Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1865-09-16
Letter from General III A. Wise 10
General Grant

OF Va, made application 10 General Ter.
re for permisson 10 re'u n 10 his home, m
Princess Anne county, under The terms If
his parole General Terry Through Gen.
eraI Mann refused. for specified reason,
Under da.e OF September LIST Grnef,
WISE has written long letter 10 Genet,
Grant, forwarded through General Terry
/ lie replies in succession to the poip,.
made in the letter Of refusal, and alter da.
claring that lie never abandoned HI,
home" except IN going TO camp TO deieud
/ il against invasion, wiki The toll determln.
alton 10 return TO II as soon as the chance,
81 war should permit; he says, Il found
10 new home for my family; they were
simply refugees from the CID" General
Wise then writes as follows:
"lr General Terry was governed by
earnest AMI homes, convictions OF duty Of
right aud authority in sl'he did-so Wa
|. lfhr was Ca'riOt-so was |. 1.-The
gave proof OF lis deVotiou-so did |. II
he thought lie had The shield of constliu.
ionsl law and political sovereignty TO pro.
rect him against tie charge Of rebellion
and rreasnu-so | thorghl | had. II he
loved and cherished the Union of these
Sistes loved and cherished II so cord.-
slly that never from choice would have
seeded from it, but prepared to fight I'm
the Vninn;" snd IT he wonders how | haw
can ruly declare these sentiments. after
voting for secession and taking up arms
against the Frderal Executive and Con-
gress, | must beg him to remember that
lie and have been taught In different
schools Of politics; and that will account
for our differences Of opinion, and ought
10 allow large margin for charity at
least, if no. lolelstion. II he was trained
in the school Of Hamilton and the elder
Adams. was in that Of Jefferson and
Madison; snd he would boldly expose
himself TO the charge oil blgouy and pre-
sumption, who would charge either school
with teschlng rebellion and treason. II is
dangerous to either TO adop, the dogmss
of treason and rebellion against the other,
alternating in domination as they have
done ST. often already in our history.
Each might shoot and hang the other by
turns in the course OF hall century.
III General Terry believed in consoli-
dal:on, believed in STATES rights and
powers. If he believed that the Federal
Executive and Congress, and the judicis-
~, possessed absolute, believed they
had only relative and delegated sovereign
~. If he believed they were unchecked
and unbalanced BY other powers, beliey-
ed that the whole system OF the United
States, State and Federal, was composed
Of reciprocal checks and balances, snd
that the sovereign States were the basis,
checks and balances OF the Federal Gov
eminent. 7 was taught tina, 'hc States
not ua,tnl. IA, epluribus mum, aud this
many IN one, one in many. When cali
ed rebel, shall point 10 Ihe--of Vr-
ginla's buckler, and claim that my soyer.
eiqn State is sole sponsor for the acts Of
her own citizens and subjects. am no
rebel or traitor, and never was, and my
State cannot be either. She has still
sovereignty by the constitution OF the
United States, and by the original author
ty before it ever existed, unless she is
now utterly demolished by subjugslion.
and unless that is destroyed by any force
which has demolished her.
These are still the lenets of nv faith,
and believe these truths will perpetually
revive and prevail To preserve the republI-
can freedom OF the United Sisles. When
the civil liberty for which devoully pray
really comes again | can without hind
rance, fall on The bosom OF my country
aud weep with her "for any wrongs We
have DONE" am now a prisoner on pa
role. dare not noW ask of her any favor.
great or small. claim only OF her good
faith, the precious privilege promised me
by her highest agents, 10 60 to my home
and be al peace"
$50 far from my being opposed 10 the
name "feedmen." as indicating The con.
dillon OF slaves freed by the war, The
chief consolation | have in The result Of
lhe war is that slavery is forever abolish.
ed, that not only the slaves sre in fact. al
least frerd from bondage, but that am
freed from them. Long before the war
indeed.I had definitely made up my mind
activity To advocate emancipation through
out the South had deleTmlned,i could
help it, my descepdenls should never be
subiec 10 The humili1lion have been sob
iect 10. By the weakness, If no, wicked
ness Of slavery; and while ! cannot recog-
nize as lawful and human ihe violent aud
shocking mode in which it Iaa been sbnl-
ished. vet accept the fact most heartily
as an accomplished one. and ann detprmin-
ed not only 10 abide by it and acqule.ce