The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1859-12-10


Mrs. Chs1ase reply 10 Gov. Wsse.l
The following reply Of LYDIA Maria Child to
Governor Wise, appeared iev days unce in
the New York Tribune. Gov. Wise ha. Thus
far made NO rejciner, and probably will mot:
10 your civil bus very diplomatic reply to my
letter, you inform me that have constitutional
right 70 visit Virginia, for peaceful purposes, 10
common with every citizen Of the United States.
Vas perfectly aware that such was the theory
Of constitutional obligation in the Slave States
but IVES also aware Of uhat you omit to msn>
ton, viz: that the Constitution has, in reality,
been completely and systematically nuiified
| whenever it suited the convenience or policy OF
the Slave Power. Your constitutional obiga-
ti0n, 1or which you profess 90 m1ch respect, has
never proved any protection TO citizens OF the
Free States who happened to have black,
brown or yellow complexion, nor TO alg white
citizen whom you even suspected OF entertain.
| ing opinions opposite to your own, on question
OF vast Importance to the temporal welfare and
moral example OF our common country. This
total disregard OF cons.itu ional obliga alton has
been manifested not merely by the lyuch law
| OF mobs in the slave States, but by the delber>
ate action Of magistrates and legislators. What
regard was paid to constitutional obligation in
South Carolina, when Massachusetts, sent the
LION. Mr.. Hoar there As eavoy, On u purely
legal errand! Mr.. Hedriek. Professor OF Pult
cal Economy in the University OF North Carroll
ma, had constitutional right to reside in that
State What regard was paid TO that right,
| when be was driven from his home, merely for
declaring that he considered Slavery an impo.
| tic system, injurious to the prosperity OF
States? VIVA. respect for constitutional rights
was manifested by Alabama, when bookseller
| IN Mobile was compelled TO flee for his life. be
i he h ad MI the snpaiAl of af
| the citizens, imported few copies OF novel
/ that every BODY WAS curious to read? Your own
citizen, Mr.. Underwood, had a constitutional
| right to live in Virginia, aud vote for whomso>
| ever he pleased. What regard was paid to his
| rights, ~hen he was driven from your State for
| declaring himself in favor of the election OF
Fremont! With these aud multitude OF other
examples before you: eyes, it would seem AS il
the less that said about espect for cOusttu>
ti0nAl obligation It the South, the better
Slavery is, in fact, an Infringement Of all law,
and aiheres to NO Law, save Tor its own purposes
Of oppression.
You accuse Capt. John Brown of 'swbetting
| knives Of butcheIv for the mothers, sisters,
| daughters and babes" OF Virginia and you in>
| form me Of the well-known lac. that he IL '.ar-
| raigned for the crimes of murder. robbery and
| treasOn." win not here stop to explain why
believe that cd hero to be NO criminal, but u
| martyr to principles which he sought to advance
| by methods sanctioned by his own religious
views, though not by mine. Allowing that
Captl Brown did attempt a scheme in which
murder, robbery and treason we're, to his own
consciousness involved, | do lot see how Gov.
| Wise consistently arraign him for crimes he
| has himself commended. You have threatened
| to trsmple on the Constitution and break the
Union, ii q majority OF the legal voters of these
| Confedera,ed States dared to elect a President
| unfavorabe TO the extension OF Slavery. Is not
such declaration proof of premedtated trea
| son? In the spring of S42 you made speech
in Congress, from which copy the following !:
"Once set before the people Of the Great
| Valley the conquest 0i the rich Mexican Pros
vInces, and you might as we'll try to stop the
wind. This government might send its troops,
| but they would run over them like herd of
buffalo. Let the work once begin, snd do not
| know that this House would hold me very long.
