Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??, 1866-08-16
Governor Wells His Position.

| Wv o o"' ooA PADJOsS' @A'
first, he seemed to be an unconcerned
spectator of the factious agitations
that surrounded him; next, he
seemed to be waiting to see when
and how far the cat would jump be.
fore he would bulge, and when Fl
last he thought the opportunity a
safe one, he pronounced" in favor
of the revolutionary scheme of the
conventionists, but, alas the Cover
nor proved too slow a coach to he
of much use TO the faction, and too
weak to put forth his Executive arm
to stay the evil passions, the turbu-
lence and bloodshed which followed
and which he might have done SO
much to avert.
His artful lodging therefore, did
no good in either case. The game
did not win. It was first "this
way" and then "that way" with
him, at least so it appeared to his
thousands of disappointed constitu-
ents, who for weeks had vainly tried
through his devious, evasive and
mysterious posturings on the con
ventional boards to define his posi-
ton thereupon before the people.
His long continued reticence, leav
ing the public in vexatious suspense
as to his positive views and inten-
tons regarding subject toward
which it was justly presumed he
stood as one materially interested,
both officially and personally, was
well calculated to excite distrust and
apprehension as to his strength of
character and integrity of purpose.
His departure from New Orleans at
time when it was most convenient
to avoid participating in a movement
which he seemed to dread being
drawn into, while at the same time.
he secretly entertained, as the sequel
showed, a strong desire for its sue
cess; and his proclamation for an
election to fill vacancies in the Con
vention, issued an tranSitU and on the
eve of the projected accommodation Of
the Conventionists, exhibited any
thing but those diguifed, sagacious
and statesmanlike principles which
we have a right to look for in one
honored by the people with the
Chief Magistracy of their State.
The manifesto published by the
Governor in which he discusses sub
jects pertaining to the late riot and
Convention, comes with i'll grace at
this time. What the Governor depre-
Gates and condemns, might, to
great extent have been avoided, had
he chosen to adopt a different course
from the one he did. It is rather
late now, after the horse is out, to
close the stable door.
The status of the Governor is
very we'll explained in the following
"nut-shell" from the pen of a
correspondent of the New Orleans
Crescent:
The Iert and Coutert.-Much |
ink and space in newspapers have
been wasted on j. Madison Wells, |
Governor of Louisiana, in publishing |
fulminations from him and structures
concerning him. But it seems to me
that few quotations from ertant
documents to which he cannot claim
to be stranger, will place him ex-
actly where he belongs.
The Constitution of 1864, article
SO, says "He (the governor) shall
take care that the lars are faithfully
erecuted;;" and in the same docu-
ment, article 80, is the oath which
this same governor, and all other of
fcers of the present state government
took, and had to take, to be qualified
as officers. The oath which the
Governor took, is as follows: II, j.
Madison Wells, do solemnly swear
that | will support the Constitution
and laws of the United States, and
Of this State, and hat | will faith
fully and impartially discharge and
,,orfo3-,,, MI tha dutias innurnhapt on