The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-04-06
.ore,ror of Virginia.

Appt3ea tDout sOSA ht0uN No'oAh 49,
POINT. The second to. General WELLS
The third to the office. The fourth tt
General SCHoFIELD, who has appointed
man Governor who has not been citi
zen" of Virginia for Ave years.
Henry n. WELLS is about forty-twe
years of age. He was born in the State o.
New York, but removed while young to
Detroit, Michigan. We know not where
he received his education; but he studied
law under Hon. J. NJ. HOWARD, now one OF
the United States Senators from Michigan
He practiced his profession successfully
in Detroit. He also entered political life,
and was several times elected to represent
that CITY in the Legislature of Michigan.
he was the presiding officer OF the house
!. no sass,on of 1866. He was Wing
At first. but became Republican years
before the war.
IJpon the breaking out of the war he
entered the military service. One OF our
informants says he was cavalry ofhcer'
and another that he was colonel of the
First Michigan regiment of infantry but
se incline to credit the statement OF a
Radical contemporary that he was lieu
tenant. colonel of the Twenty-sixth Michi-
gan infantry. In 1868 he was appointed
Provost Marshal General of the defences
south of the Potomac, with headquarters
at Alexandria. In April, 1868, while act
ing as such officer, he sold out his possess
sions in Detroit, and removed with his
family to Alexandria, where he has ever
since resided. zsz,
It is said that q mission to Italy was ten
dered to Mr.. WELLS by President FILL
MORE. at any rate, he was lawyer OF
good standing at home, and has main
taineda good reputation at the bar since
his removal to Virginia. His practice is
said to have been quite a large one at
Alexandria, and quite lucrative one also
in Judge UNDERwooD's court in this city.
In this respect, as well as in the fact that
he is man of good family, good character,
good reputation, and good education, he
differs from the northern adventures who
are known as "carpet-baggers." His in
terests are now the interests of Virginia,
and he is not supposed to be as rabid a
Republican as some others. Nevertheless,
he is fully committed to negro suffrage.
In 1866 he was invited by delegation OF
"loyal" men to accompany them to Wash
ington to see Mr.. JOHNSON upon party bust
ness, but declined to do so in the following
sharp letter: .....s
"ALBxAspRIA; VA, June q, 1866.
"My Dear Sir,-I have the honor to &C.
me to accompany q committee OF loyal citizens
of Virginia in call upon the President OF the
United States. My official duties deny me-
that pleasure, but cannot forego the oppor
tunity Of expressing my earnest sympathy II
the movement you are inauguratlng. very
soon after the fall of Richmond became
aware that many of the leading secessionists
despairing of resisting by force OF arms tn'
power of the Government or the mighty ioet
Of events which was soon to make flrsh ~
truly free had determined to attempt by
policy what force could not do. therefore,
was that, soon after that event, these per
sons. lin considerable numbers, and with sucl
concert as to indicate common purpose ap
reared and took the oath Of allegiance.
| "a An election of mem bers of the Legislatur
| WAS soon to BIZ held, and among those VIM
announced themselves as Candidates Wer
some who had uniformly refused 10 lake III
| oath and preferred to lose their property ant
| he separated from their families rather thal
to acknowledge the supremacy OF the Go
yernment of the United States. Two year
/ of duty here, and such general acqualn tanc
hot IN "a
rs it brought, taught me ina! an oa w 10 1o,,nu,
| glance was not conclusive eutde7ce " toyouy
/ mt that it was nearly worthless, unless &C
| comnanied by consistent conduct ana togo
/ acts and no surprise was felt when, on COUNT
ing the vote, it was found that tnese gen.le
men were elected by large maJorities 10 repre-
| cent the people in State Government who's
l legal existence they had positively denied, an
| for whose overthrow some OF them mad With
one wear plotted and conspireo. M one LOT
l moment misunderstood their design, for 1t wa
TOO palpable, and loo frequently admitted b
i the less discreet, to leave room for doubt
II With the Legislature in the hands of Ihes
men, the calling OF constitutional conYen
l tion which would repeal the present and re
store the old Constitution would be wor
/. | of short time and little labor, but very sad i
, it's consequences both to the white and blac
man. .a..
aThe country is to- day in most disturbe
condition. The rights Of property are not re
t spected /; the man whose fidelity to the Go
| vernment has never been questioned is toll
: by men fresh from the ranks Of the enem
: | that Virginia will soon furnish him no home
/. | that its boundaries are not broad enough
that there is no room for the Yankee Q
t those who helped to carry on the Yanke
] war; The colored man, who was held worth
| TO bear arms, and did fight bravely, finds n
the immediate presence of q military force
s and not always even then. This Is all wrong
f and you are In danger Of losing the very thing
for which the war has been prosecuted 20
~ aN,s,o lnfa 1hn
h but the facts remain, and the only wise cours
is to admit their existence and provide tn
Y remedy.
"And what is that remedy? It is, in m
judgment, to estab lish a military provisions
8 government, to locate sufficient militar
force to preserve peace, command respect
and secure order. In other words, to Uindi
3 cate the supremacy of the la,D. Then disfran
chise those who are not loyal, making loya
acts, and not paper oath, the test Of loyalty
This done, create a perpetual balance o
power, which will at all times secure 20
from political danger; or, more plainly, let tn
negro vote. He has fought-let him enjoy tn
fruits Of victory which he helped to win an
in extending the elective franchise to him
is done not because he Is negro, but becaus
he is free native born citizen Of the Unite
States, twenty-one years OF age, Of SCUM
mind, who has always been and now is faith
, full to his Government, obeying all the law
of the State; and every man, white or black
| who has such record ought to vote. 1t
true there is prejudice-an old prejudice
against such measure; but. then, IL is onl
a prejudice, and not an argument, and shoul
be weighed as such. r
- am, very respectfully,
"Your most obedienr servant,
sa- III. H. WELLS.
I"To S. F.. Beach, Esq, President Virgini
Union Association
| Considering that this letter was writte
at time when not even one man in a dc
zen in Congress would have dared to com
ont in favor of negro suffrage, it may b.