Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1859-12-02
Lydia Maria NChild's Reply to
"a Coy. Wise.


"a Gov. Wise.
We could not put our editorial columns to
better use, to-day, than by giving Mrs. Child's
reply to Gov. Wise. This talented lady
portrays the Southern idea Of constitutional
obligations" with such mastery hand, Gf
we may be permitted to use the word mastery
in this connection and speaks Of the aggres-
sions of the slavery propaganda with.so much
force and truthfulness, that perusal of her
letter cannot but cause wholesome train of
thought in every unprejudiced mind. Gov
Wise, we imagine, will not attempt to reply
and, if he has as much horror Of being slain
by woman as Abimelech of old, he will
certainly evade a newspaper war with Mrs.
Child. 1laa "r'
In your civil but very diplomatic reply to
my letter, you inform me that have con.
stitutonal right to visit Virginia, for peaceful
purposes, in common with every citizen OF
the United States Twas perfectly well aware
that such was the theory of constitutional
obligation in the Slave States ; fbut was also
AWARE vi Wllht yOu UNIV W ASAsaSAAS w. $500
the Constitution has, in reality, been com
pletely and systematically nullitied whenever
it suited the convenience or the policy OF the
Slave Power. Your constitutional obligation,
for which you profess SO much respect, has
never proved any protection to citizens OF the
Free States who happened to have black,
brown or yellow complexion; nor to any
white citizen whom you even suspected OF
entertaining opinions opposite to your own,
ON a question Of vast Importance to the
temporal welfare and moral example OF our
common country. This total disregard OF
constitutional obligation has boen manifested
not merely by the Lynch law Of mobs in the
Slave States, but by the deliberate action OF
magistrates and legislators. What regard
was paid to constitutional obligation in South
Carolina, when Massachusetts, sent the Hon.
Mr.. Hoar there as an envoy, on purely legal
errands Mr.. Hedrick, Professor Of Political
Economy in the University of North Carolina,
had a constitutional right to reside in that
State. What regard was paid to that right,
when he was driven from his home merely
for declaring that he considered Slavery an
impolitic system, injurious to the prosperity
of States? What respect for constitutional
rights was manifested by Alabama, when
book in Mobile was compelled to flee for
his life, because he had, at the special request
of some of the citizens, imported few copies
of novel that everybody was curious to read
Your own citizen, Mr.. Underwood, had
constitutional right to live in Virginia, and
vote for whomsoever he pleased. W hat
regard was paid to his rights, when he was
driven from your State for declaring himself
in favor of the election of Fremont? With
these, and multitude of other examples
before your eyes, it would seem as if the less
that was said about respect for constitutional
obligation at the South the better. Slavery
is, in fact, an Infringement of all law, anc
adheres to no law, save for its own purposes
of oppression.
You accuse Capt John Brown of "whettlne
knives of butchery for the mothers, sisters
daughters and babes of Virginia; and yor
inform me of the well-known fact that he il
"arragned for the crimes of murder, robbery
and treason" will not here stop to explain
why believe that old hero to be no criminal
but martyr to principles which he sought t.
advance by methods sanctioned by his owl
religious views, though not by mine. Allow
ing that Capt. Brown did attempt scheme II
| which murder, robbery and treason were, t.
his own consciousness, involved, do not SCI
how Gov. Wise can consistently arraign hin
for crimes he has himself commended. Yo,
have threatened to trample on the Constitution
and break the Union, if majority of the lega
voters in these Confederated States dared t.
elect President unfavorable to the extension
Of Slavery. Is not such declaration proc
of premeaitated treason? In the Spring o
1912, you made speech in Congress, iron
which copy the following:
"Once set before the people of the Grea
Valley the conquest of the rich Mexlca'
Provinces, and you might as we'll attempt t
stop the wind. This Government might sem
its troops, but.they would run over them lik
a herd of buffalo. Let the work once begin
and | do not know that this House woul'
hold me very long. Give Inc five millions
dollars. and would undertake to do it myself
Although do not know how to set slngl
squadron in the field, | could find men to i
it, Slavery should pour itself abroad withou
restraint, and find no limit but the Southern
Ocean. The Camanches should no longe
hold the richest mines Of Mexico. Ever.
golden image which had received the pre-
| fanation of false worship should soon
melted down into good American eagles.
would cause as much gold to cross the XII
del Norte as the mules Of Mexico would carry
ave. and I would make better use CT it, toe
than any lazy, bigoted priesthood unde
heaven"
When you thus boasted that you and you
"booted loafers" would overrun the troops Q
the United States like herd Of buffalo,"
the Government sent them to arrest you
invasion of neighboring nation, at peac
with the United States, did you not pledg
Yourself to commit treason?' Was it not b,
the murder of unoffendng Mexicans that yo
expected to advance those schemes of avaric
and ambition? What humanity had you 70
Mexican "mothers and Babes" whom yo1
proposed to make childless and fatherless
And for what purpose was this wholesal
massacre to take place? Not to right tn
wrongs of any oppressed class; not to sustai1
any great principles of justice, or Of freedom
but merely to enable Slavery to pour ltsel
forth without restraint
Even if Captain Brown were as bad as yo'
paint him, should suppose he must natural.
remind you of the words Of Macbeth:
| eve but teach
| Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return
70 pla que the inventor: This even handed Justlc
Conmeuds the ingredients of our poisoned caalic
| To orr own lips"
If Captain Brown intended, as you say, t
commit treason, robbery and murder, | thinl
:,aye shown that he could find ample
authority for such proceedings in the public
declarations of Gov. Wise. And if, as hi
himself declares, he merely intended to FREE
the oppressed, where could be read more
forcible lesson than is furnished by the STATE
Seal of Virginia? looked at it thoughtful,
before I opened your letter; and, thong h i
had always appeared to me very suggestive
| it never seemed to me so much so as it nov
did in connection with Captain John Brown
| A liberty-loving hero stands with his foo
upon PROSTATE despot; under his strong
arm, manacles and chains lie broken; and thu
motto is, "Sic Semper 7yrannis," Thus b.
it ever done to Tyrants." And this is tn
blazon of State whose most profitable bust