The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1861-06-17
Wise and Otherwise.

At q recent serenade at Richmond, Henry A
Wise made speech to the assembled Rebels in
strain peculiarly Wisely. Here is an extract:
Their hordes are already approaching our
metropolis, and extending their folds around
our State as does the anaconda around his vic
tim. The call is for action | rejoice in this
war. Who IS there that now darcs to put on
sanctl,y to deprecate war or the "horrid = lories
of war" None. Why? Because it is "a war
of publication. You want war, fire, blood TO
purify you ; and the Lord Of Hosts has deman-
ded that you should walk through fire and blood
You are called to the fiery baptism, and call
upon you to como up to the altar Though
your pathway be through fire or through d river
of blood, turn not aside. BE- in no hase-no
hurry and fairy. Collect yourselves-s summon
yourseves-eIevate yourselves to the high and
sacred duty of patriotism. The man who dares
to pray. the man who dares to wait until some
magic arm is put into his hand the man who
will not 60 unless he have II Mimic, or percussion
nlusket, who will not be content wit; flint and
steel, or even gun without Il lock,-Is worse
than coward, he is u renegade. If he can do
no better, 60 to II blacksmith, take gun along
as sample. and get him to make you one like
it, Get spear, lance. Take lesson from
John Brown. Manufacture your blades from
old iron, even though it be the tires Of your
cart wheels. Get bit Of carriage spring, and
grind and FURNISH it IN the shape Of Il bowie
knife, and put it to any sort Ola handle, So that
it be strong ASH, hickory, oak But, if possible.
get double barrelcd gun and u dozen rounds
of buckshot, and go upon the battle field with
these. If the enemy s guns reach further than
yours reduce the distance; meet them foot TO
foot, eye to eye, body to body, and when you
strike blow strike home. Your true-blooded
Yankee will never stand in the presence of cold
steel. let your aim therefore, be to get to
close quarters, and with q few decided, vigorous
movements, always pushing forward never back,
my word for it, the soil of Virginia will be
swept tho Vandals who are now poliuting its
atmosphere.
Wise really seems to be rather hard on the
Rebel troops; and ON the whole, the prospect
as seen through his eyes must be slightly tinged
with gloom. Qualification " oh Wise why
should you have limited that the Rebels were
in need of that?
Would it not have been Wiser to have sug-
Sested that to gild refined gold, 70 paint the
lily, &c, were wasteful and ridiculous excess
Pictures of fiery baptisms of rivers red with
blood and fame, of affairs smoking with South
ern sacrifices, seemed to float before W Use s
startled vision, and inspire his doleful prophe
ces
Bot it was not only unknd, it was positively
irreligious and wicked, for Wise after 50
distinctly suggesting that the Rebels were going
as victims to the altar, to declare that he who
G. dares to pray -" is worse than coward-he
is a renegade.''
Wises suggestions about arms are certainly
original, whatever we may think of their feast
bilIty. Blacksmiths in Virginia doubtless
make guns, and wagon springs and the tire of
cart-wheels are there manufactured by the
simple process of grinding and Furnishing, into
bowie knives and sword blades.
Thus armed, if the Rebels will 90 " forward
and not back Wise gives his word that the
soil of Virginia will be swept Of Vandals' >
We agree with Wise in this last remark,
though our opinion is not founded upon any
forward or back movement of the traitors but
upon the fact that the Federal Government has
take in hand the business of clearing that State
of Vandalism, and it will be done.