The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-12-07
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INTERESTING coRREsPoNDEMcE.

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INTERESTING CORRESPONDENTS.
Gov. Wise and Mrs. Child.
Soon after the Imprisonment of Captain
Brown as our readers will remember, Mrs. +
Lydia Nj aria Child of Massachusetts,. wrote 1
letter to Gov. Wise. asking permission to visit
the prisoner as his nurse. The Governors
treply. and Mrs ChiIds reioihder I'VE give be,
low. All our readers we think will be inter.
ested in reading this correspondence.
e5 GOV w1sE's REPLY.
--, go RICHMOND. Va, Oct. %. 1856. -
MADAM: Yours OF the 26th was received
by me yesterday. aud at my earliest leisure I
respectfully reply to it, that will forward the
latter for john Broso. d prisoner nnder our q
laws, arraigned at the bar of the Circuit Court
for the Coanty of Jefferson, at GharlestowD,
Va, for the crimes Of murder, robbery and
treason. which yon ask me to transmit to him.
will comply with your request in the only
way which seems TO me proper. by inclosing
it to the Commonwealthis Attorney, with the
request that he will ask permission Of the
Court to hand Ii tosthe prisoners Brown, the
prisoner. is now in the hands OF the judiciary
not Of the executive Of this Commonwealth. s
You; ask me, further, 10 allow you 10 per-,
form the mission of mother or sister. to dresssl
bis wounds and speak soothingly to him., By
this, of course. you mean to be allowed to via,
it him in his cell and to minister to him in the
Offices of humanity. Why should yeu NOT be
so allowed, MADAME Virginia and NJ assachu
setts are involved in no civil war; ana the
EConstitution which unites them in one con-
federacy guarantees TO syou privileges and
immunities of a. citizen Of the Uniied States
in the State Of Virgins, That Constitution
am sworn to support, and am, therefore,
bound to protect your privileges and, ,immuni-
ties as citizen Of Massachusetts, coming into
Virginia for any lawful and peaceful purpose.
Coming. as yod propose. to minister TO the
captive in prison, you will be met, doubtless,
by all our people not only In a cbivalrods but
lin Christian spirit You have the right to
visit Charlestown, Va. Madam and your
mission heiog merciful and hnmane, will not
only be allowed. but be respected. if not wel.l
coined. Afew unenlightened and inconsider-
ate persons fanatical in their modes of thot
and action to maintain Justice and right. might
molest you, or he disposed to do SO, and this
might suggest the imprudence of risking any
lexperinent upon the peace of society very
much excited BY the crimes with whose chief
author you seem to sympathze so much; but
still. I repeat, your motives and ayewed pur-
poses are lawful and peaceful, add 4 will. as
far as am concerned, do my duty in protect.
ing your rights in our limits. Virginia and
in point eff folly and weak in point of power,
if her State faith and constitutional obliga
tions cannot be redeemed in her own limits to
the letter of morality asrwel as of law and if
her chivalry cannot courteorsly receive ladys
4 visit to a prisoner, every arm which guards
Brown from rescue on the one hand anu from
lynch law on the other. will be ready 10 guard
your person in Virginia. I could not permit
4 an insult even to women in her walk of chari-
al ty among us though it be. one that whetted
koives of butchery for our mothers, sisters,
!, daughters and babes We have no sympathy
d with your sentiments of sympathy will. Brown,
!, and are surprised that yen we're taken by
9 surprise when news came of Captain Browns
a recent attempt His attempt was natural
j, consequence Of your sympathy, and the errors
II of that sympathy ought to make you doubt
!, its sirtne from the effect on his conduct But
al it is not of this that should speak & When
IS you arrive at Charlestewn, if you GO there, it
8, win be for the Court and its officers, the COM
III monweathis attorney, sheriff and jaiior, to say
e whether you may see and wait on the prisoner.
e But whether you are thus permitted Or not,
: fand you win be ifmy advice can FSprevail.)
h you may resi- assured that he viii be humane
8, ly, lawfully and mercifolly dealt by in prison
,h and on trial. Respectfully -
,e -ys as ass 's s'as ssli HENRY a. WISE
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ofl s01 ,tsfisGPs asH
it LYDIA MARIA cH1LDis REPLY To- GOV. w1sE.s
II 10 reply to your civil but very diplomatic
llf reply to my letter, you inform me thar have
a constitutional right 10 visit Virginia. for
st peaceful purposes in common with every citi.
~ zen of the United States Twas perfectly
g, well aware that such was the theory of con.
IT. stitutional obligation in the Slaye States but
u, was also aware of what you omit to mention.
as viz: that The Constitution has, in reality been
} 1eompIetely, and Systematically nuil6sd when.
ever it suited the convenience or the policy Of
- the Slave Power. Yonr constitutional obi.
to CATION, for which you profess so much respect,
n;E has never proved any protection to the ciii,
: zens Of the Free States who happened to have
70 black. brown, or yellow complexioDi nor to
J. white citizens whom you even suspected OF
IF entertaining opinions opposite to your own,
2, on question of vast Importance to the tenn
u porpiFwelfare and moral example of oar com
an mon country. This total disregard Of consti.
h. tutional obligation has been manifested not
merely by the lynch law of mobs m the Slave