Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-01-05

..Whosoever changeth manifestly without manifest
cause giveth suspicion Of corruption; therefore al
ways whom thou changest thine opinion course
profess it plainly, and declare it, together with the
reasons that move theo 10 change."-l Bacon.
From tho Richmond Enquirer of tho l+th of April,
lS43 We rcpublish in another column OF THIS paper,
the substance o speech which Mr.. Wise vlndlcated
theintegrity ofhis political character, from the hputa
tous Ia which it was exposed by his support oi inc
Tyler Administration. The speech was reported for
tho Enquirer by Democrat OF underwriting consist
eucy-an "old liner" who stood by his party even
when il. glory was obscured by the eclipse Of Van
! Hureni-ln- was accepted with applause by the
p,,u,cracy of the State the main just s1posi'
,ion of the principles Of the State Rights party
Political consistency is worthy of applause IN 30 Tar
only a. il furnishes evidence Of devotion to country
and to principles which the Judgment and the con-
SCIENCE approve Abandonment of party id III no way
deserving of reproach nncss it be desertion OF truth
for error or hs attended by circumstances which just
lv excite suspicion o corrupt motive or ieV'y vi
character.
No Democrat will censuro MIR. Wise Tor returning
10 our party. after brief arrangement; and no man
will dare attribute his conduct to any motive uh""i-
thy OF Il gentleman and patriot.
lhs spoech before us demonstrates, that as Slr'
Wise conceived it TO be his duty to oppose the admin
,straton of Martin Van Buren,, he was led by re-
icous regard principle, TO return to the Democratic
party after the evil spirit which possessed H. "ns
driven out. Mr.. Wise supported llarison and lyler
upon u Democratic platforms platform when clear
" and emphatcaly repudiatcd all the distinctive pr'
riples of the Federal Wing party. Notwithstanding;
his dis,rust aud hatred OF Van Burcusrn, Mr.. Wise
would ucvor have supported Harrison and Tyler II
TO support them had involved any betrayal Of prin'
ciple According to the public professions OF the
Whi party in their speeches aud addresses, the ad-
mni.tra,on of Harrison was to have been restora
ton of tho old Republican, State Rights policy aho
Mr.. Wise opposed Van Buren from devotion to De
mocratic principles. When, therefore, he discovered
that contrary to their pledges and promises to tho
country, tho Wing party, swayed by the resiSess as
cendancy of Clay, were medtating u return 10 ihe,
old measures he exposed and denounced their pertdy
with uncquulled energy and eloquence The Whie
party then in the full flush Of victory; the Demo
crary were Gemorslized and disorgauzed by Disgrace
full defeat; but Henry a. Wise did not hesitate mo
ment TO provoke the vengeance of the dominan
power and to accept the position OF subalteln II
the ranks OF helpless minority. This was con
sistency-this the true naryrdom OF principle
1t cannot be said Of Henry A. Wise that he deserted
from the weaker the stronger party; from defeat
cd partyto party IN power; but, TO his honor II II
told that rather than bctray his principles he con
soptod TO the sacrifice of prospect OF promotion
and of tho dearest ties of personal and political friend
,bip For, when Mr.. Wiso broke with the Whig
party, and denounced its yet undisclosed plans OF
Federal administration, which he then foresaw and
forstold, General HarritOn not get .nongnratcd
aud HI. po~cr and has patronage ~e'e untouched and
und,mtu,shcJ. To him, then, can no motive be i'm
puted but such as is most honorable to human ns-
-disnterested devotion to principle and to the
welfare OF his country.
The speech, of which we give an outline in another
column as a cotemporaneous exposition OF tho rea-
sons and motives of N. Wisos return to the Demo
cs,ic party, supplies the highest proof and illustration
of his personal caudor and his political consistency.