The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1865-09-19
LETTER FROM GEN. H. A. WISE TO
GENERAL, GRANT

! Our readers will remember that General Wise
recently made application to General Terry fol-
! permission to tSturn to his home in Princes
! Anne comfy, as under the terms of his parole
| General Terry (through General Mann) refused
for specified reasons.
Under date of September 1st, General Wise
! has written letter to General Grant, forward
ed through General Terry, from which we make
, extracts, He replies in succession to the points
made in the letter of refusal, and after declaring
that he never abandoned his home" except 10
going to camp to defend it against invasion, with
the full determation to return to it as soon as
the chances Of war should permit, he says, 81
found no new home for my family; they were
simply refugees from the old" He then writes
as follows
off General Terry was governed by earnest
and honest convictions Of duty, Of right and au.
patriot-so was l. IF he gave proof of his de-
votion-so did [. If he thought he had the
shield of constitutional law and political sove-
reignty to protect HIM against the charge of re-
belion and treason so [ thought had. Ifhe
loved and cherished the Union of these States,
loved and cherished it SO cordially that never
from choice would have. seeded from it, but
prepared to fight 'in the Union;' and if he Won
dcfs how | now can truly declare these senti-
ments, after voting for secession and taking up
arms against t'>e acts of the Federal Executive
and Congress, must beg him to remember
that be and [ have been taught in different
schools of politics; and that will account for our
differences Of opinion, and ought to allow large
margin for charity at least, if not liberation. If
he was trained in the school of Hamilton and
the elder Adams, I was in that of Jefferson and
Madison; and he would boldly expose himself
Eo thoo ol,o oFl L.
would charge either school with teaching rebel
lion and treason 1t is dangerous to either to
adopt the dogmas Of treason and rebellion
against the other, alternating in domination as
they have done so often already ia our history
Each mi ght shoot and hang the other by turns
in the course of half century
If General Terry believed in consolidation, [
believed in States rights and powers. If he
believed that the Federal Executive and Con-
gress, and the judiciary, possessed absolute,
believed they had only relative and delegated
sovereignty. If be believed that they were un-
checked and unbalanced by other powers, be-
lieved that the whole system OF the United
States, State and Federal, was composed of recip-
rocal checks and balances of the Federal Gov.
erument [ was taught that the States were not
uuum but pluribus ununa, and this many in
one. one IN many. When called rebel, shall
point to the-- of Virginia's buckler and
claim that my sovereign 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 sovereign
ty by the Constitution of the United States, and
by the original authority before it ever existed,
unless she is now utterly demolished by subju-
cation, and unless that is destroyed by any force
which has demolished her.
These ar, stiH the fanets of filth T
believe these truths will perpetuay revive and
prevail to preserve the republican freedom Of
the people of the United States When the
civil liberty for which l deroutly pray really
comes again, [ can, without hindrance, fall on
the bosom OF my country and weep with her
"for any wrongs we have done" I am now
prisoner on parole. I dare not noso ask of her
any favor, great or small [ claim only of her
good faith, the precious privilege, promised me
by her highest agents, to 60 to my home and be
at peace.
SO far from my being opposed to the name
"freedmen,' as indicating the condition Of slaves
freed by the war, the chief consolation [ have
in the result of the war is that slavery is forever
abolished, tha. not only the slaves in fact, at
least freed from bondage, but that | am freed
from them. Long before the war indeed, [ had
definitely made up my mind actively to advo-
L
had determined, if cnuld help it, my descen-
dants should never be subject to the humiliation
/ have been subject to by the weakness, if not
the wckedness, of slavery; and while [ cannot
recognize as lawful and humane the violent and
shocking mode in which it has been abolished,
yet accept the fact most heartily an accom-
plshed one, and am determined not only to
abide by it and acquiesce in it, but to strive by
all the means in my power TO make it benef-
cent to both races and blessing especially to
our country. [ unfeignedly rejoice At the fact,
ties of the war, because 1 am now convinced
that the war was special providence of God,
unavoidable by the nations at either extreme, to
tear loose from Us a black idol from which We
could never have been separated by any other
means than those of fire and blood, sword and
sacrifice"
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