The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-05-04

Egypt four thousand years ago. When
President LINCOLN was killed great
many good people in the South honestly
thought il special act of Providence,
and very good one at that; and had
some one blown out the brains Of JET,
FERSoN DAVIS, or cut his throat, the
men and women and children Of the
North would doubtless have viewed 1t
in precisely the same light-a special
and deserved act of COP. So has the
recent calamity in Richmond been in
terpreted by some ingorant people, and,
strange to say, by some intelligent ones
too, as a special act of Providence The
negroes looked upon it at first as de-
served punishment of GoD inflicted upon
the rebel" court which was about to
deliver an opinion in favor of ELLYsoN
as Mayor of the city, instead of the 10y
alist CHAHooN. The leading Republi-
can paper Of that city also assigned
to the misfortune the same blasphemous
Interpretation; but the most remarka-
bic Interpretation of the whole disaster
has been given us by Governor WISE,
in his speech over some of the dead
victims since the calamity. Here is
one specimen:
what brought about this calamity
War itself had spared this Capitol, and
wondrous strange it is that after all the
ravages of war tie Capitol fell Of itSet =!
That astounding incident is itself a
lesson which would fill volume with
commentary. This | will say: Strife
since the war had brought together an
anxious, eager crowd in heavy mass on
the weak floor OF an upper chamber OF
this building to hear the decision of a
fatal controversy by Supreme Court
that strife precipitated that crowd and
crushed the mass TO agony and death
That alone is a teaching admonltIon.
Nobody but Gov. WISE could have
painted the affair in such mysterious
colors is these; but really we cannot
secanything wendrous strange i'll the fact
that the Capitol escaped the ravages of
the war, when the war never got there /;
nor can we see anything to surprise
us in the fact that a portion of it event
ually fell by the pressure Of more weight
than it could bear Neither can we
derive any lesson from the cataStrophy
except those which the Bible and com
mon sense plainly teach all mankind,
namely: that in the midst Of life wearc
in death, and we ought to be prepared for
it and that whenever we violate the
laws 10y which God governs the uni
verse we are compelled to suffer the pen
atty. But the following explanation
which the Governor gives of his per
sonal escape is the most curious part OF
his speech:
Thanks be to my God and my
Savior that am here living example
of His Mcrcitul, Divine, special Provl-
dcucc. If there be an lniidcl III this
assembly who lacks faith and needs
proof let him hear me, Il poor sinner,
saved bv the mercy OF Gods special
providence. was counsel in this very
case of strife and controversy; 1t was
my duty and desire both TO he present
at the announcement OF the opinion and
the decision Of the court in the case;
NV seat would have been at the very
centre of the danger where my brothers
Neeson and Wells and Meredith and
Chandler were sitting, and who, every
one, have been seriously and severely,
if not dangerously, wounded and man
cled. They fell in the midst of danger
and of DEATH and their fate would have
been my fate, but | was snatched back
and detained by IA client messenger
from Heaven at the very moment when
was striving TO be present in the
court room. One and another con-
juncture OF circumstances held me back
and DELAYED me to within ten minutes OF
the terrific disaster"
The Governor seems TO draw n very
fine bead upon the acts of Providence,
and places avery special estimate on him
self, for if Providence interfcrcd in his be-
half by Il special client messenger
sent to warn him off, then it would
naturally seem to have been special
purpose and decree of Providence thatall
who did 20 and get killed and wounded
should have done so! Can any man
who has correct views of Divine goodness
accept such an Interpretation of the Di-
vine government of the world and OF
men? There was a very sensible
divine in Richmond, however, who had
correct views on this subject, and
preached them over the dead bodies OF
some of the unfortunate He said
Il am not here as a theologian to
discourse in connection with this terri
BILE calamity, on the mysterious, mscru-
table dealings of an All-wise Provi-
dence, as is the cant phrase, believe
there is God Supreme-Creator, pre-
server and law-giver. ! believe that he
never slumbers or sleeps, and that he
exercises watchful care over the af-
fairs of our world. | believe that he
NAV, that he has in the past, interposed
his hand when great moral end was
to he gained. Isbelieve, too, that there
is such thing as system of laws gov
erning matter, movable by man, the
observance Of which is necessary to hui
man comfort and safety. know that
ordinarily fire will burn the hand alike
80 ,ba n,op;oc and of tho nhiloSonhpr