k- 6? ^^ ft- -4: (3 » « , ■^^ ^ ^'^' :v' ^ . r, •' ^0^ At A ' • • ♦ -^# ^'^^^ '^o l^' ..'■' »^'-. ... y ..v., -^ A^ A bv' .**£.' « C\ ^^ >6th Congress, ) HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. f Documeni 2d Session. J \ No. 524. MEMORIAL ADDRESSES LIFE AND CHARACTER D H (Late a Representativk kkom Vikginia) I>ELIVEKE1) IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATE, FIFTY-SIXTH C0N(;RESS, Second Session. WASHINGTON: (ioVERNM ENT PRINTING OFFICE. I9OI. '1/y V Bo,.^ JUL 6 '9'5 [3S50. S3!eH^j?lS ^.^Jgg. TABLE OF CONTENTS. Page. Proceedings in the House of Representatives 5 Address of 3Ir. Lamb, of \'irginia S Address of Mr. Weeks, of Michigan 14 Address of Mr. Linney, of North Carolina 24 Address of Mr. Rixey, of Virginia 1^2 Address of Mr. Aldrich, of Alabama :;4 Address of Mr. Lloyd, of IMissouri -iS Proceedings in the vSenate 41 Address of Mr. Daniel, of Virginia 44 Address of Mr. Turley, of Tenne.ssee 50 3 6 Proci'edings in the House. Tlie Speaker. The question is on agreeing to the resoki- tions. The resokitioiis were agreed to; and in pursuance thereof the Speaker appointed the following members of the House: Mr. Weeks of Michigan, Mr. Aldrich of Alabama, Mr. Kahn of Cakfornia, Mr. Roberts of Massachusetts, Mr. Minor of Wisconsin, Mr. Brick of Indiana, Mr. Jones of \'irginia, Mr. vSwanson of \'irginia, Mr. Otey of \"irginia, Mr. Rixey of Virginia, Mr. Hay of Virginia, Mr. Lamb of Virginia, Mr. Quarles of Virginia, Mr. Rkea of \'irginia, Mr. Lassiter of Virginia, Mr. Lloyd of Missouri, and Mr. (kiines of Tenne.s.see. Mr. Jones, of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, as a ftirtker mark of re.spect, I move that the Hou.se do now adjourn. The motion was agreed to; accordingly, the House (at 12 o'clock and 21 minutes), in accordance with its previous order, adjourned until Thursday, January 3, 1 901, at 12 o'clock noon. J.vxi'ARV 10, 1 901. Mr. Jones, of Virginia. Mr. SjK'aker, some time .since I gave notice that I would ask the House to fix a day when those who desired to do so might present etilogies on my late col- league, Ricii.VRD A. Wise, of \'irginia. I now ask unanimous consent that Saturday, F"ei)ruar\- 9, at 4 o'clock, shall l)e .set a.side for that purpose. The Si'E.VKER. The gentleman from \'irginia asks unani- mous consent that Saturday, February 9, at 4 o'clock p. m., be .set apart for eulogies upon the life and character of the late Representative Rich.\rd A. Wise. Is there objection? [After a pause.] The Chair hears none, and that order is made. MEMORIAL ADDRESSES, February 9, 1901. The Speaker pro tempore. The hour of 4 o'clock having arrived, the House will proceed to the special order for this hour. Mr. Lamb. I offer the resolutions which I send to the desk. The Clerk read as follows: A'rso/z'cd; That the business of the House be now suspended that oppor- tunity may be given for tributes to the memory of Hon. Richard A. Wise, late a member of the House of Representatives from the State of Virginia. Resolved, That as a particular mark of respect to the memory of the deceased, and in recognition of his eminent abilities as a distinguished pub- lic servant, the House, at the conclusion of this day's proceedings, shall stand adjourned. Resolved, That the Clerk connnunicate these resolutions to the Senate. Resolved, That the Clerk be instructed to send a copy of these resolutitms to the family of the deceased. The resohitions were unanimously adopted. Life and Character of Richard A . Wise. Address of Mr, Lamb, of Virginia, Mr. Speaker: The great mortalit>- in the Fifty-fifth and Fifty-sixth Congresses reminds us that life is but a span; that man "cometh forth like a flower and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow and continueth not." "In the morn- ing they are like grass which groweth up. In the morning it flourisheth and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down and withereth." During these Congresses the Conunonwealth of Virginia has lost two of her ten Representatives. A few months ago we bore to his last resting place our promising young col- league from the Fourth district. To-day we pay tribute to the memory of another who has passed, unexpectedly to most of us, though not to himself, from the scenes of earth to ' ' the undiscovered countrx' from whose bourn no traveler returns." On Tuesday, the i8th da>- of December last, I ])aired with my colleague in this House, and he spoke to me perhaps the last words he ever uttered here. x\fter telling me that he was .suflFering, I remarked, "You are a doctor and ought to know what will give relief." He replied, "The doctors can not cure a man with my disea.se." That night he left for his home. Within four days he was sleeping in the cemetery at Hollywood, near the city of Richmond, where re.st the bodies of thousands who have helped to make the name and fame of the Old Dominion. Richard Alsop Wise was the eldest .son by his .second marriage of Gen. Henry A. Wi.se, of Virginia, who was for ten years a member of this House, then minister to Brazil, Address of Mr. Lamb, of Virginia. 9 and afterwards governor of Virginia, and later on a distin- guished general in the war between the States. He inherited a vigorous intellect and strong personality. At the breaking out of the war he left college to join the Confederate army. He was a private in Stuart's cavalry, and at the close of the war was a.ssistant inspector- general of Wise's brigade. After the war he graduated in medicine from the Medical College of Virginia. In 1869 he was professor of chemistry in the College of William and Mary; was appointed assistant physician to the Ea.stern Lunatic Asylum of \'irginia in 1878. and in 1882 was elected superintendent of this asylum and .served until the .spring of 1884. He served in the Virginia legislature three years, and was elected clerk of the county courts of the city of Williamsburg and the county of James City in 1887, holding this office for six years, administering the .same with marked ability and success. He was for a number of years chairman of the Republican county connnittee c»f James City Count v, and was a member of the P^ifty-fiftli and Fifty-.sixth Con- gresses. The large iniml^er of bills lie itUroduced for his dis- trict and the appropriations he .secured will attest his industry and his clo.se attention to his duties. Could he have survived this se.s.sion he would have realized the success of several schemes he hoped to .see perfected. That he was a man of unusual energy and force of character is fully .shown by the recital above of the various positions he filled with great credit to him.self, and .satisfaction, as I have been al)le to observe, to those interested. During a portion of the time that he served as assistant superintendent of the Eastern Lunatic Asylum I was one of the directors of that institution, and can testify to his ability and efficiency as well as his great kindne.ss and uncea.sing attention to the wants of the unfortunate people connnitted lo Life and Character of Richard A. If "ise. to his charge. Too ofteu in private Hfe. owing to conflict of interest or preconceived opinions or unfortunate and un- founded prejudices, we do injustice to our fellows and are slow to give them full measure of praise. Much more is this the case when part\- differences separate us and we look on one side only. That I may bring out the salient points in the life and char- acter of our deceased colleague and show in what estimate he was held by those who knew him best, and at the same time differed with him in politics, I will read from the pen of a citizen of Williamsburg a tribute that was paid him a few days after his untimely taking off: IX MEMORIA.M RICHARD A. WISE. The feeling of the deepest sorrow fills this entire connnunity on account of the death of Dr. Richard A. WiSK, which occurred about lo o'clock yesterday morning, for they feel the loss of a good and skillful physician, who was ready at all times to respond to the calls of suffering humanity; and those who feel most heavily the loss of a kind friend and benefactor are the poorer class of people. This day have been heard on the streets and out in the country many heartfelt expressions of sorrow from the lips of white and colored: "What is to become of us, now that Dr. WiSK is o^one?" Many families can be mentioned white families, not to speak of the colored people— upon whom Dr. WiSK has been practicing for years without hope or expectation of renmneration. The devotion of the needv class to Dr. Wise was phenomenal. Day and night, it is known to the writer of this poor tribute, Dr. WiSE would travel many miles to visit the sick, nurse them tenderly and carefully, when he well knew there was not the slightest prospect of any medical fees. The author of this notice differed in politics from INIr. WiSE— one a life- long