The Shasta courier., 1866-06-16
Endorsers of d" My Policy

Thursday, the 10th of May, was the third
anniversary of the death Of Stonewall Jack
son, and as such was enthusiastically COM
memorated at Richmond Business was
generally suspended, and crowds of persons
visited the cemeteries to strew with flowers
the graves of the Rebel dead. At Oakwood
Cemetery actresses were delivered by various
| clergymen toasts were drank, &C., among
which was the following:
Henry A. Wise: Prisoner of war-untor-
given, unforgotten
When the applause had died away with
which the toastwas greeted, the General rose
| and said
L don't know that / am a prisoner
| Laughter. | am bound by no chain. l
have pass to go where | please upon the
sell of my native land. At least Gen. Grant
says so. ! may be arrested, but | wanted
no man living to tell me whittier might go.
| have the proud satisfaction of saving that
| fought until we had won the privilege of
being paroled. There is no authority here
or elsewhere to arrest me or stop my mouth,
so long as obey the conditions of that pa
role; and upon that parole | shall stand SO
long as live. Applause You call me a
prisoner of war; | am not prisoner of war.
If prisoner at all, | am prisoner of peace.
Among the last shots fired by infantry at
| Appomatox were those fired by the troops
that | had the honor and pride to lead and
there at Appomatox peace was brought
about.
You call the cause lost; it is not lost. If
it is lost the cause of civil liberty is doomed,
! d.,
lost and Paradise regained, and there will
be Paradise regained in this country. The
blood that has been spilled is too precious =
| should not believe in God if | did not be
lleve that a special providence would vet
give victory to and secure the triumph of civil
| liberty in this county.
One thing can be said there was one man
who could not be driven to do that which he
did not consent to do As long as one man
in this Commonw ealth- a voice, ''What
Commonwealth ?'' What Commonwealth ?
There never was but one Virginia But
| tell you, Old Virginia is not ut home. She
will come Lack some of these day, and then
the devil take the hindmost am watching,
and will tell her when she comes what has
been done in her absence I'll say" Mamma,
your children did not do that 1t was done
by imposters and pretenders" Again,
say, there is but one Virginia. They have
taken and arc welding her powers. If am
"a traitor, let them make the most of it, If |
am .raitor why don't they try me and
hang me? | have lost my lands and proper
| ty but | would clean boots on your streets
sooner than bow to usurpation If | had
trlumphed, | should have favored stripping
them naked. Laughter Pardon They
might have appealed for pardon, but | would
have seen them damned before | would have
granted it. For myself, the boot being on
the other leg, | take no oaths ask no par.
dons. Prolonged cheers give you that
brigade, the old, the lasting, the enduring
Wise Brigade. Cheers and applause.
| Among the volunteer toasts were the fol
lowing:
Our Citizens Soliiery-The only standing
army necessary in republic
President Johnson-May he continue to
administer justice without fear or favor, as
he has heretofore done.