Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1869-02-12
CoRREsPONDENCE.

RICHMOND, va, ceu. Oh, 49,
Dear Sir-The Richmond Enquirer OF yeSIeiI
dav called nv attention to report in the Val
lev Virginian of the 18th ult., OF your auoress,e
on Monday. the 25th ultimo, to the citizens OF
Augusta county, at Staunton, on the new
movement" The editor expressly states Ina
in making fair report of the substance D, oi
vour speech, and that he had ascertaineu 5na ;
you chad spoken entirely extemporaneously.
He therefore was compelled TO rely on mem
ory and very imperfect memoranda III repro
ducing the substance OF your remarhs. H., ~
Thus, not pretending to give your words fr
phrases, he publishes, as part OF the substance
of your remarks, on the occasion named, the
following passage " "
"Mr. Stuart referred to the opposition which
had been made to the mission and action OF IN
"Nine." and to the unjust reflections which MAD
been made on their proceedings. He adVerted
to the opposite sources from which criticism
came Governors Wells and Wiso were pulling
together in the Same team, and the hlcnm0h1
ENQUIRER and the radical Journal were IN tuii
George Rye, Yankee Allen, and DR.. Bayne
found coadjutors in Augusta 1t wa an ALT
ance of the carpet baggers and the fire eaters
from which no good could come. governor
Wise had written five letters, he understood, IN
opposition, but he thought the history OF the
last eight years proved that Governor wise was
not safe counsellor"
The allusione, personal TO me, contained In
this report, published in paper friendly to
| you in the town of your residence, authorize
me to ask you whether it is in 'substance' cor
| rect or whether it ia approved and sanctioned
| by your .c.u-
| I have the honor to be yours, respectfully,
HENRY A. WISE.
| To Hon. Alex. H. H. Stuart, Staunton, Va
| To which letter received the following re-
ply; r, ,oco
| Hon. Henry A. Wise
| Dear Sir-Your letter Of the Sd instant has
been received, and l hasten to reply to it,
| The speech which | made to the people OF
Augusta on the 18th ultmo. was entirely ex,,
| temporaneous, and, therefore, L cannot pretend
| TO remember all that | said, or the language
EN- ployed But do know that had no pur-
pose in that speech to make any injurious re
| Election on you, or to say anything personally
offensive Until l received your letter ] had
no idea that such construction could be put
| on my remarks. l, therefore, do no! hesitate
to say, that disclaim all purpose in my speech
| to make any imputations on your character OF
| motives, and if there be any expression IN that
speech, from which contrary inference could
| be drawn, they do not express my meaning.
| My reference to the fact that you and Gov
| Wells-who regarded as antipodes IN politics
and the Enquirer and Journal, which were
| equally at points, in general politics, should
| concur in making war on the new movement,
was made in good temper, the object being to
show that you and the Enquirer must be wrong,
| because of the association you were thrown into.
| Resp'y., yours, AK. 81. H. STUART.
| To this | sent the following reply:
RICHMOND Va. Feb 3, 1869.
Hon. A. IL, H. Stuart:
Dear Sir-Yours of the 6tn instant is receiv-
ed. The report of your speech. an extract OF
which L sent you, certainly made luxurious
| reflections" upon me, and contained matter
''personally offensive" This. now, you fully
disclaim; and, Of course, | understand you as
not approving or ssnctioning the report.
| You know that Mr.. Wells and myself are ex-
treme antipodes. If he opposes the new
movement for reasons of his own, oppose it
| for reasons the most opposite TO his own OPP
pose both evils and he one; and it is hard for
me to say which is worst. Ii yours be the bet
capped from l will take neither. Either must
| be forced upon me, and l will not only contest
it for life but leave the contest to be Carried on
| by my heirs forever.
| [ don't hold to your logic that it follows that
the Enquirer and | must be wrong, because OF
| the association we were thrown into we
have been thrown into no association whateger
with Mr.. Wells. The Enquirer and L am do
| ing what you were doing very lately, opposing
| both Wells and negro suffrage You and he
| are now both advocating it. and you are joining
| him in aldng TO the wisdom OF Congress the
whole organic law Of this old State and the
Enquirer and are continuing our opposition
| to on both.
But, if "Noscitur q Sociis' is to be the test,
and you don't desire to be judged by your com
panons, let me tell you there are worse than
| Wells to beware of-people who are not Wells
| and who are not Wises and you had better
| seek better company when you next visit
Washington Your very mission there throws
you necessarily into bad association. Now this
/ say in the most fair and friendly spirit of a
| comrade, who, by signing the ordinance of Sc
cession with you, on the 18th of June, 1861, coun-
selled the people OF Augusta to tight for their
constitutional liberty and their rights of self
government. Yours, respectfully,
HENkY A. WISE.