Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1874-07-25
WAR "REMINISCENCES.

"A correspondent of the Chicago
Evening Journal who recently met
Henry A. Wise on a'steamboat during
trip or the James river, writes as fol-
lows:
Arriving in the vicinity of Malvern
Hill, after which battle Mcclellan had
taken refuge on his gunboat, said:
"Gen. Wise, how did You explain Nc
Clellan's conduct : Was it cowardly
or Southern sympathy, or what was its'
1T was red tape, sir, it was science; it
was West Point = he promptly made
reply. IF instead of so much red tape,
they had had little common sense,
they would have marched straight to
Richmond without any trouble !" He
added There was luxury enough in
that army to have had it ruined, wagon
loads of canned meats and canned fruits
we picked up after the battle OF Malvern
Hill, and our boys had nothing but
cornmeal and bacon, aud little salt.
and were very thankful 20 get that
In the course of the day my wife asked:
Governor Wise, how do you account
for il. that when. so often, the war wac
so near coming TO al end, and only pre-
vented as it were by accident, it still
went on for five years :" Madame,
said he, fixing his eyes upon her,
.theres ninety things ont Of
hundred in that war that you can't ac-
count for in any other way, only TO say
that it wasn't mans war at all; 1t was
God Amighty's war. His time had not
come for the abolition of slavery and
the war was not to end until that was
accomplished. This remark about tie
abolition of slavery he repeated many
times during the day.
With great warmth he secuted the
idea that any of them were ever trait
ors, and was evidently quite indignant
when, upon his referring to hanging,
remarked | would have hung thirty or
forty of them He replied "lf you
had done ii, sir, the war wouldn't have
ended in Ten years; no, not in a nun
dred." He never liked jeff Davis, and
when he refused To sue for pardon, he
said. 1.-The mantle of charity was thrown
over his faults hencelorth for me, and
he has been brother beloved ever
since.
One of the most eloquent passages
ever listened to fell from his lips as we
neared the place he WAS TO land. lilo
was sitting upon the side of the boat,
and knot Of gentlemen had gathered
about him, discussing questions OF u.
nance ald State debts lie maintained
that the United States Government
ought to pay the State debt of Virginia,
and urged that she might make tho
plea of non persona The debt was an
ante war debt. During the war two
States had been carved out Of the origi-
nal State that made the debt. Now,
whose debt is it Is it West Virginias
debt ? Shaking his head, West Vir-
ginia oughtn't 10 pay the debt. Is 1t
Old Virginia's debt : Surely Old Vir-
ginia oughtn't TO pay it.
A young man suggested he didn't
believe Congress would see II 80
Not see it, said the old man, "Con.
gress ought to see il. Virginia, one OF
the original thirteen States, gave the
United States the territory out Of which
four States were made as q free gilt,
Ohio. Indiana, Illinois aud Michigan,
aud the United States gave those States
millions of dollars worth Of lands tor
schools and TO build railroads; and now,
when she has taken Virginia, one Of tho
original States, and made two new
States ont of her, shall she do less for
them than she did for those States Nir-
pinia gave to the United States =
Some one said "But Virginia brought
it upon herself" 81 don't allow that
Virginia brought il upon herself. But
admit that she did, admit that Virginia
has been bad child, shall the United
States, therefore, be a bad parent
Would that be right Look at Vir-
ginia-one of the original thirteen
States-not behind any Of them in her
natural resources-her industry para
alyzed, her system Of labor disorganlzed
ruined by the war ! She can never
pay her debts Look at these planta
tions-women raising few chickens.
carrying them sixty or seventy miles 10
sell. aud that's all the way they have to
make money. They cannot pay their
taxes; it's impossible, and the end will
he reputation. That's what its com-
ing to. And rather than that Virginia
should be disgraced, ! would gladly, IT
God would accept the sacrifice, give
INV life TO save her honor Ii was q
scene long to be remembered. The in
tense earnestness, the eloquence, the
tender love Of he old man for old "Vir-
pinia" cannot be transcribed 10 paper.