Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-01-24
VIRGIN
Gov. Wise on UntVersal Suffrage and
Amnesty.

Amnesty,
Hon. Henry A. Wise has addressed 9
letter to the Petersburg (Va.) Expires,
in reply to a note from the editor, asking
his opinion of the movement Of the prom.
inent Virginia gentlemen now in Wash,
ington who are proposing universal suf'
irage and universal amnesty. Mr.. Wise
says that he does not concur in the
movement, and protests against every
reason they have urged for their conclu'
sions and their course. He urges that
their expression Of willingness to accept
what he and others can not consent to
take will probably prevent Virginia from
getting what little more endurance and
patient abiding of its time might have
obtained by still firm faith in the Obli-
cations of a written constitution, and in
the returning sense and justice OF patriot
ism in the minds of the nation to observe
them. The willingness to accept what is
so distasteful to the people of Virginia,
he suggests, may persuade their enemies
of such weakness on their part as to
tempt them to turn another screw upon
them, which will not prevent what was
inevitable in the intended course Of their
enemies, nor mitigate its severity in the
least lie adds
Gentlemen say it is to be forced on US,
and therefore they consent. Ny reason
for not consenting is that it is to be forced
upon US. Why help the force to wrong
US? Why strip ourselves Of all plea be-
fore judicial tribunals or the tribunal Of
the worlds public sentiment? Why not
save our honor? Gu bono, | repeat to
consent? Is there not something better
for US than either of these alternatives?
If not, then l for one will fold my arms
and take what force may dictate. | am
not sure that it will not be better than
prominent gentlemen may bargain for.
They are too weak in numbers and in
influence to be any national attorneys in
fact, and l don't approve of their pro-
gramme of action. | don't know what
their instructions are, beyond the princi~
Piles they have avOwed and / can't in
dorse. And so far as | am concerned, |
prefer TO be illegally and unconstituticn-
ally DISTINGUISHED by force, rather than
be illegally and unconstitutionally en-
franchised by consent, in such case, inN
volving honor as well as right, liberty and
public law. What better can we do, do
you ask? Anything, l say, is better than
to consent to the violation of both State
and Federal constitutions, in yielding
every point against which we have been
contending and thus far holding out. But
there is something far better than either
the Alexandria ar the Black Crook con-
stitutiOH."
Mr.. Wise then asks what has become
of that constitution of Virginia under
which she, as body polite, was exists
ing when Congress obtained her consent
to form the State of new Virginia while
the war was raging, or of that constitu-
ton under which she sent Senators and
representatives to the Congress of the
United States before the war began and
before new Virginia was formed by and
with the consent of old Virginia ? He
contends that she did not expire in the
act of consenting to have " that Eve
like rib taken from her side" and that
she has consultation yet surviving, uR-
der which she may well live long enough
at least to take new lease for living
| He proceeds to show that the constitu
ton Of Virginia. in every respect, consti-
tutes the being and action of State
and that though there may be no officers
of State, yet the State itself exists
and must continue to exist, notwith.
standing the personnel of its officers be
destroyed, even by disqualification OF
| even actual death.
| He then proceeds to state and com
ment upon the following proposition
| 1.-THE late war between the Southern
Confederacy of States and the Fedora
Union of States was not foreign war
inter geRteS, but it was civil war, ar
unsuccessful revolution of States, thu
failure of which exposed neither State.
nor persons to the Jus belli, absolut,
under the laws of nations, but exposed
persons only to the penalties for rebel
lion and treason under the constitution
of the United States.'