Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-02-20
TIE FREDERICKSBURG DEMOCRACY AND
X-GOyERNOR SMITH

| We make the following Interesting extracts from
an article in the las! Fredericksburg Recorder:
Gov. Smiths nRmle was before the Staunrnm Con.
vcniiuli and upon the !.s! ballot cc.:an il upon
tn: second also, he received very respectable vote
Soon after the n"Inina'iuu OF Mr. Wise, il h' gan tu
| hc rGni"c.. that l." would NOT be supported hy Gov.
| Smith; ind brl"r" long il hrcnmc definitely
| tnincd that such the IL then began Ia bc
| -ad land not IN secret 'Ililorj that il WAS Ev
,acans certain that Gov. Smith would not accept 4
| nomination from III" Know Nothing party. Ills
friends i'll Frclcricis burg gave no kind "i credit ,n
such rum0rs at first, and forthwith Informed him 81
them, confidently expecting him 10 dcnouncc them us
ISLANDERS. He was then through the editorial columns
ii the E"""r'lr earnestly requested I" correct these
| rnm"rs il ;!rcy wire wIruc. He made n" reply I"
this request, however, and when the resolutions w''
uss",l IN the public meeting, had never gwen tn"
least assurance to hiS r,cn!s i'"i the reports were
| f,lsn The Democracy at Fredericksburg; arc n"I u
| French Democracy. Thcy consider their fcpreacii-
uiirc to be the opponent al tier irc!pcs ana SUD
jrc ~ long h. tmrin I" Their INSTRUCTIONS"
and have not learned, yet {" conCc"c ti!'n-ci'"
his slaves They very properly therefore in public
meeting, adopted tho, rc-"luti"ms, informing GOV
smith ufs yinorcl gard "r This secret party amd d"
clnrimg that it due I" them, ns portion u! hi-
constituency that his position III ia" nG!tcr b" DIS
tnc;ly defined. Gov Smith has treated hi. rrruc-
with complete contempt. II" WIS in Fredericksburg
few days thereafter tNtoniay, the ';h insan:.l and
Ear from re!utng the REPORTS, vrtG;."r cn.itIn,l
them. He called u ii hr liz ;ir;aC-t irirnr and
am"n( them i!ose vino put orh the circular lnrnina
tin. linn for Cung:cSa against Lynn Bamks, and who
hav" cordially fmppnrtrd him ever SINCE 10 answer
i'll direct irr!is whether the REPORTS were trUc; which
he l,.frininry refused 10 do. And It u.t the cx-
Governor hnrungnrd n c"ncoursc -! citizens At pub
.:c l"r" where he d"sCantcd upon Ii" platform "i
the Know Nothing pHrtv, twhI@ 10 held in his hGnd)
and asserted that il cC"taiIIrd very good Democratic
doctrine c understood il. lie expressed lis graft
tudc al the same ;inc tu IL Wing editor who pre-
sent upon tho OCCASION and who H. by some, supposed
to have been secured for funre scrvcc by this pleas
ant pnavcring o the Governor. We shall see how
hi. may be il III" cr-t.GycrnOr !s the KNOWN Nothing
candlate.l lie s4l, are Informed tha. the editor
alluded to was tie only one in Fredericksburg who
had referred t0 him in favorable tcrllswlIic the cd
tor acknowledged with bow.
This subsequent conduct 0f Gov, Smith has
rncd his Gu0rdan riaGG- i'll he opinion at il wns
proper to IG..s tle resolutions referred to- Weh"licvc
hai few Democrats cain be found i'll ksbur5
ur the ad;accn: counties, who do dcnouucc
quivocully the conduct of Gor. Smith
We have henrd il minated OF late that II IL not
upon p2iH,cci but personal grounds that our repre-
sentative refuses to support Mr.. Wise. And les. som"
might be thus dupcl we prO"sc at c"Ce 10 set that
matter completely at rest Tic Culpepcr Observer
few weeks since nullished nm extract from speech
purportcd TO have been made by Mr. Wise, in which
The character o! Gov. Smith severely reflected
upon IA j; il con,cndrd that Coz Si..;th nas madc
the remarks of Mr.. Wire TIC .."nl.d Of his present
opposition, We dccli !. aur diary TO correct the error
for there :i 10 one who would sooner, tlan our
sciyc, commend Gov. Smith for refusing to support
Mr. Wise if il were true that he considered this as
sault to be cause of personal difficulty.
In the first place, then, the ohcctionabio term mp.
nIicd 70 Gov Smith H. t. v$l.rjsk oi Er Ei~r Bank
was not originally applied 10 him hy Mr.. Wise, bu;
by BrnIanii WatI;;n. Leigh in the Senate oi the /.
Siute-, three years before the speech "f Mr.. Wise
wis made from which the extract was taken. AT the
time Mr.. Wise Tins referred (" him he had never
seen Gov Smith 70 know him, and was not acuairt-
ed with him.
lie met him for :he first tim" ic" years after
wards in Congress, when hc had forgotten ihat d"
had ever made the objectionable rcmnrkS. me r?"-
Il.y OJ GO,evg1r !SmHh iDT0T6S Mr.. H"'
.ivrjH. The fn,,rf time htHi N'Y ""'r C".'"""'% !
~ C1DrrrSs traS kjRd, cOu,i"O"s, co".'"', ""d
rr,u coafIeniim. Mr.. Wise, who hnd been con |
si,lrrably prcjudccd against him before tii'y p.
came acquainted, wls very asrccahly disappnmi"i ~
his manners and address. There vas n"iilhs III
Gov. Smiths conduct TO sug.es! ,nat Ne re,nhen re
even Il recollection of i,c ABUSIVE remarks. N"'n
Mr. Wise left ongrcaa m ~ thcy parted IN III" ih"''
cordial manner, and when IN ~ alter HIS ,i, ,'a"'
from Brazil Mr. Wise was in Richmond as Eiect"r !
he was stcndcled the cvitrs Of the city, lii common
with the other Electors, by Ny Smith, WHO was 'n,
Governor Of the State In 1893 Mr. WISE Pn,I
tie University Of Virginia, (a- Nis'tor.l AM, was
prcssed by Gov Smith IL make his hulisc HIS ."'i'
md was Sht permitted TO dcpar; until Gov sun"
had extracted from Kim promise to return rom ''''
Springs and speEd night with lIih' T.. or,t
Mr. Wise had not for fifteen years though, W % ~
rru,nrI;s in ouestion when he saw them III me '"I-
prncr Observer, on his way to Wurcn,on. we hi-
firm that these are the facts OF the case an" wv
Smith cannot now urge this Insult IA obJec'i" :" ~
Wise without cosi;ssing in the saIrc h,rath tnal ne
has been SI,rync on ms tu"a4c,: h's"r "' ">eS"
g'nrs d norr ,;,, ,.-,
We kaye heard 1t sG@gc-t"G 'ha Coy H''p az, W. 4!
saw Ike iermks until after the HnTin"'''" ~ .''.
Wise. We l.av. these w.. '''d 'Fc',n"''' 1ranyLn5
believe this, 10 uicr i"Ir en:y t'IiH. iLn.; ",;r
belieyca il nr has faith enough tn move n''"'''''
and perform miracles III general. ,...,
But TINT even this may III" be sHid' VIZ INV wv, @
that Mr. Wise is anxious to meet Gov. Smtn "'~ 'A'
slider any request for reparaton. ]o ae Ihe haaes'
feelings for Gov. Smith arci, .snv. Sn', ''''' "5
::rieved, why does Ia ..at explicitly any 80!