The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-02-26
Wall Of Henry A. Wise.
The following letter from Ex-Governor Wise, Of vir-
ginia, is addressed to Mr. F. Wood, Of this city

The following letter from Ex-Governor Wise, OF vir-
ginia, is addressed to Mr. F. Wood, of this city,
RICHMOND, Va, Feb H. 1860.
DEAR srR-The past and the present both justify me to
myself in appealing to you sir for such Information
and counsel IL you have it a. will relieve my mind and
heart of the painful doubt and anxiety which Cypress
and people, but Of the republic and Of the civil liberty
which II was created to establish and defend. My
be Needed eVen ss g BE-
hope that they would prevail You know my position
OF np y
sovereign authority Of saiss-.o repe INVASION and to
suppress instruction"
assented to secession the grounds of Mr. Madison
that II at most but revolutionary remedy in the
conflict Of sOvereIgntes among the States Of tbs Unon
that II successful would preserve constitutional lima
civil liberty; and II unsuccessful that II would leave
at least we were ante teum under the gs Of the
sttuton Of the United States as the supreme law OF the
nation and all It's parts the Confederate States remaining
bodies polite or sovereign States, still in the Union.
The revolution Of sovereigntes was unsuccessful,
never consummated Confederate independence, and
for moment took q single State out of the
Union but LET. each and all as they were under the
tected by its provisions and guarantees BY the result
Of the war the Union was not restored. for II was
never destroyed or broken; was not to be recon
structed" for already constructed by the oonsti
tution States were still States citizens werc
still citizens federal rights and relations still the
same; obligations and duties were tho same; privileges
and protection and penalties were all the same, just sim
ply because the constitution Of the United States was still
the Same, and the Union still the same, neither
had been destroyed, though the former heavily
sailed and the latter had been often violated the
stood the shock and test Of arms and the other still
bend and hope TO be the position Of President Johnson
founded tho laws Of civil war among sovereign States
Can you inform me, then, why, the war having ceased
peace has not been proclaimed Why the writ Of habcas
corpus has not been restorcd2 Why civil jurisdiction has
BEEN allowed to take cognizance Of all cases be-
longing TO the courts OF law and equity under the
constitution Is the war power TO continue after
war itself has ceasedf Are arms TO be en-
ployed still, long after the ordinary process Of
tho judicial tribunals be executed Arc tho civil
eregn States TO be provncalzod and tertorializedf
Is the constitution OF the United States itself TO remain
suspended until some power or other can or shall form
new national government might add inquiry to in
qury further, but these are enough, and confess TO
you that have nothing from any quarter yet
shedding light these momentous questions Whether
look Federal Executive, Congress- Judiciary,
tue country at large all dark. lurid H. ht
only the camps Of the army, still surrounding
very homes aud hresides Can you, from your stand,
patriot heart which longs TO see old Union and old
stituton respected and honored, and obeyed they
really exist and have ever since l7s7 existed without
reconstruction
year ago you mplored the Southern people to return
TO the Union basis Of equality and fraternity. THIS
you did from the hall Of the House OF
where we have no representatives now, while we are
paying heavy excise duties and other During the
war you manfuily opposed 70 It, but you for
the OF the South, and for the Union AMIGA
Bile adjustment Of all questions At issue. You d not be-
eve that the differences existing either rreconca
BILE or To be determined adjusted only by the sword
iermi pS forever 81 eere,e b am couysc.d that
II could have been settled In any other way and
that that the itself provident
fixed the Union rm on is base unless has una has has
constitution But IL the has destroyed later IL
has destroyed the former forever Why have you been
silent ongs What Is the OF Affairs pre-
and prospectivef Let hear from you Very
truly your friend. HENRY A. WISE