Democrat, the other a Republican— yet we know that there are white Democrats in this part of the peninsula who never failed to vote for Dr. Wise whenever he was a candidate for office. But these men would never vote for any other Republican. Their gratitude to the good phy- sician and their generous friend always overcame their party loyalty. Dr. Wise has proven a working and useful member of Congress, and it can not be denied that he has secured at Washington large appropriations for this Congressional district. Though regarded generally as a bitter partisan by the Democrats, it is well known that he has secured during his career in Congress nianv Address of Mr. Lamb, of Virginia. n appointments for Democrats. One of his last public acts was to appoint as principal and alternate to the Naval Academy, at Annapolis, the sons of unwavering Democrats. Dr. Wise had his peculiarities (and who has them not?), but he pos- sessed a kind heart and generous disposition to those who knew him intimately and understood him well. A lifelong Democrat, who has never voted any other than a Democratic ticket (save once, and that for Horace Greeley ), who has knowai Dr. Wise for more than forty 3-ears— always differing with him politically feels deeply distressed at his untimely death, and will place flowers upon his grave, with " Peace to his ashes.'" Democr.\T. Williamsburg, Va., December 22, /goo. I have no idea who is the author of this tribute to my col- league, Mr. Speaker, but I know the people of the good old town of Williamsburg, \'a. I knew them when a bo>-, before the war swept over them with the besom of destruction. I .saw her young men die in defense of the con.stitutional rights their own sires had won on the historic plains of Yorktown. I knew a few of that heroic band who returned to their poverty- stricken homes to begin life anew, having lost all save honor and amljition. Some of these walked as far as Richmond, carrying tlieir worldly goods. One, I rememl)er, who was at one time a private in my company, migrated to Texas and became governor of that State, and afterwards a member of the United vStates vSenate. Most of these heroes, however, remained in and near the ancient town. Without doubt one of these penned the trib- ute to Dr. Wisi' that I have just read. It bears the marks of sincerity and evidenth- shows that the author has learned one le.sson — a hard lesson for weak mortality — to conquer his prejudices. If we have not learned this lesson in the .school of life or the .school of politics, we may, perchance, catch a glimpse of its importance as we ' ' Walk through the valley of the shadow of death." 1 2 Life and Character of Richard A . Wise. It was in this town, once the capital of Virginia, and the scene of her Revolutionary struggle, as it had been an hundred years before of Bacon's rebellion, that Dr. Wise settled a year or two after the war. I remember passing through Williamsburg, on the Chesa- peake and Ohio Railroad, last fall. Dr. Wise boarded the train. A drizzling rain was falling, and ju.st before reaching a station in the old county of New KeiU Ik- informed me that he would get ofT there. As that county is in my district, I inquired what was carrying him up there such an inclement day. He then told me that he had an urgent letter from an old lady, who had written him to come to .see her, as she had been a patient of his years before. I knew that he would have to ride lo miles in an open buggy after leaving the train, and that he would not charge a fee for the vi.sit. On the ride we pa.ssed through a country well known to us both. He remarked on the improved condition of the country in some places, and expressed gratification that the negroes were building better houses and appeared more thrifty. Indeed, he felt confident that they were progressing, whatever might be said to the contrary. I reminded him that these negroes were chiefly the old servants who had remained at home, that the younger men and women were drifting off into other States, that servants and cooks could .scarcelv l)e hired at all, and that in a score or two of years an entirely new population would settle the historic penin- sula: that the country between Newport News and Richmond must liecome a fruit-growing and truck-raising section, finding larger markets than now in the great West, as well as su])- plying the growing towns of Virginia. "Yes," he said, "but you and I will be dead before then." In the death of our colleague another of that incomparable A ddress of Mr. Lamb, of I Irgin ia. 13 body of men — the glorious infantry of the Army of Northern Virginia — has answered the long roll call and gone to join the great majority. We are falling more rapidly than we fell in battle. Soon the places that know us now will know us no more forev^er. The Confederate soldier, like the heroes of iMarathon and Thermopylae, will live only in song and stor>'. Those by whose splendid deeds in war they may well measure their chivalry and manhood are falling at the rate of 1,000 a month, and before another decade has been num- bered with the silent past the ex-soldiers of the Grand Army of the Republic and those who followed the Stars and Bars will meet beyond the river. And there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor cryintj; neither shall there be any more pain. 14 Life a7id Character of Richard A. Wise. ADDRESS OF Mr. Weeks, of Michigan, Mr. Speaker: In the few remarks which I shall address to the House on this occasion it will be my purpose to pre- sent my sincere and impartial impressions of the character of Richard A. Wi.se — impressions obtained during an accjuaint- ance limited in time, but rendered intimate by relations similar to those which arise between a lawyer and his client. Every lawyer on this floor will recall the fact that it is quite common for a life-Ion^; friendship to exist between the pro- fessional man and the client for whom he has .y^iven his earnest and symjjathetic services in some close liti.^ation or hard-fou.uht le,y:al battle — a friendship that mersres into com- radeship or sometlnng akin to fraternal affection. Mv first acciuaintance with the deceased be.i^nui in the year 1899, when he was contestant for the seat which he occupied when he died. From my relation to that contest I neces- sarily learned nuich of his political record and personal char- acter, and out of that knowled.i^e g^rew a warm friendshi]) and sincere admiration. He was in no way a show\- man. Neither in ]->er.sonal appearance nor in jioli.shed manner and speech did he create favorable first imi)ressions which were not .su.stained by more intimate acquaintance. Seriou.sne.ss. bluntness of speech, and pertinacity were the traits of his character most apparent to strangers. He had a contempt for flattery, which made him .slow in his approaches to intimacy. I never met a man whose speech or manner was more free from hy])ocritical ])rofession or who took less pains to conceal his own contempt for h\pocrisy in others. Address of Mr. Weeks, of Michioan. 15 Yet when the outer barriers of acquaintance were passed he presented to his friends an itnier self strangely in contrast with the first impressions which he seemed anxious to make upon strangers. Beneath a rugged exterior he had a heart of gold, filled with the unselfish desire to serve the people that he loved, and an overanxious wish to show appreciation of kindness shown to him. Under an apparent sluggishness of thought and action he had a keen, active mind, which observed with unusual polit- ical sagacity, which planned with careful forethought, and which executed vigorously and with regard to every detail. It is no reflection upon others to say that the contests made in this House by the deceased showed all these quali- ties in a preeminent degree and were won by an amount of preparation and labor which would have discouraged many men of less pertinacity and contimht\- of purpose. None knew this qualit>- of the deceased better than his })()litical opponents, who with one voice admit that lie never lost a political advantage by failure to fight for it. He had em])hatically the courage of his con\-ictions to a preeminent degree, and although the di.sease which finallv killed him was brought about b\- the labor and anxiety of his ])olitical struggles, he expressed no regret at the sacrifice, l)Ut e])it<)mize(l his nature in his last utterances. He was a physician and knew the symptoms of his maladv perfectlv. When told that he needed rest, he replied that he had work to do and would rather die fighting than live resting. He knew his death was ap|)roaching, and speaking of it to me an hour before he left the House of Reinx-sentatives for the last time he said: "I am going to die, but I have no fear of death." To another friend he .said, with a look of pride 1 6 Life and Character of Richard A. J