
SINS and kindred around hearth-stones Of
Homes. Ard these homes are sacred and
these relationships are holy, as the tanes Of
Heaven. And in these Homes Of America
are terminated and trained the tendrils OF
childhood and early affections, under the
light and law Of Liberty, which are as en-
during a. the everlasting hills. They grow
and multiply, and increase to rank and lux
ur:ant and fruit bearing, strong vines which
cover the whole earth of country and are in
destructible. At home is the cradle Of i'll
fancy, nursed BY mother-at home j. the
bread toasted at the hCarth-stOne, construc.
ted by father-at home Is the play ground
consecrated by the joys and tears OF brother
aud sister-near by home is the school house
all around home are the forests and fields
Of youthful exercises, and every spot il
marked By memory And when manhood
leaves the maternal roof Of home, memory
endears more and more every scene and all
its Incidents in every stage of childhood and
youth, from tho cradle and the cupboard and
the mothers knee-that household altar
where the now lay me" was first lisped
to the spelling book and the slate and the
pony, and the gun and dog, up to the day of
lcaye-taking of all for the greater prepare
tons for life Aud life long and life through
these feelings, local and individual and d.
vided from all besides, az they are, isolated
and tropical in their beginning, become the
sure and safe foundation of the strength Of
n whole State, rs the States are the pillars
of the whole nation. Does the invader as
sail my country in its most distant and to
me strangest part-to the uttermOst part
will march to meet him. Why? He can't
invade my country without invading my
State-he can't invade my State without in
vading my home my own, my native
land" lie shall be repealed, ut whatever
cost. though it may cost me labor and fatigue
and treasure and blood, and it may be life.
And how much the opposite of this il that
cosmopolitan, and philanthropic. and abb
stract, and generic and vague and wander
ing and fanatical love Of ones own land,
which begins in the clouds and form abroad,
and far above earthly affections their germs,
to make men love and respect themselves and
try to serve their neighbOrs and their State
and their whole country. without Il nucleus
of affections and memories to inspire pa
t,iotism?
The love of home expands to passionate
love of whole land, and becomes generic,
and universal, and conservative, and sub
lime while the cold cosmopolitan philosophy
contracts to seltishness and sectiunalsm. and
becomes special and destructive, and mean
and little. In this there is the very poetry
of emotional metaphysics Mount Vernon
helped Ia make II Virginia, and both to make
the patriotic virtue OF II Washington which
served and saved the whole United States oi
America He did not leave home to med
die with the business, and occupations, and
pleasures, and possessions and affairs of 9TH
or homes; but because he kept to his own,
he was the better fitted to preserve and de-
fend ALL
And it is not only rs have illustrated,
that the words Of my o'rM, my nahce
land" thus become generic and country
serving and country-saving; but they are
less special in their growth and application
in another and larger sense With Gods
blessing and the fair field of freedom these
homes are the happiest upon earth, and they
grow up and glow out the most fervid pa
triotism known To the hearts of men
Liberty in the United States has become
Divine Mother Of new, new birth. See
ing that the strength of the country protects
the peace and the happiness Of the homes,
the homes not only become the strength Of
the country, but they generate love of IL
borty which works miracles Before the