National Republican., 1873-11-08
HENRY A. wIsR.

An Ink sketch bv Henry Watterson.
Henry watterson tells what he knows Of Henry
A. Wise, In his paper, as follows; "There are
men, and good men, too, who. by dlnt Of inces-
SAINT talk, manage prematureiy to tire all listen
ers with really brilliant talk.r Governor Wise
belongs to this category. lie has for years
poured IN oyernowing stream into the popular
ear until, truthful and tart as his gabbling often
Is, 1t has q show, and perhaps only show, Of
fatigue IN 1t. lie never knew the value Of occa-
slonai retlcence. A courageonsly imprudent
man, with a glib tongue, be has always held
himself ready TO write, speak or converse on
every topic, running along like shallow noun
tain torrent, from politics to cooking, from PHI
Iosopny 10 puns, with q pleasing, indiscreet dis
regard Of consequences characteristic OF Ham,
boulllers intellectual knights-errant OF Hibbgos-
himself, has displayed wider range OF subjects
or more abundant vocabulary. lie should have
been an editor; for then the mantle OF imperson-
alty might now and then have enveloped and
"In early life Henry A. Wise stood for chiyal.
ry, and the nrst time he went out on the neld Ot
HiTr,nia, and some where back in the thlrtles,
with Love, Of Kentucky, ns his second. There
was deal OF Bckering among the friends before
num6ed BY the shary morning air, and by nature
nervous and aNctnble, was trembling percepubly,
Cooke saw this, and, mlstaking IL for trepida-
ton, said TO his second In stage whisper In.
witness that am gulltiess Of this mans blood.
Wlses eye flashed IRE at what he knew to be q
piece Of deliberate jockeying, and stammered
out, .B-b-by =, you b-hetter t-take care OF your
ow.own blood and put bullet through his body
| At the nrst flIe.
| OF MI. Speaker Polk. He WAS rare bird IN those
days with Bailie Peyton on one side OF him and
| Sargent y. Pfeniiss on the other. Together they
Kept things warm and lively about Washington.
| Wise was one OF the most devoted OF the per-
sonal adherents OF John Tyler, and led the little
body OF disaifected Whigs called tho Tyler Guard,
/ getting the offer OF the French mission for his
/ services. The Senate refused TO confirm the
nomination. He was then sent cd faferim TO
BrazII, where his only enemy Polk, coming to be
| President, permitted him to remain until he was
succ eeded, In lst9, by his old friend, Baile Pey-
/ ton, The event OF his life, however, was Ills
| anti Know Nothing campaign OF 1850. He took
i the field on his own hook, and made ~ Alexan-
/ dria In the mld-winter OF 1854 90 speech which
/ was perhaps never surpassed for dramatic power
"a speech which sealed the doom OF the Amerl-
/ and secured hin the object OF his ambition.
| nStrangely enough, Governor Wise was not a
success In the war. His friends attributed MS
| failure TO tho hostility OF the Richmond govern
ment. But this Is not sustained even Dy proDh,
bllities. Excitable men, OF undisciplned and
| eccentric sef-assertyeness, rarely achieve MILL
iaTy usefulness or h0nors. The famous VIZ,
ginlan is too astnte, TOO redundant, 700 nliei
with his intellectual self, to get on In martial
affaIrs, Yet, on the whole, he Is doing good
| rather than harm TO his time, and ID perhaps
| less wrong In his opinions now then ever ne was
/ In his life before. An interesting ngure, truly,
| and one that will long maintain traditional ex-
| lstence after the actual stun which composed II
has passed away"