Vise. and defiance: "They have killed me, but they could not whip me. I die on top." And with the pride and conscious (lio^nity of a Roman senator he turned away from the pres- ence of the House, then in session, and walked out of polit- ical life to go to his loved and quiet home to die. I must .speak of the politics of the deceased, for the intere.st of the public in his life .springs from the les.sons taught by his political career. I nuist speak of his personal antecedents, for in them will be found the jieculiarities and the .strength of his nature. He was the .son of a remarkable man, who for many years upon the floor of this Hou.se was a peerless and eloquent type and exjx^nent of vSouthern views, afterwards governor of \'irginia when John Brown was tried and executed, and afterwards still a di.stinguished leader on the Southern side. Upon his mother's .side he was the grandson of an eminent lawyer, a prominent statesman, and a typical Puritan of the North. In him, therefore, were combined two distinct strains, which need not be de.scribed, but in one of which impetuous zeal and fiery eloquence were prominent, and in tlie other patient work, strong conviction, common sense, and boundless tenacity. In both were ambition, controlled by honesty of purpo.se. No wonder, then, if our deceased friend in the course of his long career gave evidence of his possession of these remark- able qualities. In the bud of his youth he confronted a civil conflict in which manhood could not well be negative. His teachings in his childhood that his first allegiance was due to his State, and that she, in her course, was resisting aggression; and a deep filial love, which is a family characteristic, made him volunteer as a Confederate soldier in April of 1861 and serve Address of Mr. Weeks, of Miehioan. ij with honor and with courai^e until the downfall of the Con- federacy. In the sense that he never admitted that he was a traitor, and made no apolog^ies for his Confederate career, and venerated his commanders, and loved his old Confederate comrades, he was a Confederate soldier until he died. But notwithstanding this, from the time the Confederate war was ended and the Confederate cause dead beyond resurrection, he accepted the inevitable, and his orphaned allegiance to that cause was transferred cheerfully, in good faith, and thence- forth unfalteringly to the reunited United States of America. Richard A. Wise po.ssessed the quality of connnon sense, derived from father and mother alike, which showed him the absurdity of his citizenship in and protection by a government to which he profes.sed an allegiance, which he could not pos- sibly renounce, yet against which he cherished a secret grudge and animosity for old issues which had been fairly and bravely fought to a final decision. To him it seemed that the hope of the vSouth, her future happiness, her future greatness, depended upon the division of her people into political parties upon living issues of the present and the future, ignoring the dead sectional and race questions, which had been settled by the civil war. To him it .seemed that, notwithstanding the antag- onism of the Republican party to the vSouth in the time of war, it was a more rational and a more progressive and safer party, in the present, than the Democracy. He was strong enough to overcome his old prejudices against Republicanism, and .strong enough to di.scern and ridicule the cunning and constant appeals of reorganized Democracy to his Confederate feeling, upon some notion, vaguely suggested, that it, any more than Republicanism, represents any ob.solete Confederate idea. He scorned hypocrisy in politics, and embraced Repub- licanism through intelligence, and not through sentiment. H. Doc. 524 2 1 8 Life and Characte?- of Richard A. Wise. Through my acquaintance with Richard A. Wise I have, as a Northern Repubhcan, come to appreciate the strength of character and independence requisite to make a Southern Con- federate gentleman, still residing among his people, an open, militant advocate of Republican policies. The position of such a man is different and infinitely more difficult than that of the white loyalist who left the South during the war and returned at its close: or the Northern white who moved to the South after the cessation of hostilities; or the black who, owing all to the Republican party, is naturally Republican. Such a man, when he takes ground with the Republican party, knows that he does it at the .sacrifice of many fonner friends; knows that the local allies with whose aid he nnist thenceforth wage his political strife are disposed to distrust him for his antecedents or be jealous of his future prominence; and he knows, moreover, or must learn, that even in the North, among his party a.s.sociates, the sincerity of his j^osition will be gravely .scanned and the value of his political influence doubted, for the North listens much to the aspersions upon such men by their political opponents. Notwith.standing all this, there have been many instances of l)ra\-e, defiant, forceful men who have dared to range them- selves in favor of the Republicanism of to-day u])on the very soil on which they fought it in the time of civil strife. No instance of this has l)een more conspicuous than that of Rich- ard A. Wish, who for the past twenty years has stood as chairman and leader of the Repul)lican party in his home in Virginia, and who, starting almost alone among the whites of his community, has built up around himself a Republican party composed of many of the best citizens of the ancient capital of \'irginia, and has drawn to his personal support, even on the Republican ticket, many citizens who refused to admit that they were Republicans. Addnss of Mr. Weeks, of Michigan. 19 It was my privilege to visit this man at his home, to meet and become acquainted with his friends, and see and know how he bore himself among- his fellow-citizens. It was a curious study to a Northern man, coming from a section where race and social distinctions and political prejudices are so different from what they are in the South. I saw him moving about among his people, white and black, a man, a neighbor, a citi- zen, a physician, and a politician, each of these relations oper- ating in a different way to influence his political power. His high social standing, his irreproachable domestic and private life made him all the more obnoxious to those who through deep prejudice regarded his politics as treason. His conduct as an exemplary citizen commanded respect for his opinions and strengthened his power to work reformation. His unquestioned courage as a man made his most bitter enemies careful how they attacked him personally. His .skill'as a phy- sician and his readiness to bestow the charity of his healing on friend and foe alike took the bitterness out of animosity. He was a man of the people, to whom the poor and humble flocked, and in whom they trusted — white and black. Yet he was un- con.sciously an aristocrat in his relation to the great bulk of his political constituents, and they, unconsciously and lovingly, acknowledged his aristocracy in their bearing toward him. As a politician he had no peer in the opposition, in learning, in the forceful presentation of the issues, or in the industry and zeal with which he pressed his views. Handling the means and influences at his command with great adroitness, he gath- ered alx)Ut him and held together around him, in the face of opposition even in his own party, a strong, respectable, and aggressive Republican party in his Congressional district, and reclaimed it in two contests after it had been long under Democratic control. He held it as the last stronghold of 20 Life and Character of Richard A. Wise. Republicanism in Virginia in the face of an outrageous election law and a divided support in his party. On the floor of this House he made no effort to be conspicu- ous or gain notoriety. He modestly accepted his- position as a new member, but was ever at his post in support of his party with the fidelity of a veteran. In his fight for his seat in this House, with which I was familiar, he was aggressive to the point of fierceness. In his feelings against ])()litical adversaries who, as he believed, had wronged him, he was scathing, denunciatory, and bitter; but in the discharge of his duties as a public representative, in the bestowal of the little patronage that was accorded to him, he did his full duty to friend and foe alike, and was ever generous in the work done and the consideration shown to his political adversaries and in his effort to benefit all his people. The work he accomplished while he was in office will remain a mon- ument to his untiring zeal. When he died, the men whom he had fought so long and so courageously were either silently respectful or accorded to him the