The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-11-14
Reply of tne Former 20 the Recent
Letter OF the Latter.
'Ches Ex-Geyernor'sg War Record Al.
Iuded 10, and.A Also His Ante. y
BeIIum Status.

| T. = T. a. = II L. . y q
lamusIng reading and almost as good as
one of Nasby's letters, General Wise's
onslaught on Mr.. Pollard,s "Lee and
His Lieutenants." Mr.. Pollard has
sent us his reply, TO which, on theprin-
ciple of fairness. and also because OF its
raciness, we give room:
EX-GOVERNOR WISE ON "LRE AND HIS
LIEuTENANTs"-ARE REPLY FROM THE
AUTHOR.
The undersigned, in company WITH
many OF his S6utherncon uni ryIfl en, |, had
lndulged avery pleasant imag agtnatton
concerning Ex-Governor Wise, of Vir-
glnia. Since the war, he had heard
nothing of this Bombastes Fnrioso of
Southern politicians, this rhetorical
bravo of the old regime, beyond aspeech
to a HortlculturaI Society, andhE was
supposed that the culture Of vegetables
had quieted him, and that his ambition
was now measured by the size of his
cehSa and humility OF great smenl at
was not new. BuIwer relates OF Boz
lipgbroke that in his forced retirement
he found consolation for his great dis
appointments In political life, in eulti-
waiting his "beans and vetches." Il
think" SAID the retired statesman, "of
having the walls ,paipteds with the I'M
pIementso Of husbandry, { and through!
pictures of spades and ploughshares TO
| express my employments and testify
my content in them.n II was to be
hoped that Ex-Governor Wise had
found the same peace in his vegetable
garden, and that the world would hear
osmore ofEhim, except perhaps lnithe
horticultuEalline, and,a an orator OF
fairs.
But the Ex-Governor breaks through
the confines of the vegetable world, /,
and makes q sudden appearance In
newspaper print. The occasion Is a
professed criticism of a book, recently
| published by the undersigned, Lee and
\ his LiettLeuuntS: and the product, a
frantic letter, which, without single
judicial exposition OF, facts against the
book, Is volume of bile and fury,
which would not be echaracteristic with
out the usual pot of filth. and the out.
pourings of those diseased rhetorical
tumors, which have made the ex-Gov-
ernor a literary stink and nuisance in
the nostrils of decent men.
In the first place, the author, never
requested his publishers to send his
book particularly to Ex-Governor Wise;
they did It in pursuance of general d.
feciions that Ii should be sentstoiall the
Confederate Generals, with request,
conceived in the kindest and most
delicate spirit, and showing the most
honorable regard for truth, that they
should furnish any structures or re:
marks ION the work, mot 70 bepubs
lished in the public Journals" !" Tor eject
or radvertisement, but that corrections
might be emade 'in lime for the second
edition." The reply to this polite and
honorable note is the frantic and hlthy
letter of x-Governor Wise, In which,
without pointing out single error for
correction, except the stgnitcant men men
tion. that he was not put amopgiG the
| most distinguished leaders of the war y
and numbered with the Du MGjoreS, he
rnshes into an abuse of both book and
| author. gets, himself in tempest of
rage, and 'lashes with his pen that thin
scum of low and dirty words, which,
| from time immemorial, has been the
/ dogs resort, and the demagogue's re.
1 source lin argument. There must be
| some special cause for a displa oftem-
per so oextraordinary and so indecent.
The fact Is, every line of his letter
writhes with wounded vanity. The
Iexplanation is that the author of Lee
| and his LfeUtenonts did not assignSt to
! the ex- x-GoVernor the place he had ex-
pected In the portrait.gallery of the
war: and hue iiLoe Ld6i5yMoS, and the,
| loosenfnR of the rhetorical tumors be-
sides. Yet every candid man ts chai-
| Ienged to say If the author did not real
| ly treat with the greatest Kindness, the
most charitable hle5tendernessStthe public
| life and military career of Ex-Governor
Wise, Notwithstanding the bad dtstine-
| ton he had In the Con tederate armies
| of heiDg the only general officer who
never obtained a single promotion In
four years, and ended with the precise
/ rank with which he began; But the
| Justice Of history compelled the author
moi 10 omit the ex- Governor in his we'll
known and conspicuous character of
! Ihe Bombastes' 'Fnriosogof the war. It
was necessity of the narrative. An
Interesting and indispensable part OF
4 the war is the volume of conceit ana
brag and truculent nonsense by W1ien 5S,1.
many ofthe so-called Southern leaders
| ininelledS the war, and, playing the
nart Of rhetorical bullies. drove the
/ neonle into madness and ruin. NO
man illustrated this class better than
EX-GOVERNOR Wise, or better expoun97
H cd their ideas. of finishing theswar with
d flourish Of bowie.kniyes, or pooh-
thstthe Yankees would fight. # any
one doubts his leading character o.
Rombastes Fprioso, It Is easily proved
4 from his. own. words on the TecoIo,
4 which are curious enough Tor some ~. To-.
fIlpetftion here. ~. -. - =.
:. The first citation Is stroms sMr.E Jones.
n neighbor and ardent admirer OF ex-
GoyeS1or Wise. who visited him at his
A hotel IN Richmond when the Nugtnia
II on was In session, and has re
| c6rfled the conversation in his recently
YSnISIished HDfary fof "a Rebel war
! Clerk,n Jones and majority q tns
company Thought the war might be Sc
! rious, and it might be well 70 nave naNtssa Z
! suppiy OF arms. But the exfGoyefnao,r at,t
l;I0Gttittr: 'tLet brave men advance WIN
4 aim locks and old Cushioned bayonets,
II an the popiniays of the Northern elites
/ IG-adyailce on and on, under the nre,
/ racEless of the slain-and he would an
/ swerif for 1t with his life that the 1ah-
KEGS would break and rum"
! Fnrther. we have the. ex-governor as
4 one Of the. orators at the SpotsMoo1i
A Iouse.s on the occasion sol 1fesluenl
II 1Dsvis,receptio in June, 1851, speak
\ i.ss, Ihns: "Manufacture your blade
/ f-gen did iron. though 1t be the Tires OF
Il nonr carf-wheels. Get bit OF carriage
Snrine and grind and burnish y ~ 9. tas- ie
4 'Sk5ne al a bowJa-k nife, and put u 70
anYs sort of a handle; SO tna1 @ ~ "
i strong-ash, 1ickory. GA iSs7 u y PSaS q
sible. get n ibarreieq ane eSss
i lInysnroundfs q OF buckshot5 and go upon
az. IA ttie.field with these. Your true;
4 h1Sofied sIi Yankee viii never stand sun
/ IN ia face Of cold steel. Iet your ann
4 thsrafn he 10 get into close quarters
| nd ysitil, a few decided ,ytgo rous move
/ ma1,ts. always pushing torwaEdi meyer eyer
i hSck nv word for 1t, the SOIL " VI VI
Gina will be swept OF the ;, VIZ = !,
are now luting its atm .ea 81
a., IN me newspapers of the day, z nan9 saias z
\ of- i1Iisic stauck up Dixie, Mnlsn
4 was " followed by. We may De Happy
1A,sain aMf.s Jones. on trst coming
i .tSrnIio ~ ii the nfIitary lines from " a5h-
4 Snafnns he calls on exit Governor.N9 W .t -
At At sthe Exchange Hotel. and TepoE.s