Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-11-26
rent defeat of Henry A. wises Ifso, let it bt

mia will know how to meet the issue.
Again, to whom does Mr.. Johnston refe'
when he alludes 10 a disposition on the part
certain Eastern men to do injustice to the est
Does he refer to the mixed basis men OF tn
East, and especially to that set OF men VINO az
yoca,ed the mixed basis, OH the ground tina
,hc Wcs, was untrustworthy on the subject {
slavery: Docs hc refer to the men who OF
noscd the suffrage basis. because it would Civ
the West Il political power which would enabl
Western men to dcyelorc the resources Of thci
section: Does he refer to the set OF Easter
men who have pcr,iStently thwartcd every at
tempt to construct even Il mud turnpike for tn
benefit Of Western farmers No these ar
not the Eastern men 10 whom Mr.. Johnston re
fcrs. lie cannot refer invidiously to them 70
he is their constant associate-has been assist
ing their plans and operations against mterna
improvements and against the State credit, les
it should enable the progress Of internal lin
proycncnt>. for the last six years.
Is il possible. then, that Mr.. Johnston mean
to describe Governor Wise and his friends o
the Fast, as unjust towards the West: Is tn
delegate from Harrison really capable Of add
iuc incratitudc TO Injustice
We use no figure Of cxaggeration when vi
East, has laborcd so hard, exhibited such zeal
or accomplished half so much for the sake o
Western Virginia, as has Henry \. Wise, o
.Accomac.
In the grca, struggle on the basis question
he came ;orwardat once in favor Of the elualit!!
OF representation: he advocated the white sui
iragc basis. as the only Just rule of representa-
ton. When the objection was made that TIM
would give the West the preponderance OF pc
litical power. to he employed against the slave
~ interest, he denied it promptly. alleging thai
the W.S, was equally trustworthy with thu
East Oh this issue. When it was further urged
that the suffrage basis would enable the EST
10 build her own roads and develope her owr
resources AT the cost oil the State. Governor
Wise at once declared that this was the best
policy for the East. rs well as the West, and
that this same creation of HI internal improve
men, party WAS the immediate practical object
Of his advocacy Of the suffrage basis. lie was
utterly opposed TO the dog in the manager pol''
cv. which had 81 long retarded the advancement
OF the bc,, interests Of the State, and sought to
break i, down. II give the " est the prcrondcr'
ancc Of power, for the sake Of its own interests,
and o; il, natural alliance OF interest with the
East.
Entering The Convention Of ls~jo-jl-elccted
10 his position there by the force OF the very
argument OF Justice to the West, which he urg-
eli before his consti,uents-Mr. Wise led the
Western men in all the operations OF u siege OF
eighteen months, battling increasingly against
n mixed basis majority Of thirteen. Twenty
John Lct.ncr, could ,o, have done the work
winch he did; and John Letchcr, with his
Sn.erS .; "negro.olocy' and "negro.ocracy'
was only an obstacle in his path, exciting the
very >rSricinns Of Eastern men, which il was
mos, necessary to allay. Struggling against
the prcirdices OF his own section, contesting
every point. with Il whole host of learning and
talcn, from IA, East arraycd against him
chcrln. and comforting Western men, and ral.
living them back 10 the struggle, as they can
testify. at the very moment when they dcs-
paired OF obtaining equality and justice for
their constituents, and were prepared 10 re-
turn home heavy with disappointed expecta-
tons; finally, on his feet fortivc consecutive days
before the Convention, eyhausting every re-
source Of mental effort and bodily strength,
Henry \. Wise wen the victory for the West
which no other man could accomplish, and con-
idcd 70 the West the majority Of powcr. Who,
then. would have believed that n single man
from the West could be found to r~eproach him,
above all men. with Injustice towards Western
Virginia:
Nor is this all. Elected Governor Of Virginia,
his first great object was 10 induce Western
men 10 employ, for their own best interests, for
the development and enrichment Of tho West,
the same political power which they owed to
his cxertionS. Before two legislatures. he has
done all that Il Governor Of Virginia could do,
and more than any other Governor Of Virginia
I ever has done. in the cause which interests the
West, first and last, the great cause Of internal
Improvement. In the very acme Of the Sc
vcrcSt shock o! a financial crisis, he still called
on Western men 10 conc forward and appro.
pirate the funds Of the State literally, to the
enrichment Of their lands. the development Of
| their commerce, their mining and manufactures.
And when an anti-improvcment opposition had
! purposclv wasted 4 whole legislative session in
useless and invidious discussions, only for the
purpose ofprevenrns appropriations and arrest
ins the progress %ofpublic works, he shrank from
no responsibility. but ut once employed the high
est discretionary power granted him by the
Constitution, called an extra session, gave
the West another opportunity, and Sc
cured the best interests Of Western Nir
ginia, at the very moment when 4 retrogade
movement threatened to change the policy o.
continued advancement Ia one of a tilnid and
selfish denial of ali assistance on the part o.
the State to the material interests Of the West
l. this Eastern politician likely TODD injustice
towards the West:
Leaving out Of view the great question O
Western power and Western in,erest-Mr
Johnston descend, to 4 mere question Of indl
vidual ambition-and complains that EASTER
politicians" show 4 disposition to retard th'
promotion of certain Western politicians. From
no man living. could this accusation have
come with a worse grace. Mr.. Johnston is no
a very gifted nor very brilliant man. He find!
on the floor of every Legislature many equal
and some superiors in ability. Nevertheless
he has, Tor several sessions, been permitted, b,
Eastern men. to hold q high position-fnall,