Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1867-10-22
Address by Gen. Henry A. Wise.


ogical Society, Gen. Wise delivered an eloquent
address from which we extract the following:
''We'' are no longer Fellow citizens ''-no
longer citizens" but sul5ugated subjects in
''our own, our native land" its civil liberty
has departed its Governments, State and Fed
eral, have been dissolved and changed ; there are
no longer any guarantees OF the rights OF the
one or checks upon the powers of the other;-
and its soil has been trampled into mire and filth
by the invasion of fratricidal civil war! Oh
Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Georgia-fve of the old, original
thirteen separate, sovereign, and independent
States which both formed and ratified the Fed
eral Constitution of "a more perfect Union -
Where now is thy separate State identity?
Where now thy Internal Sovereignty? Where
now thy Equal Dignity? Where now thy Self,
Law? Where now thy Separate, State indie
pendence? The wrecks of powers and of rights
point to Congress; Congress has stationed Com
mandants of Districts numbered by Proclama-
ton they have ordered the Civil to be Subor
dinate and Obedient to the Military Authority
the Conventional as well as Municipal powers
and capacities of State Peoples have been ignor-
ed, and enacted and proclaimed out of existence;
the Executive Courts override and override the
AoeiSS
are Supervised and Superseded by Epauletted
Commissions, who need nor Sheriffs, nor Ser
geants, nor Marshals, nor Posses Comltdtus !;
who drill to order; who substitute crlers and
tip-staff with drum and fife; who serve no civil
process, but note the minute of the process
verbal, and are armed with ''glaive of steeP' to
do Martial Execution And thou too, Virgin
daughters of the Union-Missouri, Arkansas,
Louisiana Texas Kentucky, Tennessee, Missis-
sipp, Alabama, and Florida admitted into the
family of States on the equal footing expressly
of the Old Thirteen; thy status is no less degrad-
ed, and thy condition is even worse. Thy free
white people, who were masters but yes
terday, are humbled to become the political
slaves of the black Freedmen, not freemen, of
to-day: the African slaves Of yesterday, the
Freedmen Of to-day, are exalted to become the
political black masters of the White Freemen OF
yesterday What change in single day 1t
was rather night of the blackness of darkness
of surrender A surrender not of the black
mans claims SO much as of the White man $
natural rights of race and civil rights Of citizen
ship. 1t was change not from slavery to
liberty of the one race, but change Of Black
Slaves into Black Masters-a change of White
Masters into White Slaves; not change ofthe
Ethiopian s color and nature into aohite, nor
change of the Caucassian's color and nature In
to back-not a change of races but change
reversing the relative conditions the two races
and merging the rights and relations OF both In
an unlimited, unchecked, underlined Military
Domination over both-it threatens, aye, it is
trying to turn the leopard, which cannot change
his spots any more than the Ethiopian can
change his color-the leopard of hate and enmly
between the two races loose among them, to
make both black and white its prey. There is
no more fellowship in citizenship; the vase OF
Ic brOk
broken to pieces through and throughout from
lip to base; if held together itisno ongerin amty
and peace, and by compact or agreement, or by
ratification it is now pinned by bayonets,
| bound by brute force-cemented, not by trater-
nal affection, not by common love OF country,
not by comradeship of common fate or fortune,
or cause, or sacrifice, or glory, or suffering, or
triumph, but by an amalgam OF the coagulated
blood of enemies In war not yet In peace
| friends s5s>
The General then referred to the effect which
the revolution had upon our Social Relations
and Economy The war not only broke up the
fountains of the great deep of civil and political
government, but actual invasion dug its mines
and bitches deep to our very lower springs
| raised its raranets and breastworks around and
about every position packed the soil OF every
plain by it's iron heel tramp; hewed away, its
| forests burnt enclosures and new timber tor
rails destroyed its mansions, consumed It's 1--we
| stock, took Away its teams and means OF trans
portation; despoiled its Implements OF husband
~, and swept it all over with the very bosom OF
pride" was berett Of it's Verdure, its blossom,
and bloom, its fruits and its flowers, Of every
thing except its ancient renown; Its late glory
in arms and its present honor and pride. The
negroes have been enticed from their work made
free not to work, and are now the pupils OF
politics. the dupes of fanaticism-'' honey fug-
/ sled" By the fatal caresses of Cooperatlonists,
and are, alas, TOO certain to be the demoralized
victims of the Demagogues and Whiskey' OF
elections, and to be decimated by the diseases
of the now licensed VICES OF this race-lazlness
and lust. This state OF desolatlon OF lands,
and of restitution and corruption OF laborers,
demand total, thorough, and fundamental
change in our economy OF land culture and OF
land labor We must accommodate ourselves
to these changes, as the order of everything In
our past life is entirely reversed ana necessity
| knows no law The war has shown that our
previous condition Wasnot only not the best Tor
US, but not for our good at ALL We must apply
and practice the old and now precious aphorism,
"Iempord nautdntur ct nos matanaar cum allas. .
/ \
In the conclusion the speaker pal..c !" -. Glow
ing picture OF the future of Virginia under such
a system as he proposed, and uttered spirited
and impressive apostrophe to his native State
"a land OF loneliness, q land of memory, a land
Of hope-too we'll loved, too bright too beauti-
full, too bountiful, to bear oppression, to be
tramped by conquest to be taxed and vexed
and villifed by intestine foes. Bright, beauti-
full mother, thou shalt not be unclaimed except
by links Of love, if thought and study, and
labor, and sacrifice, and fortitude, and patience
and prudence and industry, and art, and un-
ceasing vigilance, can redeem thy losses redress
thy wrongs, restore thy health and wealth and
strength, and make thee more than thyself again
never more conquered, but unconquerabe,
and bravely free as beautifully bright and fair.
| In conclusion he quoted the lines:
| Never despair-the darkest cloud
That ever doomed a0iU pass aaoay;
| The longest night will yield to dawn
The dawn a0iW kindle into daY;
| What if around thy lonely bark
| Break fierce and high the waves of sorrow,
| Stretch every oarI There's land ahead,
And thou wilt gain the port tomorrow. s.
The farmer knows not if his fields
With food or drought, or blight must cope,
He questions not the tickle Skies
But ptoughs and soaUs and tolls in hope.
Nor doubt harvest thou wilt gather,
tbs time to labor and to agait,
And trust IN God for genial weather.
The Lynchburg Republican asks, 'what is
the true policy and duty of Virginia. and an
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