The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-07-01
LETTER OF GENERAL II. A. WISE To
COLONEL JOHN 8. MOSBY.
RICHMOND, VA, June 18th, 1872.

from this city and consequent accumulation
cf business and correspondence have pre-
vented an earlier reply to yours Of the 23t
ultimo.
Your letter asks" Whot is the duty o.
Virginia at the present time ?u
That question is very grave one, and o
the highest dignity, far above all persona
consideration and party policy.
If ever there was :" o Niobe of Nations, .
Virginia is now Niobe. Bathed in tears
and draped in mourning as she is or ought
to be, at the burial of her rights and past
power and glory, it is about as proper and
decent for her to be mingling in the cabals
of parties struggling for office and patronage
as it would be for widow of yesterday,
whose husband s corps is lying in her cham
Der, to receive the calls of lusty beaux, or
to accept tickets to midnight balls. She is
my mother State and the mother of States /;
and with the intensest emotion and most
jealous love | cry to her +: Mother re-
member who You are. Don't forget your
Safeguard your honor, preserve your self
respect, and defend your faith.'
Every son of hers worthy Of her blood
ought to feel indignant at the insult offered
her by the proposal, at this time especially,
if ever. (which sutton, madam, do you
prefer-Grant or Greeley, Greeley or
Grant ?o VIRGINIA, VIRGINIA, VIR-
or evero WIN even Wehster,s d ai, Hon
If the verb ssto nrofer,, forb;ds tho nues.
t;on 40 4 moclServ of ber or;efI Can she
VIRGINIA the mother Of III tbse Const;tnt;on 81
tho country and IF tic true str;ot con.
str,,ct;on ever far q mo,noot th;nk Of
sshear;ng or csrv;ng in advance IN ber
MIMI her oGsct;o,,e or ber ebo;cs y a;tbsr
enemy Of the ~ .sworks and fa;th0' Of ' her
whole bo;naS Which hoe dana tho ,,nst -
destroy bar and hers Con sho ssa5,a,,cs - );
mr. ssrG;ee !, or t.e,a1t;, e;thor Of Mesa mo-,
a. tho prso;dancv If tbo cnnn+rr al thus
add her highest sanction and endors a ni
a. tha;, et'.;, oa. ni a.a oiug, see IN
,m,,.r submit 70 s.nase!ro s obod;on" wa. a sn
,,nn,res;stonco" 70 tnrannr and nj hoa
host onJ Lr;obtost sc.s a,a :, or" i. hmaa he,
90 ,o;1o,s far Secsssor anJeu he o oo,,ro,
t;omai ,manJntos IF shn aouI III , o;eh
so dafa,na harSelf ond dan,a oJ hasd psSI
no,,as nf so'oronn4,, ~ .ha t.n cta -, h,
witness and testify # tbe s no,IS NO. ''a onl1
ans;nst Ill ber I;,,;n, =" S,onS M @ NV ohiy
stamn tba mama Of 5,o;,o,. ,,nn, o nr 40
of har dead heroes and martur 10y az S State
R;ai,ts ond Stato So,ora;o,atr VI o'"'o
V;ru;,;o con,t en- douraSa Iorco,f. tbo,,c,,
aha he much buno;1;sfed oIraoJ, u,;tba7't
har consent ond aaa;mst har ~ wv Tae n,;i
never hone d;recti~ -. ;nairaotl,, s ~ ,ont
consent 70 Ia, own :hama u ,gdn H. 'I ho
the fonIest nolnt;on and sacr;,eoo'No n
70 ,aoLn 49,, u ta.,n auu aeI L,
sele.resneot cor,n"nJs that sho sbaii anao,,t
,oe;tbor nf thosn na,d;datas "a thas 49, ~
.,o;ca shall nronomnoa nost a,,,hat;ooI1,
.,on;net IoJb Won COW wo, have g an.
,,9,nced q nrofaranca f"y G.o,'t n,,On Gu
Inv y az, sorr,, no,, hovo 60 o,,,,n,,,,ooJ
b,t can't COO ,,,by % Jo;no baa s,,b;ootai
uo,, 70 g ~re.t 3oaI IF sans,,roU 5I -. H..
so5o Io,en,io,aJaJ H. ,,o,.a1o 90 ~ g ~ "oSa
Evil 1H ~ f,'''' "'' "'0' "'' u '''0 e''''
W;tb ,no +bo ,,,ost;o,, oe ,L;, e.,
President is one Of nrncinle Of morality
and of met nr;do Tba po;nt Il 80 ~
honor and of GOOD faith to others and NV
self Tandannm and arsenic are mt haioyre
me 70 choose the nelson which r will Ie o;u =
the least nano Of death - 80 o.
Tcare Mt tb y which would do q. s;ost. = :
,no ,nucb foy mo 70 tore othar go h,a ,,isa 10
r sro,,1d ~ 0vornowar;nn 800 " t.mt,
force alamo would cnmne NJ - ,1 taLa o;t io
and tbose s,5o Sa,coJ .,s arouSJ To- a,,,si e
ers but e toe a;th"r r d H., oe m'.aea
cho,ce or ,,ye ference Of NV ~ own 9"s fonT -
sm;cideNa felo de 60 a ielon befare cd Gd
onJ nov + "dbo~o 81 :, ,ho on n pI Iu oou
nhv Of Pa,ev Inow " &C no =. ;an os
which 10 not t,ws s,,st ~ n;obt Sonoro5,a
and brare $50 '"''' ''S'"' "O''", oo'o
Nv conv;ct;o, 10 s,,o that .sho,ost,, :,
tho Iest nol;cw y Tharo ' is NJ aonoJ;J,,o -
IN .nv cdsrsc If cond,nt n,h;oh :, I"t LoG
orahia trntbf,,l honest m . nJ' ,Mst
R,,t 10, and a.. Garsorua , h "mo S..
tba end of the wor octed ON tha nSnod;annn
Of choosing tbe .sI asSer Evil y verv much
against ali NV moral instincts .nd NV heSt
;TS1,msnt &c = vhat ,nas H. ,a;sost = 10 ha
JSnro i, oIe.5ofanno M oo ,o m ~ Iii
Inn.vn y h.s baan uons ne ,hs" ' chau; Mon
ra;d ,,no,,,or ooGt a LEI r;obts a
81 f.;.p pou m aharsa, Jul p'o,esS'ei
NJ .r Udi o Snren "o,r 9u Uu
are NOT thay hn how , 4snh;oot
ed yo,, to oraot 400, 81 oans,,ro 81, A.
thoy choose 7rhat tl,oa ;,,dna hn or 49,.
xvi Sn Won do hnt t6 Ja' samo e'e No thou
nnrs,o Tho no,;oo 81 ,,nt d;s';d;., ~ ~ ny
bu CONC 70 P Grcs,on ~ Vnn nan NV par. o1,
ci,;6, not ~ d;v;Ia tbo art u hm o;n W." en-
Gent IT. no fo, a;t b p - ~ Su'a5 AZ pa
n.rtu ~ tSou v s.Wt hot e w. ' nate sae
fnr 2rooio, n.y. a na c.yt@ W. VIZ, nv
COW fiat Il t5ou vnto not fan Gront H. may
dnrs &c. Grnolan WV NV 'o' >''a'' 'noy 'i'-