The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-05-08
John Brown Wells.

JONI oTOWu WSuSs
The speech of Mr.. WELLS accepting the
nomination conferred upon him by the Con-
vention Of carpet-baggers, scallawags, and
negroes, which assembled in this city on
Wednesday,-the said carpet-baggers, seal
lawags, and negroes, having been deputed
to do SO by the Freedmen's Dureau-proves
clearly what manner Of man the new
Governor is. His declaration that no politi-
cal body has assembled in this city since
thewar "acho stood higher in its character "
than the Convention aforesaid is not couched
in tolerable English; but it informs us
at once that he is not disposed to pay much at
tention to facts when he has point to make.
1t lis some satisfaction, however, to know that
he may have been in good earnest, and
made this sweeping assertion because he
really is unable to discriminate between
men of high character and those who have
none. His notions of honor and probity
are probably correctly indicated in his
tribute of respect to the memory Of JOHN
BRowN. "Men," quod he, :" may go back
wards sometimes, go down before their
rights, and fail to maintain them; but
right is marching on like the great spirit OF
John Bro,on." If this infamous appeal to
the negroes of Virginia-this Identification
of himself in spirit with thief and muir
derer who was hung for his crimes-this
attempt to arouse the base passions which
the negro naturally INDUCES in when one
who, as he believes, died in his cause is
thus referred to-shall not of itself make
for Mr.. WELLS fame which he would will
lingly let die, then we are mistaken in our
estimate of the people of Virginia and OF
the United States. JOHN Brown WELLS is
to be his name henceforth. And he will
be hung as high upon the political gallows
as JOHN BRowN was upon the gallows at
Charlestown.
Mr.. WELLS says that "if man is free
man-if he is a citizen, and clothed with
"the rights of eitizenship-it ,oiN be a great
"crime to take. from him heme0,,s accessory
"to protect those rights that is, the bal
lot. Now, this is downright hypocrisy.
This same man, who thus PIRATES about the
great crime of depriying negroes of the right
to vote, in the same speech praises Con-
stitution which DISTINGUISHES thousands OF
men of his own race, and disqualifes for
holding Office nine out of every ten respect
able white men in Virginia. 1t is all right
in Mr.. WELLs's estimation to disfranchise
the LEES, the STUARTs, the MoNTAGUEs, the
LETcHERs, the BALDwINs, the DANIELS, the
FLoURNoYs, the GOGGINs, the MAsoNs, the
thousands of men of education, statesman
like qualities, and unsullied characters, but
monstrous crime y to say that an igno-
rant corn-feld negro shall not vote. Every
body knows that Mr.. WELLS Ensembles
either when he lauds the Constitution or
when he says that it is o crime to take
away the ballot from citizen.
Of piece with the rest of his speech is
Mr.. WELLs's twaddle about the "supre-
macy Of the law" For man who holds
his own Office in defiance of the Constitu-
ton and laws Of Virginia, in contempt of
the wishes of ninety-nine hundredths of
the respectable men in the State, and only
because the military power of the Govern
ment silences all State law, to prate about
" yindicating the supremacy of the law %
is the acme Of impudence. None but q
Radical could have had the effrontery to
do it.
Again: Mr.. WELLS gives as q reason for
making voters Of the negroes that the Con-
stitution Of the United States provides that
" any man, without regard to race or color,''
who is born in this country, is a citizen.
This is another untruth. The amendment
in question has not become part Of the
organic law of the land.n On the contrary,
one OF the FIRST acts required of the new Le-
sislature OF Virginia will be the ratifica-
ion Of the said amendment. New. Jersey
md Ohio have both withdrawn their reso.
ntions ratifying it. They could not have
lone so had it become q part Of the sConsti-
ution. But conceding that Mr.. WELLs
aade this assertion in ignorance rather
han with ON intention to deceive the ne
roes, how can he excuse himself Sorteaoh-
,g the poor ignoramuses that that amend
.ent gives them the right to yotea His
IN State Of Michigan, like the States Of
bio, Connecticut, and indeed nearly all J
g northern States, refuses to allow ne.
oes to yote. If his auditors had been Of ,
Of high character Of which he wonld fain (
We his northern friends to believe they I
re, they would here had sense enough sol q