Give me five millions OF dollars and would
undertake to do it myself Although do not
know how to set single squadron in the field,
| could find men to do it. Slavery should pour
itself abroad without, restraint, and limit but
the Southern Ocean. To- Camanches should
no longer hOid the richest mines OF Mexico
Every golden image which had received the
PROCLAMATION OF u false worship should soon be
melted down into good American Eagles. l
/ would cause as much gold 10 cross the Rio del
! Norte as the mules OF Mexico would carry; aye,
| would make better use OF ii, too, than any
lazy, bigoted priesthood under heaven"
When you thus boasted that yon aud your
"hooted loaters" would Overrun the troops OF
the United States like herd Of buffalo" ii the
Government sent them to arrest your INVASION
Of u eishboring nation, at peace with the
United States, did you not pledge yourself to
commit treason! Was it not by the murder OF
uuoifendng Mcxicans that you expected to ad.
vance those schemes Of avarce and ambition ?
| What humanity had you for ,Mexic n 'm0thers
| and ba bes," whom you proposed TO make child
less aud fAtheressy And tor what purpose was
| this wholesale massacre to tske place! Not to
right the wrongs OF any oppressed class; not to
sustain any great principles Of justice, or Of
freedom; but merely to ''enab.e slavery to pour
| itself forth without restraint"
| Even il Captain Brown WAS as bad as you
paint him, should suppose be must naturally
remind you of the words OF Macbeth
| I'VE but teach
Bloody iustruc lions, which, being taught, return
| To plague the inventor: This eyen-handed justice
Conmends the Ingredients Of our poisoned chaiice
| To our own lips"
| Ii Captain Brown intended, as you say, to
/ commit treason, robbery and murder, think !
have shown that he could fnd ample authority
for such proceedings in the public declarations
Of Gov. Wise. And il. as he himself declares.
| could he read more torcioie lesson than is fur
nishcd by the State Seal OF Virginia? looked
at it thoug httully before opened your letter ;
aud, though it had always appeared to me very
sugge stiye, II never eecmed to me so much SO
as il nov did in connection with Captlin John
Brown. liberty loving hero stands with
his foot upon n PROSTATE despot; under his
strong arm miracles and chains are broken; and
the motto is. "Sic Ssm.per 7yrannis . hus
be it ever done to Tyrants." And this is the
blszon Of State whose most profitable business
is Oh. ei.rnai Slave Tradel In whose highways
coities OF human eia::s!s, chained and manacled
are fseaaentlv seen! And the Seal aud the
Coii.es are both loohed upon bs other chatteis
constantly exposed TO the same late What II
scme Vesey or Nat Turner, should be growing
up among those apparently quiet spectators
| II is IN 40 spirit OF taunt or exuitation that
ask Ibis question. never think OF it but with
anxiety, "a Insss and sympathy. ! know tina
a 81. ee,s1!jiEs eosnmanity necessarily lives II
the .id.i oil gunpo der and, III this age spark
OF ;.ee theusi ut ale flying IN every direction =
YOU eAi..os quenes, the fires of free though. AM
human sympathy by any process OF cunning o
force; but there i. method by which you cal
efieetnai.y wet the gunpowaer. England Ia
already tried it with safety and success Woul'
that you could be persuaded to set aside tn
preiudices OF EDUCATION, and canddly examin
the actual working OF that experiment! Yir
eiuia is 50 richly endowed by nature that Ere
: institutions alone are wanting to render be
j, the most prosperous and powerful OF th
States s .tls
In your letter, you suggest that such schem
! Is Captain Browns is the natural result OF thu
9 opinions with which | sympathize. Even il
e though, this to be . correct statement. thong
q I should deeply regret ii, could not draw tn
: conclusion that humanity ought to be stided
It aud truth struck dumb, or fear that long sue
n cessful despotism might be endangered by the
II uttsrsnce. But the fact is, you mistake III
& source Of that strange outbreak. No aboiitio
d arguments or denunciaiions, however esrnesti
= loudly or hArshly proclaimed, would have pro
'r duced that result. Il was the legitimate con
J. sequence Of the continual and constantly il
e creasing aggressions Of the Slave Povef tn
u Slave States, 10 their desperate efforts to 81.
tain a bad and dangerous institution, have e'
b crosched more and more upon the liberties {
:; ,he Free States. Our Inherent love Of law an
y order, and our superssitious attachment. TO IL
"A | L. rnSakn han for m PdiDN.