WISE, HENRY ALEXANDER, American statesman, was b. at Drummondtown, Aeco mac co.. Va., Dec. 3, 1806; graduated at Washington college, Pennsylvania, in 1S25; studied law at Winchester; settled and married at Nashville. Tenn., but two years after returned to his native county, and engaged in politics; in 1825, advocated the nom ination of gen. Jackson at the Baltimore convention; opposed nullification, but main tained the state-A(*1ns doctrines of Jefferson and Madison as expressed in the Virginia resolutions of 1798, that "each state for itself is the judge of the infraction of the con stitution, and of the mode and manner of redress." Elected to congress in 1833, he was involved in a duel with his opponent, whose arm he fractured. On the removal of the government deposits by gen. Jackson, lie went over to the opposition or Whig party, but was sustained by his constituents, over whom he had an unbounded personal influ ence. In 1837 he was the second of Mr. Graves, a member of congress from Kentucky, who shot Mr. Cilley, a member from Maine, in a duel. In 1840 secured the nomina tion of John Tyler as vice president; and on Tyler becoming president by the death of en. Harrison, had a powerful influence in his administration. Nominated minister to
France, he was rejected by the senate, but confirmed for Brazil, where he resided until 1847. He was now once more identified with the democratic party; and in 1854, after an arduous campaign, in which, though in feeble health, he traveled 3,000 , and made 50 stump speeches against the " know-nothing" or Protestant native Amer ican party, he was elected governor of Virginia. In 1859 he published a treatise on territorial government, maintaining the right of congress over the institution of slavery. In December of this year, lie signed the death-warrant of John Brown, hanged for treason in attempting to excite a negro insurrection. In 1861 as member of the Virginia con vention, he labored for conciliation; but when his state voted for secession, he entered heartily into the war, and was appointed brig.gen., serving in the Kanawha valley, and later, defending Roanoke island, where his son was killed. He died at Richmond in Sept., 1876.