The weekly Anglo-African., 1859-12-31
THE CONVERSION OF GOV. WISE.

better, and partial conversion is better
than none, for then there is reasonable
hope. Nothing so wakes up an old sinner
as little practical work being brought to
bear upon him. We heard once of very
hardened old one being brought to a know
ledge of the truth by the sound application
to his back of hoop-pole in the hands of
a sturdy old deacon, and another by a cart
whip in the hands of hard-shell preach
er; but what, we are led to inquire, has led
to the change in IT. a. Wise, Governor Of
what is called the State { } Of Virginia.
In 1856, this same Gov Wise threaten
ed that in the event of the election of
Fremont he would march Southern army
to Washington TO seize the treasury and
archives of the Federal Government. and
to march off South and set up an indepen-
dent Southern government. Other distin-
guished slave-drivers either made similar
threats or joined Justify in the same hue
and cry, and the poor, halffrightened
North, though having clearly the power,
dared not elect their man, and Wise and
and his fre-eating followers were spared
the execution Of their threats.
Let lis follow the progress of matters
little. From 1856, the wheels of the po-
litical car rolled on, and SO did the wheels
of progress. Men or events do not stand
still. Many things transpired to strength
en- the feeble knees Of the timid political
North, and influence the public mind gen
orally to take sounder aud juster view
of, if nothing else, independent action, and
a bolder stand
The South had pushed their demands SO
far, and had threatened SO much, that the
thinking portion of the North began to ask
the question: "Must we continually sub
nit What harm will come of a holder at
tituder
These conclusions and their res lts, en-
enating not so much from any political par
ty as from a surer and safer power behind
party politics best thinking masses
produced large increase of anti-Southern
element, and threw much of it in both the
State and the National councils. The
South looked somewhat amazed at this new
state Of things, and ragged and stamped and
swore the more terribly, and threatened
still the more loudly, which brought, as it
always does, numbers of the doughfaces
down on their knees; but despite of all the
tricks Of the pro-slavery and cotton-reli-
gious press and trade, the undercurrent OF
Northern sentiment averse to slavery kept
on flowing and increasing, and the South
kept on threatening and swearing.
Thus matters in the political arena were
vibrating in the balances. Something a
little more practical was needed-the old
preachers cart-whip, or the good pious
brothers hoop-pole, Or something of that
sort--and John Brown, whose operations
are now history, stepped forth upon the
stage, and offered just that practically.
The South atartlss up from out its naughty
slumbar, and begins to read the last page
Of American history again, and none per-
ceives its import more plainly than Gov,
Wise himself
Hear the Governor mo effort like that
of John Brown, nor any combinations, can
avail to drive me out of the Union
won't go. ! mean to stay here. By Gods
hel p we will drive all the disunionists to-
gether out of the Union-such as Wendell
Phillips, Senator Wilson, &c As for Fred
Douglass, the fugitive negro, I will never
put my hemp in the form Of bag for him
it shall be in the shape of a rope. Fred
Douglass says that he is bound FOR Eng
land. Oh! if / had one good, long, low,
black, rakish, well-armed steamer in Hamp-
ton Roads, would have placed her on the
Newfoundland Banks with orders that if
she found British packet with that negro
on board to take him; and by the Eternal
Gods, he should have been taken-taken
with very particular instructions not to
hang him before | had the privilege of See
ing him well hung. 1t is for this and sim
liar purposes only will ! go out of the In
ion. With an hundred men-yea, with
even ten men-will go and drive the Alb
olitionists out" &c, &c, 'but won't be
driven out myself, nor go voluntarily"
But, without following further the errat-
ic Governor of Virginia in these, his lofty
tumblings and sudden somersets, we think
we have shown enough to exhibit the
change that has come DER the spirit of his
dream He is ready to break a lance with
anybody-even with Fred Douglass or
Queen Victoria-for the sake of the Union,
but is determined henceforth to stay in