The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1866-05-18
Henry A. Wise.


President, we suppose, would call
"well and Loyalty disposed" We do
not say that Wise's views are those of
all the people of the South who took
part in the rebellion. but there can be
no doubt that they are those of many.
While Wise speaks right out in meet
ing" others are silent, though agree
ing with him in every word that he
utters. The anniversary OF the death
of Stonewal Jackson was duly OBJ
served" ut Richmond on Thursday,
and Henry A. was present and made
speech, an extract from which we
give below. This reconstructed
rebel also pronounced Il lecture in
Alexandria, on Saturday evening, in
behalf of the Female Orphan Asylum,
in which he several times addressed
his hearers as. "my dear traitors and
"fellow traitors He gave his views
on the subject Of the National curren-
cy, saying that "the last holder of the
greenbacks which are now passing so
readily from hand to hand must sure
ly come to grief. But to the Rich
mond speech:
Il dom know that I am a prisoner
Laughter. / am bound by no chain
| have pass to go where please up
on the soil of my native land. At
least Gen. Grant says SO | may be
to tell me whittier / might 60
Cheers l have the proud satisfac-
ton of saying that | fought until we
had won the privilege of being pa
rolled. Applause. There is no au-
thority here or elsewhere to arrest me
or to stop my mouth, so long as l
obey the conditions of that parole /;
and upon that parole | shall stand SO
long as | live. Applause, You
cali me prisoner of war; / am not n
prisoner of war If prisoner at all, |
am a prisoner of peace Among the
last shots fired by infantry ut Apo
mattox were those fired by the troops
that ] had the honor and pride to
lead and there at Appomattox peace
was brought about
"You call the cause lost; il is not
lost. If it is lost, the cause Of civil
liberty is doomed, for it, too, is lost.
There was Paradise lost and Para
disc rcgaiued, and there Will be a
Paradise regained in this country.
The blood that has been spilled is too
precious. / should not believe in God
if l did not believe that special pro-
violence would yet give victory to and
secure the triumph Of civil liberty in
this country.
"One thing can be said, there was
one man who could not be driven to
do that which lie did not consent TO
do. AS long as one man in this Com
monwealth - a voice, What Common
wealth What Commonwealth ?
There never was hut one Virginia
But | tell you, Old Virginia is not at
home She will come back some Of
these days, and then the devil take the
hind most. 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 impostors and
pretenders.' Again, / say, there is
but one Virginia They have taken
and are welding her powers. If am
traitor, let them make the most OF
it. II | am traitor, why don't they
try me and hang me l have lost
my lands and property, but l would
clean boots on your streets sooner
than bow to usurpation. If l had
trumphed, l should have favored
stripping them naked Laughter
Pardon They might have appealed
for pardon, but | would have seen
them damned before l would have
granted it. For myself, the boot be.
ing on the other leg, ! take no oaths
| ask no pardons Prolonged
cheers give you the brigade-the
old, the lasting, the enduring Wise
Brigade. [Cheers and applause.