courage, constancy, honesty, sincerity, and zeal which all knew he possessed. I have forborne from reference to his domestic life, save as it bore upon his political career. The little glimpse I had of his sweet domestic circle, in his luipretentious home at Williams- burg, of his keen love for and intimate knowledge of agricul- ture, of his joy in his flowers and his cro])s, the friendships by which he was surrounded, the almo.st worshipful faith of his black constituents, the peaceful fireside under the shadow of the old colonial church, all are too sacred to be made the sub- ject of description; Init they went into the sum of the life which is ended, and were as much a part, a beneficial part, of his career as the fiercer elements of public conflict. A dd) -ess of Mr. J I ''ceks , of Mich ioa n. 21 As the j-ears are counted he was youno^, but his lot fell at a time when the events crowded into the fifty-seven years which he lived made him an old man in experience. He was a veteran soldier of the civil war, a professor for many years in the second oldest college in our country, a successful practicing physician, a member of the general assembly of his State, and a Congressman at the time of our nation's war with Spain. He has closed a life of remarkable acti\-ity, in which he dis- played intellect, courage, honesty, frugality, and untiring industry and zeal for the things which he believed were right, which entitle his name and his example to live as a model for the youth who come after him, a blessing, a comfort to those who loved him. RiCH.\RD Alsop Wise represented in this House of Congress the Second district of \'irginia, made up of the counties of Charles City, Elizabeth City, I.sle of Wight, James City, Nanse- mond, Norfolk, Princess Anne, Southampton, Surry, Warwick, and York, and the cities of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Williams- burg, and Newport News. This includes the peninsula lying between the York and the James rivers, a territory rich in historical reminiscence as the theater of some of the greatest events in the history of the Republic. Williams])urg, one of the ancient capitals of \'irginia, rich in memories of colonial days and of the Revolutionary times, with a church built in the days of William and Mary, and around which ma>- be found mural monuments commemorating the names of men and women who lived and died more than a century before this nation was born; where may be found the foundation stones of the building once occupied as the capitol of the colony of Yirginia, where stood her house of burgesses, when George Washington and Patrick Henry were representa- tives, or delegates, and where the dignity of Washington and 2 2 Life and Character of Richard A. Wise. the patriotic and fervid oratory of Henry were seen and heard in the early days of American revolt against oppression and tyranny. Within seven miles is Jamestown, the site of the first permanent settlement of Englishmen in America, and not far away historic Yorktown, the field where England's proud ban- ner was lowered, her arms laid down, and her army surrendered to Lafayette and Washington. And again in the civil war was this ground hallowed by the blood and sacrifice of those who struggled for the preservation of the Union, as well as those who fought, as they believed, for the honor of the South. And among these last mentioned, one was Richard A. Wi.sk, who was a soldier in the army of the Confederacy. Over this peninsula marched and battled the armies of the contending forces, and made forever memorable the fields of Yorktown, Williamsburg, and Fair Oaks. A year ago I visited the battlefield of Williamsburg with Richard A. Wise as my guide, and talked over with him the scenes and incidents of that hard-fought field, and I was deeply impressed with the rare powers of description and the fairness and intelligence of my guide, as he described the incidents of that struggle, standing on the very ground where the drama was enacted. Not only here, but on many other occasions did Mr. Wise repeat to me the stories of his campaigns while a ' ' rebel ' ' soldier, and gave me the reasons which prompted him, the feel- ings which animated him, the sympathies and emotions which stirred his heroic young soul in those days of war and disaster for his native State. And then, when the sad and terrible con- flict was over, he told me of the regeneration of his patriotism and the renewal of his loyalty to the flag of our great Republic. In all these conversations he never spoke of his native State except in terms of love, or of his comrades save in language of Address of Mr. Weeks, of Micliigau. 23 tender remembrance. Siirronnded by such memories and such scenes, Mr. Wise passed many years of active poHtical effort, but they were years also of peaceful and lovely domestic life. I close with reverence the perfumed leaves of his book of life and lay this poor tribute upon his bier, counting my brief acquaintance with this man among the choicest of my manhood experiences. It has taught me a lesson of forbearance and for- giveness toward those whom we have, some of us, long looked upon with almost irreconcilable partisan distrust, and led me to a more generous hope that in the fullness of time there will be real and lasting reconciliation between those who once con- tended in civil war, but who now, like Richard A. Wise in his lifetime, have laid away forever the bitterness and prejudice which the pa.ssing of the generation fully warrants. 24 Life and Character of Richani A . Wise. Address of Mr. Linney, of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker: It has been said that man is man's best book, the last page whereof is written in death. It is probably a recognition of this fact that makes the pro- ceedings of this House, b}- which we attempt to pa}- our tribute of respect to the memor}- of those who served with us and have "pas-sed over the river," so desirable to our constituents. I do not know how it is with others, ])ut I am often in recei]>t of letters from my constituent.s — from the most thoughtful, too, of them — a.sking me to furnish them the Record of the proceed- ings on a certain memorial occasion. There they learn, Mr. Speaker, nuich in this greatest book. They learn of life, and they learn nuich of the .sad hour of death. In all ages it has l)een the ca.se, and in times to come it will probably still be the ca.se, that tlie matters of life and the still more solenni mysteries of death will alwa>s l)e a su])ject of inquiry to thoughtful people in all countries. The diversity of opinion touching this overshadowing question is greater than the diversity of opinion upon any other subject, on any other line of human thought, or in anything that challenges the attention and commands the eflforts of men here upon the earth. Even, .sir, in the fiercest conflicts — in the fierce conflict of opin- ion upon the rostrum; in the conflict of opinion here upon this floor and elsewhere; in the bitter conflicts which are fought upon matters not pertaining to the mysteries of life and death^ the attention of mankind in every country is called to the fact that in the book of inspiration, luminous, life giving, and radi- ating as it is, the God of the univer.se was unable to make Adihess of Mr. IJiniey, of North Carolina. 25 Himself thoroughh' understood upon these wonderful mysteries which involve life and which terminate in death. Hence we see the different schools of theology and the different Christian organizations throughout the world. It has been .said by .someone that life is a narrow pathway, a vale that lies between the tall and barren peaks of two eterni- ties. It was said by the great Caesar that death is no punishment. Even in the trial of Catiline, Caesar in the Roman senate moved the abolition of the death penalty. "Ah," says one, "there is a senator in .sympathy with Catihne. " "Not so," .said the great Caesar, "I move the abolition of the death penalty becau.se death is no punishment. To die only lops off so many years of fearing death." "We are after death as we were before birth." The greatest theologian I think I ever heard, Bishop Atkins, in speaking of life and the idea of immortality and the thoughts connected with it, opened the window in a lighted room and presented a photograph of a bird in its flight through an outer window, its fluttering rapidly to a point of e.scape. The only difference between the theologian and Cae.sar was that Cte.sar .saw nothing beyond dissolution. Death terminated all with him. That was the finality. But the great bi.shop "saw an unending life of bli.ss and hope and happiness in the future." The mo.st impressive definition of the terms "life and death" that I have .seen recently is this: "Life is a complete circle, a continual sunri.se, in which we behold the .splendors of each new day; but finally