Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1855-04-27
Mr.. Wise and the Canvass

Mr. Wise is pursuing in this canvass most
extraordinary course for an honorable man. In
Lexington, according to the Gazette:
Mr.. Wise stopped irom the digaity that should
have characterized his position a. a candidate for
the Office of Governor of Virginia, to charge upon
Mr., Fiournoy the exploded SANDER that he was
opposed TO the reforms ina de by the Convention
of lS5ii-that he anti reform in his views
This churge was first made by the Richmond In.
qurer immediately after the Winchester nomna-
tom ani when the editor of that paper found TINT
he had mi-represented Mr.. Fiournoy in TINT INIT
ter. he Withdrew the imputation md asserted that
il was but justice to say that Mr. Flournoy in
stead Of opposing. supported the reform move
me1t of l55O-wlih this retraction-this denial
on the part ofbis leading organ in the State. Mr..
Wise actually sought to re.rstablish upon an alb
sent opponent SANDER which tho press of his
own party has deon 'unced as unjust and untrue
MI wise also picked up another charge which
has been made against Mr.. Flournoy nnd used il
the purpose of reaping n personal advantage
IN TINS canvass We refer TO the rumor unsup-
ported by line of proof or by the publication of
responsible nane as authority, and which Inns
met with prompt and emphatic denial-the ru-
NOR that Mr. flonrnoy stated, that the degenera-
'y OF virginia Is due to negro slavery and that
no community can prosper with such an institu-
IN its midst 1t was unworthy of Mr.. Wise Ia
seek to excite prejudice against true and oynI
ruu IN NNapiHld WHO WAS not mere Ia defend him
self against The imputa.ion, by repeating the idle
lumors 81 the canvass. 1t shows that Mr. Wise
must consider his case far gone. when he seeks
10 bring odiutn upon his absent competitor by
catching up and repeating the unsupported ru.
mors and base misreprese nj atoms, which have
been started for the purpose of iniuring as noble.
patriotic and gallant as ever tho sun shone
upon"
Is 1t possible that Nh. Wise is still unapprized
OF the withdrawal by the Enquirer of its state
ment relative to Mr.. Flournoy's position on the
questions of Refornl The correction of TINT
statement has been copied all over the state In
Rockingham Mr. Wise met with the editor of tho
Enqu'rerand yet in Shenandoah, a few DAYS later,
he repeated the charge. 1t is next to impossible
that Mr.. Wise should DO ignorant that it is unjust
and untrue. What apology he can make for still
adhering TO it passes our power Of guessing.
So in regard to the language on the subject of
slavery. imputed to Mr.. Flournoy. This has been
emphaticaly and without qualification or oondi-
ton denied by that gentleman. by an authorized
statement in the Richmond Wing. Mr. Flournoy
declares that he not only never uttered but never
entertained the sentiments ascribod to him-cnd
yet, his competitor deems it not beneath him TO
reiterate the fabrication, from one end of tho
State to the other, in the ears of thousands who
will never hear of the denial Can he intend to
impugn the truth of Mr.. Flournoy's contradc
ton Or, if we can suppose that he has not
seen or heard of this, are we to understand that
he impeaches Mr.. Flournoy's fidelity TO the
South What say the people of Halifax, who
have known Mr.. Flournoy from his childhood,
to such an allegation this What say those
of Pittsylvania, Franas, and the large slave.
holding district that committed its interests to
his care, during session of Cong ress when the
slavery agitation was at its height! viii they
permit this gross and irreparable wrong to be
Done in distant part of the State, and in the
absence of Mr. Flournoy, without coming to his
rescue, and defending him from an asperson so
injurious and 20 groundess, Do they believe
that Thomas stanhope Floarnoy is not worthy to
be trusted with the Interests of the STAKEHOLDER
and the SOUTH Do they believe that he would
betray his and their and the States rights. or
that he would fail to defend and maintain them. at
every hazard and TO the last extremity We
confess ourselves wholly unable to comprehend
how Mr.. Wise reconcile the repetition of
these groundless chlrges, in the absence of his
competition and in the face Of their denial, with
that high and chivalrous sense of honor for which
his friends give him credit
But not less strange and unaccountable is the
following statement, clipped from an account by
correspondent of the Richmond Wing, of Mr..
Wise's speech in Shenandoah
HE then added that in 1892 he "scratched"
the name OF Martin Van Buren, from the Jack son
ticket, and cefed him fhe Jackal of the Lion"-
that he hao supported Harrison and Tyler in $40
against said Martin, because he knew him to be
untrue to the South upon the Texas annexation
question-that he would do il again; and that he
supposed 20 wosld now eeasare him for the
act. What was somewhat singular to me, and
many others. who had been reading the reports
of his speeches heretofore delivered, he wound W
on this theme by stating that il IA relation tc
this action of his toward Martin Van Buren, tina
he had said he had mo reeantatisns to make'-
These believe TO be the very words of his state
ment on this point, except that he used the per
sona pronoun II" instead of "he.''
Now we assert that it was in no such connec
ton that Mr.. Wise, in his speech here. procaime
that he had recantations to make; and ther
are five hundred men in Lynchburg who will su'
tain in this assertion Mr.. Wise has repea
eddy made this declaration in tho hearing
friends as well as foes. If it had been made
the connection in which he now states, is it NJ
certain that his friends would have made the e
planaton-when the opposing press were ringir
the changes on it throughout the Statel He h
scarcely made speech when some democrat
editor not presen ,attentively noting his la
guage, but though he has been repeatedly
ported as having declared broadly and wi,ho
qualification that he had mo recantations
make" nothing to take back" no one of the