The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1866-09-22
Henry A. Wise on the Destruction
of Slavery.

passage from the late speech by Henry
A. Wise:
"Slavery was weakness, if not a
wickedness-a wickedness because a
weakness, to which / am not willing
ever to expose my descendants, for fear
of humiliation like that to which l
have been subjected. praise God
daily for my deliverance both from its
negrodom and its "niggerdom y
very significant words, which are of
very different meanings, frustrated by
the scenes and events of the passing
hour. But the emancipation of the
negro in the South has been sudden
shocking, harsh and inhunan in the
extreme, to both races, white and
black-wantonly cruel to the white
master, and crushing TO the black freed
man. He is now a freedman, without
friend but he is now a freedman.
am now free of responsibility for his
care and comfort, and | am content.
Il honor the negro for his exempla
ry conduct during the conflict, and l
will try my best to befriend him. He
must in justice be allowed large
margin of indulgence for his sudden
double of liberty not of license or
insolence, but no one shall insult or
Cypress him without my remonstrance
and assistance. He must be encouraged
to work, and be paid his fair wages.
and be dealt by justly; butt cannot
swear to support and abide the means
whereby he and his quondam master
have both been wronged. The freed
mems bureau now has the responsible
ty of his fate. and that is worse to the
negro than whisky or new white settle
ments ever were to the Indians. The
negro. like the Indian, left TO himself,
will pass away, unless wisdom and
charity combined shall be allowed t.
oyerrSle the worst passions which trade
in human misery and misfortune.
"And / cannot consent to be held
responsible and liable to punishment
for not only the acts of my sovereign
State but the acts of God. The late
civil war was not only declared by SOY
ereign States against each other, bu
it was sent by God himself to stretcl
out drawn sword over another thresh
ing floor than that of Oman. He is,
fear an infdel who dosen't see that tn
fire and sword of this war were sen
from Heaven. God knew we could b,
torn away from our black idol of SLAYER,
only by fire and blood, and the draw
sword of the destroying angel of war
He sent them, and we ought to prais
the Most High that He did not sen,
worse plaques, like those of Egypt
} against whatever weakness or wicked
ness we chung to like Pharoh.
"But | appeal to christian charity
} and to every known law, whether indi
vidual citizens and persons ought TO b
vindictively punished by means o
government for the acts of sovereig
States and the inevitable interpositio
of divine providence? He will surel
kick against the pricks who takes ven
geance on me for the acts of God
can only turn my pursuers to the oil
book of the wrath of the law, wher
they will learn that while God ofte
used the heather to punish his chose
people for their disobedience, yet
the heather did his own will even, i
heathenish way, he never failed i
} turn to punish the very instrumental
ties of his own special providence.
abide, therefore, the order of prov
dence, and ask pardon of God, an
{ God only, in respect to slavery, an
the war for its extinction"
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