there comes a time when man ])as.ses to the circumfer- ence of the earth's circle, when a shadow covers him, and he marches forth into the .splendor of an eternal morning. ' ' The immortal ancestor of Dr. \Vi.se, of who.se virtues we .speak to-day, believed in this last defin.ition I have given. He 26 Life and Character of Richard A. Wise. believed in the immortality of the soul, iind expressed the hope of a realization of the eternal day of sunshine and joy, and upon his deathbed said to his sons: " My sons, in view of the great problems of life, let me say to you that success can only be attained by looking for the hardest knots in life and untying them if ^'ou can, always bearing in mind that the standard by which your conduct is to be controlled is measured by this interrogatory, ' Is it right? ' " Mr. Speaker, the late George Nathaniel Folk, of the North Carolina bar, was, in w\\ opinion, one of the ablest law^^ers of America. On one occasion his son George was talking to his father as to what he .should .select as the business of his life. "My son," .said the great jurist, "look at my library. It is almost all I have. I want you to read law and follow it as a profes.sion. " "Not so," said George. "I can never hope to attain succe.ss in the profession until I shall have reached your profes.sional excellence, and I can never hope to do that. Therefore I mu.st .select some other profe.s.sion." Truly, Mr. Speaker, greatness is as a mighty mountain, with a depression of progenitor on one side and of progeny' on the other. Why? Because self-reliance, and .self-reliance only, develops and strengthens human character. That is the rule. An idea .struck me while the distinguished gentleman from \'irginia [Mr. Lamb] was talking about the Confederate .soldier. I want to add .something to that. In the count\- in which I live I have never known a Confederate soldier to be indicted for a crime. Why? Notwithstanding the demorali/.- ing influences of army life, the discipline of the army de\-elops men. Look at your Senators from the South, your governors, your judges, your successful business men, those who stand out aliove all others, and as a rule in spite of great di.sadvan- tages, such as lack of education, etc., you find that the men Address of Mr. Linney, of North Carolina. 27 who are great and successful bear the wounds of strife — the cut of the sword or bayonet or the mark of the bullet. The ancestor of Dr. Wise was, in my opinion, in many respects the greatest citizen of the State of Virginia; and when I say that it is indeed a high standard. A photograph has been taken from the gallery of that distinguished fellow-citizen as he sat upon this floor at the age of 39. At the age of 39 Henry A. Wise, the ancestor of Dr. Wise, was regarded as one of the leading political orators of the country. In an article entitled " Glances at Congress" this photograph of his physical and intellectual existence is preserved: His face is pale, and his white cravat adds to his appearance of livid pallor, but he has a dark and brilliant eye, a powerful feature in Mr. Wise, which seems sometimes to flash almost unearthly rays of light over his whole countenance. All his prominent characteristics are brought out with great rapidity. Firmness, impetuosity, a disgi)iia. 33 Brave and chivalrous, warm in his friendships, nnconipromi- sing in his hatreds, his son, Richard Alsop Wise, inherited these with many other traits of his noble father. The political career of my late colleague was tempest tossed. Honored by his State, he filled many positions of high honor and trust; not always without criticism, for he had enemies, but always as an honorable man. While not an orator, he was a leader. He could not and did not brook a divided leadership in his own political party. Hence it was that his bitterest antagonists were often to be found among those of his own party faith ; but he never quailed or cowered before opposition within or without. He was easily the leader of his faction. No other name was suggested. War to the knife, and woe to the vanquished ! No quarter asked and none given. Cant, hypocrisy, deceit, and treachery had his most unmitigated contemi)t and enmity. Twice a memi)er of this Hou.se, ])itterly as.sailed within his own party, seated in each ca.se after jirolonged contests, in which all of the old ])olitical sores of his district were reojiened ; unassigned, by reason of these contests, to any inqiortant com- mittee, he had little opportunity to make an impression upon the House. Those, however, who knew him here, slightly though it was, recognized in him the undying love and devotion to his friends, his countrw and, al)Ove all, his nati\-e State. Peace to his a.shes! buried, according to his desire, at the capital city of his State, in beautiful Hollywood, by the side of his honored father. It is stated that when our late colleague left this Hall for the last time, he said to a friend, " I am going home to die ; " and when asked if such feelings did not depress him, replied, " No; I am not afraid to die." Mr. vSpeaker, none but the brave can answer thus. vSuch is the spirit of those who can lay down their lives for their country or their faith. H. Doc. 524 3 34 Life and Character of Richard A. Wise. Address of Mr, Aldrich, of Alabama, Mr. Speaker: We are gathered here to-day in the Cham- ber of the House of Representatives to pay tribute to the memory of Richard Alsop Wise, a member of this Con- gress from the Second Virginia district until his death, which occurred at his home in WiUiamsburg, Va., on Decem- ber 21, 1900, just prior to the dawn of this new century. Mr. Wise was a Virginian of the \'irginians. If you read the history of \'irginia, you fnid that the history of Mr. Wise's family is so interwoven with it that it is difficult, aye, impossible, to separate the one from the other. The family tree, early planted in the colony, blos.somed and l)ore historic fruit. We find a governor, great .statesmen, eminent divines, brave soldiers, learned lawyers, skillful doctors, and promi- nent men of affairs in each succeeding generation, all noted for their ability and standing in the various ])rofe.ssions and callings with which they were identified. I do not intend to go into details about the ancestors or family of Mr. Wise, but to confine my remarks to the personal character of the man himself, whose death leaves an unfilled blank in this Chamber, in his Congressional district, and in his State. Mr. Wise possessed in a marked degree the characteris- tics of his race. He was strong and tenacious in opinion, fixed in his ideals and purposes, yet kind-hearted, affable, and yielding in his relations witli others. He was born September 2, 1843. in Philadelphia, Pa., and his education was acquired in a private school, a university school, and at William and Mary College, which he quitted prior to Address of Mr. Aidiich, of Alabama. 35 graduation to enter the Confederate army. He remained in the ser^dce until the close of the war, and graduated in his chosen profession of medicine in 1867. He filled in succession many important positions of trust and responsibility, among them being the chair of chemistry and physiology in William and Mary College, and assistant physician of the Eastern Lunatic Asylum, of which latter institution he l^ecame superintendent in 1882. He was elected to the \'irginia legislature in 1885, in which he served three years, and subsequently to the clerkship of the circuit and county courts of his home city of Williams- burg and county of James City. He was elected to the Fifty- fifth and to the present Congresses. His strength of character is shown by his life. He left his uncompleted studies to enter the army, convinced that it was his duty to his State and people. Completing his studies and becoming a physician, he devoted nuich of his time and energy to charity practice, and made it the rule of his life never to refuse to attend the sick, whether they could pay for his .serv- ices or not. After the war was over he became a Repul^lican in politics, which, under his environments, was a step requiring the great- est strength and independence of mind and purpo.se. Many of his neighbors, while not agreeing with his political views, still supported him in his Congressional races, knowing that he was con.scientious in the change he had made. He was forced to submit his claims to membership in this Hou.se to be reviewed and pa.ssed upon by Congress, and was twice seated after making successful contests. He was the candidate of his party for a third time, and had he retained his health it is probable that tlie Fifty-.seventh Congress would have heard his claims. All these experiences show the firm and cotistant character of 36 Life and Character of RicJiard A. IVise. the man. He was uiiDending before ojiposition, uiniiindful of