The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-12-29
BALTIMORE,
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20. 1855


"Great men, it is written, fare not always
wise" and it may turn out that the converse of
the proposition is equally true and that those who
are called wise are not always great. The recent
speeches of the GOVERNOR of Virginia have demon
strated that he does not possess the attributes Of
SOLOMON, and it remains now to be seen whether
he is not also destitute of those of CESAR. Cover
nor WISE has held many responsible positions, and
is the present Chief Magistrate of one of the most
powerful States of our Confederacy, and the world
is entitled to presume prima acie that he is a tried
and capable statesman. Such a title any man
might be proud to earn for we naturally associate
with it the possession of eminent moral or intelec
tual qualities; and we look TO him who is so desig-
mated for the prudent counsels comprehensive
views, and sagacious measures which can pacify
the intestine connections of State or avert by
peaceful means, the dangers that threaten it from
abroad. That Governor WISE has no claim to
rank with those who, in any proper sense of the
word, can be called Statesmen, the majority of the
public seem to have decided long ago, and since his
address TO the medical students on their triumpha
entry into Richmond, we may presume the
doubts of his most partial friends to have been set
at rest forever. They must be content, when
they next appeal to popular favor in his behalf to
descant upon his reckless valor and his dashng
disregard OF consequences, as his chief recommen-
dations. It must be only in his prospective char
acter of 1.-THE conquering hero' that he can hence
forth demand the suffrages of the people As he
aspires to the Presidential chair, and has in
formed his adherents in New York that Virginia
twill be a unit in the Charleston Convention"
it interests us to know what manner of
man he is, and it particularly becomes US to
consider in all its bearings that warlike policy
which it would evidently delight him to inaugu-
rate. The simple question being rs TO how the
ant-slavery fanatics to be put down, and the
dangerous agitation of that subject quoted, Gov
ernor WISE proposes a very summary method. In
deed if his term Of Office were not about to expire
We should augur glorious days for Virginia, but
terrible times for the rest of the world, from his
plans for carrying on the ''rrepressbe conflict"
He has given US an insight into them, in the
speech we have referred to. After treating the
students to dreary rigmarole about blood and
honor flags, forefathers, and revolutions, he pro-
ceeded to PROFOUND his system for the reformation
of erroneous political opinions throughout
the world. 1t is certainly thorough one,
for he would begin with individuals and end with
empires. To WENDELL PHILLIPS and Senator
WILSON, and their supporters, he would hold the
following language:
$50 these and such those who protect and encourage
them, would say the time has come, when--if are
not allowed to way in peace-I ready to
assume the psnopy of war;
Having quoted these philanthropc incendiares
by threatening 10 appear in his regimentas, he
wilt then turn his attention to the different States
and he thus notifies them of his dread purpose:
Il would the people of this State and would ap-
ply to the other Commonwealth to see what States
warred upon by their statutes would stand an armed
man, and, placing my finger upon those laws would
say-repeal it, repeal it, repeal it,
Of course those laws on which this EARNED
"man' placed his finger would be instantly re-
pealed, and he would then he at leisure to regu-
late Canada, which he would do very speedily, as
he tells us:
Cor one am not content that war should be confined
to the South would invade Canada, England: for
she should no longer he permitted to shelter the cut
Threats who invade us
The British Provinces being thus put to rights,
and, perhaps, annexed to Virginia, England
would next be chastised and compelled to sue for
mercy. FRED. DOUGLASS has sought refuge in
that island, ana the GOVERNOR thus ntimates a
disposition to pursue the offending fugitive:
"IIe thinks he is safe in England If # WE'RE in NV
power wOud not strike Massachusetts and the North
States, but would leap to a war with England II
can be brought on If had low black raksh steamer
in Hampton Roads should have ordered it to the Banks
Of Newfoundland with the order that if British packet
with that negro board, attempted to pass to take
It, by the eternal gods, and would have instructed
them not to hang him till had seen hin, and him
well hung
Then, abiding to a print i'll late number Of
the London Panch, in which black and white
eagle are engaged in dreful combat in mid-air, he
becomes excited over this picture of an imaginary
conflict, and he promises to perform fearful feat
when he engages in the battle:
"But am watching the white eagle and the black and
they shall not fight but if they do will fight upon the
back OF the British lion myself and wake up the patriots
of the North; and call you Mr. Buchanan to saw to
England that Canada shall not be refuge fugitive
slaves of the South"
The GOVERNOR seems disposed to pause here in
his career Of conquest. The terrific tussle with
the British lion, which he is looking forward to.
and in which he will doubtless be victorious, is to
be the browning scene Of his warliie exploits, and
his fancy pursues its heroic march no farther He
Is to be commended therefore, for his moderation,
and we sincerely trust that none of the single or
double-headed eagles which respectively represent
France, Austria aud Prussia, will feel any needless
alarm when they learn that "a low, black, rakisl
''steamer" has left Hampton Roads That Gov.
ernor WIsE's scheme for securing the South against
future molestation would answer the ends propo-
sed, if successfully prosecuted, we freely admit
and we are bound to suppose that he has carefully
weighed the chances of failure and counted its cost,
and is prepared to recommend it in his first Presi-
dental message as perfectly feasible. Unless he is
able to demonstrate the practicahity of his plan Of
operations il is Of course the merest buster to talk
as he has done in Richmond. Unless the North
assented to his project he would assume "the pan
'opIy OF war; and rush on Canada to no purpose,
and he would only risk the loss of his Glow black
rakish steamer if he sent it to cruise against the
English fleet, As we are at a loss to imagine how
Governor WISE would overcome what seem to us
to be these insuperable difficulties, we must wait
until he is elected President before we can even
place in the category of possibilities the magnif-
cent conceptions of the modern ALEy.Nnrp