The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-12-15
GOV. WISE ON HARPER's FERRY.

vice of wordiness, which Europeans say is an
American characteristic, is more peculiarly vir-
ginian and that Ancient Dominion has vindi-
Gated her claim of intense nationality, in this
respect at least, by electing the wordiest man
in the State, or in the nation, to the Office of
Governor. 1t would seem, indeed, that Gov.
Wise feels himself bound by custom, if not by
his official oath, to keep the population supplied
with official reading matter; and the fact can
not he gainsaid that he has faithfully dis
charged his duty in this particular. At the
previous meeting of the Legislature, he ad-
dressed no less than three messages, of enor-
nous proportions, to that body and DUNG the
winter wrote several letters for publication, upon
popular sovereignty" and kindred topics,
whose aggregate volume we have never heard
estimated, but one of which alone filled twen-
ty-nine closely printed columns of the Rich
mond Enquirer. No wonder that " Douglas is
dead in Virginia, when every citizen is called
upon by an imperative sense of public duty to
read and study these ponderous expositions of
the Illinois Senator's heresy.
But we wish it understood that these remarks
are not made so much with reference to the re-
cent verbal demonstration of the Virginia Gov
ernor, as to his established characteristic. For
we should lose in reputation for candor and
fairness, if we were to attempt to magnify two
Virginia Executive messages, comprised with
in little more than eleven columns, into any
thing extraordinary. So far from it, we must
say that in view of the fruitful theme afforded
by Old John Brown, Governor Wise, if viewed
from the standpoint of the Sanford letter, has
been almost laconic. We expected him to de-
vote at least dozen columns to the leader of
the invasion, and column each to his confed-
crates. Bat we have been mistaken, and we
own it.
| Message No. l is devoted to the Harper's
Ferry invasion. 1t is not more than the aver
age length of Presidents message, and pre-
sents the subject in all its aspects. In the first
two columns, the Governor prepares the Legis-
lative mind for the reception of the astounding
narrative he is about to make, by portraying its
enormity in such language as the old prophets
foretold the woes that were to befall the Jewish
nation in the last days.
He displays great skill in magnifying the act
of twenty men into matter of portentous ma
tional consequence. For if we are to credit
the boosted confidence of the friends of Slavery
in the stable foundation of the institution, and
the loyalty of the subject race, how can the
capture of United States arsenal, and the kill
ing of two or three citizens by the handful of
conspirators, be deemed of such alarming i'm
port? The Governor says:
"Sudden, surprising, shocking, as this in
vasion has been, it is not more so than the
rapidity and rancor of the causes which have
prompted and put it in motion. 1t is not confined
to the parties who were the present participa-
tors in its outrages. Causes and influences lie
behind it, more potent far than the little band
of desperadoes who were sent ahead to kindle
the sparks of general confagration and the
event, sad as it is would deserve but little COM
ment, if the condign punishment of the i'm
mediate perpetrators of the felonies committed
would for the future secure the peace which
has been disturbed, and guaranty the safety
which it threatened. Indeed, if the miserable
convicts were the only conspirators against our
| peace and safety, we might have forgiven their
| offences, and constrained them only by the
| grace of pardon. But an entire social and sec
tional sympathy has melted their crimes, and
now rises in rebellion and instruction to the
height of sustaining and justifying their enor
nifty.
at would be pusillanimous to shut our eyes,
and to affect not to see certain facts of fearful
import which stare US in the face, and of which
l must speak plainly to you, with the firm and
manly purpose of meeting danger, and with no
weak and wicked design of exciting agitation.
That danger exists, of serious magnitude, there
can be no doubt in the minds of the most calm
and rejecting, and the way to avert it in all
cases is to march up to it and meet it front to
| 'front.'"
The whole message is of this tenor and it
but embodies the prevalent sentiment of the
Southern press. The incongruity between such
pictures of the danger of the South and the al
legged loyalty of the slaves is striking. If Sla-
very be the true natural and normal condition
of the negro race, and if the race be so happy
and contented, is it not strange that the dom-
nant class should live in imminent dread of re-
bellion? One would suppose that the South
would defy the Abolitionists to incite insurrec-
ton, instead of continually standing sentinels
to keep out every intrusive suggestion of Free
dom, as though powder magazine were threat.
ened with the torch of the incendiary. If the
Governor of Virginia and other advocates of
Slavery could be induced to admit that the in
stituton is a source of continual danger to the
peace and safety of the South, it would be logic.
al to declaim as they do, upon the fearful i'm
port " of the recent invasion.
If Gov. Wise stood upon the ground occupied
by the enlightened Emancipationists of 1882,
we could understand him. They declared, as
we do, that Slavery is the most calamitous con
dition of society possible, and hence their solci
tude to guard against the danger of insurrec-
ton. Mr.. Wise, or at least thu party which he
represents, processes to regard Slavery as a
blessing, and then jumps to the conclusion that
the lives of the dominant class are in imminent
danger from the invasion of twenty menl
Nothing could more clearly demonstrate the
latent want of confidence in the justice and sta
biity of Slavery which pervades the Southern
mind, than this sensitiveness and fear which it.
friends perpetually manifest
If we have seemed to speak in vein of ridi
: cule of the Importance given to the Harper
Ferry affair by the Virginians, it is only witt
reference to their own boastful confidence il
the durability and value of the institution But
in reality, we are far from thinking that the,
overestimate their danger and the weakness
: of their position. 1t is only the weak VIII,
t make loud and long complaints The mai
who is confident in his strength has few word
with his enemies. 1t is word and a blow
i and the blow usually comes first. NapoIeo,