obstacles. The House of Representatives is an exceeding-ly secular body. It is made up of Members and Deleg^ates from all parts of our great country, and collectively represents nearly 80,000,000 of people. We assemble here to legislate for the material prosperity of the Union, to better the condition of its people, to establish legal barriers against disorder, to build walls of defense against unfair foreign competition, and in successful peace to prepare for, and thus avoid, destructive war. Each comes burdened willi tlie industrial hopes and the commercial needs of his connnnnit\ , and wlien these are com- pounded 360 times it is not surprising that the secular relations of this world are placed far ahead of the spiritual relations of the world to come, and that otir attention is called to the latter only when .some member passes awa\". It is not that we are without religious convictions and aspirations; not that we are lacking in respect or knowledge of things divine. For have we not the clear, eloquent voice of our i^lind Chai)lain in his daily in\-ocations, like the muezzin in the minaret, call- ing our thoughts from earthly to heavenly things? But the pressing needs of the secular (piickly force a rettirn U) the nether world. In my daily relations witli many nicmljers of Congress for the last six years, I do not remember to have heard qtiestions of creed, of faith, or of dogma di.scu.ssed. And so in my almost intimate acquaintance with Mr. Wise I do not know what his religious faith or convictions were, but I do know that he had no fear of death nor of the future — no desire to linger when he should be sununoned hence. On one of the last days of his attendance here he said to me, in speaking of his health: Address of Mr. A/drich, of Alabama. 37 "I am a physician. I know my condition. I have had my share in this world, and I am satisfied to go when my time comes." A faith, in whatever language written, that so strengthens the soul as to l:)ar fear and prepare it to contentedly look for- ward to a flight from the known to the unknown, is a good faith and worthy to be perpetuated. We have lately attended the celebration of the one hun- dredth anniversary of the assumption of the Chief Justiceship of the Supreme Court of the United States by John Marshall, and as stars differ in magnitude, but are similar in their orbits, so there are many points of comparison between these two eminent \'irginians. Both were soldiers ; both were professional men ; Ijoth were legislators, and both were Congre.s.smen . One was born, the other buried, in Philadelphia. Both were elected to olhce because of their recognized integrity and lofty principles, and the memory of each is endeared to a large circle of friends and neighbors, relations, coworkers, and public officials. As the memory of John Marshall irradiates his State and the nation, so does that of our departed friend shine in his home, in his Congressional district, and largely in his State. It was my sad duty to attend, as a member of the Congres- sional connnittee, the funeral of Richard Alsop Wise. We were present when his mortal remains were conveyed to his last resting place in a grave at the highest point of beautiful Holly- wood Cemetery, on a bright Sunday morning, at Richmond, Va. Side by side .vith his father and other distinguished mem- l)ers of his family his body was laid. And so we, his friends, mourning his departure, place his memory on the highest plane and surround it with holly wreaths as trilnite of friendship and affection. Life and Character of Richard A. Wise. ADDRESS OF Mr. Lloyd, of Missouri. Mr. Speaker: Death is certain, and frequently comes with- out warning. Richard A. Wise was not well, but was able to be out in town near his home. On the next day, however, he was cold and lifeless. Another pointed example of the uncertain tenure here and the swift transfer to the l)eyond. What is that future? Where shall it be spent? How little we know of wdiat the individual is, or may be, who has crossed over the boundaries of life I If there is anything more cheer- ing in the Chri.stian religion than all else, it is the hope of an eternal, happy existence, where human ills are no more. That one of all others has the least of comfort, in contemplating the hereafter, who believes that death ends all, and that the body committed so tenderly to earth is all there is of the departed, and that soon it shall give way to the elements about it and be lo.st in the transformations of nature. There is joy in the thought of eternity. There is pleasure in the hope of immor- tality. There is something inspiring in the encouragement which Chri.stianity gives that beyond death there is to be a use- ful, progressive, and happy life. I know but little of the religious convictions of Dr. Wise, but certain it is that he is gone, and nothing but religion gives hope for the future and lends enccniragement to the thought of a meeting hereafter. Dr. Wise served through the civil w^ar as a Confederate sol- dier, and was at the close of that fearful conflict inspector-gen- eral of Wise's brigade, Army of Northern Virginia. Will it ]ie said that less of praise .shall be accorded his memory because Address of Mr. Lloyd, of Missouri. 39 he wore the gray? Will the Union veteran bend over the mound which marks his resting place in the beautiful cemetery at Richmond, Va., to inquire whether he fought with him or against him? Every x\merican may well rejoice in the fact that the animosities which arose in the attempts at disunion are swallowed up in the delightful sentiment of reunion. The country builded by the fathers was rent in twain by war to set- tle great questions, but after the settlement it is bound together with the strongest ties to restore the Union, which was long ago declared to be " one and indissolvable. ' ' Across the historic Potomac, at the Arlington Cemetery, where the nation's dead have been carefully buried, is found a beatitiful example of the blending of the blue and the gray. In the midst of this cemetery, overlooking the city of Wash- ington, on the principal elevation is preserved sacredly to-day the beautiful home of Gen. Robert K. Lee, and the stranger passing by admiring its beauty dare not injure it by so much as a pencil mark without penalty. Dr. Wise was amongst the vanquished in that conflict, but liis life work is not dimmed nor his fame diminished by that a.ssociation. Personally I know but little of the life and character of the deceased, but at the reqtie.st of the Speaker of this House I went as one of the Congressional escort to give to the deceased the last .sad rites of burial. Surrounded by the graves of numerous relatives who had preceded him, his body was l)uried from human gaze, not far from the beautiful vault which contains the remains of President Monroe, near the grave of President Tyler, and in the cemetery where Jeff Davis, president of the Confederacy, lies buried. On the side of another hill, not far distant, is the last resting place of Chief JtLStice Marshall. What a historic home of the dead! 40 Life and Character of Richard A. Wise. What associations are blended there! What ruin time has wrought! How fitting are Shakespeare's words : Time doth transfix the flourish set on j'outh And delves the parallels in beauty's brow; Feeds on the rareties of nature's truth, And nothing stands but for his scythe to mow. The Speaker pro tempore. As a further mark of respect to the memory of the two deceased members, in tribute to whom these proceedings have been held, the Hou.se, ptirsuant to its resolution, stands adjourned until Monday next at 12 o'clock noon. Proceedings in the Senate. January 3, 1901. A message from the House communicated to the Senate the intelligence of the death of Hon. Richard A. Wise, late a Representative from the State of Virginia, and transmitted resolutions of the House thereon. The mes.sage also announced that the Speaker of the House had appointed as a committee on the part of the House to attend the funeral of the Hon. Richard A. Wise, late a Rep- resentative from the State of Virginia, Mr. Weeks of Michigan, Mr. Aldrich of Alabama, Mr. Kahn of CaUfornia, Mr. Roberts of Massachu-setts, Mr. Minor of Wisconsin, Mr. Brick of Indi- ana, Mr. Jones of Virginia, Mr. Swanson of Virginia, Mr. Otey of Virginia, Mr. Rixey of Virginia, Mr. Hay of \'irginia, Mr. Lamb of Virginia, Mr. Quarles of Virginia, Mr. Rhea of Vir- ginia, Mr. La.ssiter of Virginia, Mr. Lloyd of Missouri, and Mr. Gaines of Tennessee. The President pro tempore laid before the Senate the fol- lowing resolutions from the Hou.se of Representatives, which were read: Resolved, T at the Hou.se has heard with deep regret ami profound sor- row of the death of Hon. Richard A. Wise, a Representative from the State of Virginia. Resolved, That a committee of 17 members of the House, with such members of the Senate as may be joined, be appointed to attend the funeral at Williamsburg, and that the necessary expenses attending the execution of this order be paid out of the contingent fund of the House. Resolved, That the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House be authorized and 41 42 Proceediyigs in the Senate, directed to take such steps as may be necessary for properly carrying out the provisions of this resolution. Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate and transmit a copy thereof to the family of the deceased. Mr. D.^NiEL. Mr. President, I ask leave to offer the resolu- tions which I send to the desk. The resolutions were read, as follows: Resolved, That the Senate has heard with deep sensibility the announce- ment of the death of Hon. Richard Alsop Wise, late a Representative from the State of Virginia. Resolved, That as an adtlitional mark of respect to the memory of the deceased the Senate do now adjourn. The President pro tempore. The question is on the adoption of the resolutions submitted by the Senator from Virginia. The resolutions were unanimously agreed to; and (at 4 o'clock and 16 minutes p. in. ) the Senate adjourned imtil to-morrow, Friday, January 4. 1901, at 12 o'clock meridian. Febkiwkv 1 1, 1901. A message from the House transmitted to the Senate the resolutions of the Hou.se commemorative of the life and public services of Hon. Richard A. Wise, late a Representati\'e from the State of Virginia. Ferruarv 14, 1901. Mr. Daniel. I desire to give notice that on Saturday, the 23d instant, at such hour as may be most .suitable, I shall offer appropriate resolutions touching the death of Hon. Richard Alsop Wise, late a Representative from \'irginia. MEMORIAL ADDRESSES, February 23, 1901. Mr. Daniel. Mr. President, I ask that the resolutions of the House of Representatives respecting the Hon. Richard A. Wise, of Virginia, who recently died, may be laid before the Senate. The Presiding Officer (Mr. Hansbrough in the chair). The resolutions will be read. The Secretary read as follows: Ix THE House of Representatives, Febniajy 9, 1901. Resolved, That the business of the House be now suspended that oppor- tunity may be given for tributes to the memory of Hon. Richard A. WiSE, late a member of the House of Representatives from the State of Virginia. Resolved, That as a particular mark of respect to the memory of the deceased, and in recognition of his eminent abilities as a distinguished public servant, the House, at the conclusion of this day's proceedings, shall stand adjourned. Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate. Resolved, That the Clerk be instructed to send a copv of these resolu- tions to the family of the deceased. Mr. D.\NIEL. I offer the resolutions whicli I send to the desk, and ask that they be read. The Presiding Officer. The resolutions submitted by the Senator from Virginia will be read. The Secretar\' read as follows: Resolved, That the Senate has heard with profound sorrow the announce- ment of the death of Hon. Richard A. Wise, late a Representative from the State of Virginia. Resolved, Tliat the business of the Senate be now suspended in order that fitting tribute be paid to his memorv. Resolved, That as an additional mark of respect the Senate, at the con- clusion of these ceremonies, do adjourn. 43 44 Life and Chayactcr of Richard A. Wise. Address of Mr. Daniel, of Virginia, Mr. President: In the closing stages of the Fift3^-sixth Congress, as at similar periods of previous Congresses, we find that there are not days enough in the week or hours enough in the da}' for the fitting and appro])riate discharge of the duties that are upon us. Everything at such a stage of legislation seems to be congested. Bills in which hundreds of millions of dollars are bestowed for the efficient conduct of the multifari- ous affairs of nearly a hundred millions of ]-)eople in two conti- nents at wide distances jostle against each other. Measures of great pith and moment, which involve the most intricate and difficult questions of constitutional, economic, and administrative law, are thrust ujion us with scarce time for their due deli]:)eration. The ])rinting pre.s.ses are pushed to their extreme capacity to bear the necessary burdens which are put upon them. vSwift messengers go hither and thither, and the memliers of both bodies of Congress are almost worn down b\- the sense of their responsibilities and ])y the C(jntinuity of their labors. Meantime at this .se.ssion of Congress, Mr. President, the streets are busy with the bustling workmen who are preparing the great ixivilions, and many arrangements are being made for the inauguration of a new President who has been selected by the people and who is to succeed himself. Myriads all over the land are looking forward to the gala day and to the splen- did pageant. The glory of the world will shine before us. But a still small voice has .spoken, which is more imperious than the thunder's blast and more potent than the lightning's stroke. It has .stolen within these walls, and in the i^recincts Address of Mr. Daniel, of ]lrgi>iia. 45 of our coordinate body, the House of Representatives. It is the voice of death, and four of the old States of the Union, which were original colonies of the British Crown, are at one and the same time bending over the new-made grave where Clarke, of New Hampshire; Hoffecker, of Delaware; Daly, of New Jersey, and Wise, of ^^irginia, sleep their long sleep. Richard Alsop Wise, of Virginia, represented the oldest territory in the United States that ever came under that sys- tem of British- American jurisprudence and constitutional law, which has overspread this continent and is going farther all over the world. The many places of responsil>ility and impor- tance that he occupied in the community where he lived bespeak the sense of the people of that comnuniity as to his ability and his efficiency. I observe that one of the first facts recounted in the biographical sketches which ha\-e been given of his life was that he was educated in Richmond, and at Dr. Gessner Harrison's classical academy in the county of Albe- marle. It was there that I first became acquainted with him. We were then youths in the very morning of life. We studied the same books; we played at the same games. There were at that school, which was presided over l)y Gessner Harrison, a distinguished linguist and grammarian, whose fame tran- scended the boundaries of his native Commonwealth, young men from all the States of the South and from many of the vStates of the North and West. While we were there, there occurred the first starthng symp- toms of the great strife which seems now almost a part of ancient hi.story. Governor Wise, the father of Richard Wise, was then the chief executive of the Connnonwealth of \^irginia, and all of a sudden, like the ringing of a fire bell in the night, there occurred the raid of John Brown at Harpers Ferry, in which an assault was made upon the arsenal of the United 46 Life and Ch a ra der of Rich ard A. I Vise . States, against its peace and dignity, in which many of our own citizens were slain, against the peace and dignity of our State. The Federal Government and the State government alike proceeded in such manner as was befitting such an occasion; and there met soon at Harpers Ferry, representing the United States military forces, Robert E. Lee, then lieutenant-colonel of cavalry, who afterwards became the commander in chief of the Army of Northern \'irginia, and Lieut. J. E. B. vStuart, who served as his adjutant and who afterwards became the lieuten- ant-general connnanding the cavalry of that army, and who won for himself the sobriquet of "The Flower of Cavaliers." There were there officers representing the volunteers of the State, who also rose high in distinction. One was Capt. Turner Ashby, who gave his sword to the cause which he adopted as a general wearing the wreath and stars of the newborn Confederacy, and another that remarkable man — then a major of the vState cadets — who soon rose to preeminence in the profession which he had first entered at West Point, in wliich he had l)ecome distinguished in Mexico, and who earned in his fir.st battle in the civil war the name of ' ' Stonewall ' ' Jackson Jackson, Stuart, and Ash!)