Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1861-02-15

Letter from Ex-Goyerzos Wise.
The Hon. Henry A. Wise, who, according
to the Northern Republicans, and few old
graunles in Washington city. is recruiting
an army to sciz: the Federal Capital, has
written the following letter to a gentleman
III Philadelphia:
RoLLEsroN pear Norfolk, Va !
February 18th, 1861.
BY Dear Sir = or many months have
been confined to the bed side of sickness
and suffering, nursing with one hard and
attending to numerous pressing domestic
duties with the other not visiting Norfolk
ouce in three months; seeing but few friends
at my house, and these from my OVID i'm
mediate neighborhood receiving my mail
even not daily, or regularly, and not caring
to be oppressed with its disgusting and dis
tressng details of ruin, and of the destruc-
ton of my beloved country; in word, l
havc been perfectly retired and inactive
regarding every public concern. Named
here as candidate for our State Conven
ton, have not moved an inch from my
door to meet an assemblage or to see vo-
ter. And yss public and private accounts
have me recruiting raid armies to take Wash
iugton, and am actually assured that Cen
eral Scott has alleged as reason for raising
a standing army around the capitol, that [
am writing and speaking and acting. a re-
bellion! The Black Republicans and the
Lieutenant General are disturbed in their
apprehensions of a bug boo in the form of
Gov. Wise. This would be ridiculous,
simply, if the motive of the Islander was not
the basest and most dangerous; if the
safety 81 the country was not at haz-
ard. aud private reputation was not false
ly assailed.
In my Norfolk speech, in my letter to
Virginia, everywhere, and at all times, L
have dsclaimcd all raids, and pledged my
self to await the sovereign orders, first of
my own State, and failing in having them,
of some other State Still by public speeches
and letters are made the pretext for raising
menacing forces. This is base i'll motive,
for General Scott can hardly be aifrighted
at a single poor civilian, who never SIT
squadron in field. and is now at home,
alone and 10 utter distress from sickness in
His family, and from the dangers which he
fears General Scott is rushing the nation
into. Fear is not the motive Of this Sian
der-it is worse-it is treason. A pretext
some pretext is needed to concentrate the
army to establish military despotisn =
Scott is but martinez and contnissary,
but his vanity, in his old age. stands up like
the hip bones and withers of an old horse,
from which the muscles have fallen away
and the "a Lieutenant General aspires to
rival the LIST Lieutenant General in being
canonized as the second saviour Of his couu-
try, lie had better take care, or wiU
take the field and take the feathers off bis
peacock pride. Now, you are perfectly
welcome TO put this in print, to dispel the
apprehensions of all the granuies in the
North, or to put to shame those who would
malign by SANDER, one who never engaged
in secret trar, but who would claim our cap
'ital aud our flag as belonging to those who
have kept the covenants of the constitution,
and not to those who have broken them;
and who will fight Gen. Scott hinselfto de-
fend them both. have opposed secession
and advocated fighting an the Union against
those who have denounced the constitution
as covenant with hill have endeas-
ored to preserve this confederacy against al
newly constructed ones and especially Il
gainst the plots of Black Republicans to
form a Northern Confederacy with Canada,
under the protection of Great Britain.
am opposed aud ever have been opposed, to
dissolviEg this Union and giving its capi-
tal and everything up to the demon Of de-
siruction. Bat have no authority. and
lao meaus of attempting to preserve either
from the military despotism which is in the
very act of Inauguration before the inaugu
ration of Lincoln. If anything could make
me join a raid, it would be Gen SCOTS de-
monstration at Washington
See slip as 20 your idea Of Cotton Bank
NO need Of fear about copywr;ght. BY
wife is still very ILL.,
Yours. truly,
IIExgY 4. WISE.