>- all died the soldier's death. Our school was soon deserted. The teachers became officers. The boys scattered to their States and colors all over the country — each going to his own people. When this period came, Mr. Wise and I became comrades, even as before we had been scliool mates and fellows, and as a private under the command of General Stuart he entered the Confederate army. A few years later he had risen to the rank of captain and assi.stant inspector-general of a brigade which was commanded by his father, all of whose .sons joined with him in the Confederate service, and one of whom, Obediah Jennings Wise, a captain, fell gallantly at Roanoke Island. Address of Mr. Daniel, of ]^irgi>iia. 47 The war over, the young men of the State, like \oiing men all over this country, repaired to peaceful pursuits, and young Wise adopted the vocation of a physician. He entered the Medical College of Virginia in 1S67, and was graduated there soon after. In 1869 he had become professor of chemistry and physiology at old William and Mary College, and that institu- tion conferred upon him the degree of master of arts. In 1878 he became a physician at the Eastern Lunatic Asylum, which is also situated at his home town of Williamsburg, and a little later was promoted to be the superintendent of that institution. About this period of time, Mr. President, the people of Vir- ginia were thrown into great commotion by the debt question, which came upon them as a legacy of civil war. It is curious to note the fact that that Commonwealth, which had earned for itself the name of ' ' Mother of vStates ' ' and which had given to the Union five of the great Northwestern Connnonwealths w^hich are now more populous and wealthier than herself, was the only one of all the Connnonwealths of this Union that was itself divided by the hand of war, an irony of fate which excites our contemplation, and in some of our hearts stirs the depths of sorrow. When this debt question came upon us, it threw awry all ancient party alignments. A political party rose in our State which was known as the Readjuster party, and with that party the Hon. R. A. Wise aligned himself. When this question was settled, some returned to their old alignments; some joined the Republican party. He was amongst the latter class. As such in 1885 he became a member of the vState legislature. In 1887 lie was elected the clerk of the county and circuit courts of the town of Williamsburg and county of James City. In recent years he served twice as a member of Congress — in the Fifty-fifth and Fifty-sixth Congresses. 48 Life and Character of Richayd A. Wise. Mr. Wise was a man of intense disposition, full of activity and full of energy, and apt to make his mark in anything which he undertook. He had earnest and trusting friends and he had earnest opponents. It had not been my fortune to be thrown much with him for many years, for we lived in remote parts of the State, separated by many miles, and by the courses of trade and travel, from each other. But I am glad to say that I never heard his personal integrity questioned, and the constant hold which he had upon those with whom he affiliated and the success with which he maintained himself in the vari- ous undertakings of life bespeak his ability better than any adjective which I could apj^ly to him. Mr. Wise was of a family which has long been distinguished in the annals of our vState. His first Virginia ancestor came to that colony in 1635. His name was John Wise. He pos- sessed great wit, and was said to have Ijeen knighted by Henry \'III for his remarkable effusions and demonstrations denoting it. From him as an American ancestor sprung many men of distinction — soldiers, orators, authors, clergymen, and lawyers. His father, the Hon. Henry A. Wise, was the most eminent of his name; a brilliant orator and celebrated party leader — Congres.sman, foreign minister, governor, and general. He was also a lawyer of learning and eloquence, and as an author his "Ten Decades of the Union " is a most interesting and graphic e.ssay. Mr. Wise was proud of his family, and deeply devoted to those who were near and dear to him, and he is deeply mourned by many friends who found in him a helping hand in all their efforts and undertakings. Alfiicted by a mortal malady, as he himself well knew, it came acutely upon him while he was here in the.se busy con- flicts and contentions of life; and to a friend to whom he told he was going home, and who inquired about him, he said, "I Address of Mr. Daniel, of Viighiia. 49 am a physician; I know my condition; I have had my share in this world, and I am satisfied to go when my time comes." I do not know, Mr. President, what were his pecuhar reh- gious opinions, but one who has so composed his mind to meet with a calm and courageous spirit the last enemy of man I can but feel was not unprepared for that last trial. I have read in an encomium upon nim, written by a friend who was not of his political persuasion, chese words, which I beg leave to repeat here: jNIany families can be mentioned — white families, not to speak of the colored people — upon whom Dr. Wise has been practicing for years without hope or expectation of remuneration. The devotion of the needy class to Dr. Wise was phenomenal. "Day and night," it is known to the writer of this poor tribute. Dr. Wise wpuld travel many miles to visit the sick, nurse them tenderly and carefully, when he well knew there was not the slightest prospect of any medical fees. To have had a truthful friend to say that of him is worth more than any costly monument that could be built above his du.st or any word of praise that could be spoken. Fitting ceremonies were held in the House of Representa- tives upon the death of Dr. Wise, and more extended biogra- phies of his life and history were there given; but that he had such reputation amongst those who knew him best, and that witnesses have risen up to speak of his acts of kindness and charity to those who were needy, is enough to give solace to the sorrowing hearts of tho.se who were of his kith and kin- dred, and such a man I feel mu.st sleep well. H. Doc. 524 4 50 Life and Character of Richard A. Jl'ise. Address of Mr, Turley, of Tennessee. Mr. President: The names of prominent individuals and families are intimately connected with the history of all of our older States, and thus it is that the name of Wise is con- nected with some of the most stirrinj:^ scenes in the history of the great Commonwealth of \'irginia. In the earliest recol- lections that I have of an>- ]niblic event. I remember now that the name of Henry A. Wise, father of Representative Richard A. Wise, was more often mentioned and more widely known than prol)ably the name of any other pul)lic man then living in this country. Descended from such a family and .such a father, it is not at all wonderful that the life of Rich- .\RD A. Wise .should have been one of force and u.sefulness. The hi.story of his .services while representing his State in the House of Representatives is a part of the records of Congress. Mr. President, when I see and remember that in his early youth and during the civil war he was a member of the troopers who rode with vStuart, and also during a jiortion of that struggle was one of that incomparable body of men in the infantry of the army of Northern Virginia, I know that he nuist have been a man in all that that term implies. But, Mr. Presideut, to my mind it is not in the public achievements of any individual that we nuLst look for his true character. It is in his private life and in his private relations. The kindly man, the charital^le citizen, the man who loves his neighbor as himself, is as useful, if not more u.seful, in this world than the man who sways Senates and conunands armies, and I have always believed that the best man on this earth is the good physician. I give him Address of Mr. Tnrley, of Tennessee. 51 his place above preacher, above lawyer, above any other class of men. No men in my judgment do so much good. No men carry so much comfort to the afflicted as do the conscientious, kind, accomplished physicians. Dr. Wise was for many years a practicing physician, and the Senator from Virginia has read a portion of a letter which was written about him at the time of his death by one who lived in the same community with him and kntw him well. I wish to add a portion of that letter as a part of my remarks, to show the true character of this man: The feeling of the deepest sorrow fills this entire community on account of the death of Dr. Richard A. Wise, which occurred about 10 o'clock yesterday morning, for they feel the loss of a good and skillful physician, who was ready at all times to respond to the calls of suffering humanity; and those who feel most heavily the loss of a kind friend and benefactor are the poorer class of people. This day has been heard on the .streets and out in the country many heartfelt expressions of sorrow from the lips of white and colored: "What is to become of us, now that Dr. WiSE is gone?" Mr. President, higher prai.se and a more fitting tribute could not be paid to the menK)ry of any man. The Presiding Officer. The question is on agreeing to the resolutions submitted by the vSenator from X'irginia [Mr. Daniel] . The resolutions were unanimousl\- agreed to. 54 W -^0' ^ ^ O' 'o> ^^o^ '>- .^°-^^. - > .^^''-^v % -^ ^f. WERT BOOKBINDING CantviMe Pa •>'