Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-05-08
Gov. WelIs's Speech to tine Radical
Convention, up0m being no1minated
for GOVernOr

obligation which such trust imposes, he said:
1t is a qualification, gentlemen, assure you,
to meet Convention assembled in the city of
Richmond, in the old Commonwealth OF Ylr
GINA, composed of men Of the character / now
see before me. It is q remark that mas been
made in my hearing several times during the
present day, that since the war no body OF men
has assembled in this city-that is, no poIltl,
cal body-Who stood higher in character, high
err in its personnel, than the Convention assem-
bled here today, animated, as all have said,
with desire, sincere desire, to address them
selve in earnestness to the work before them
animated more, [ thank God, with dlsposl-
ton to bury all past animosities and t0encourage
only love, affection, friendship, and union.
And all these things, gentlemen, are mole ne
cessary now than ever before. There never
was time 10 your history, or the history OF
| the Commonwealth where there was more ne
cessity for single purpose to actuate all hearts
| than there is to-day. We are now about COM
mencing new eampaign-a compa!gn IN more
senses than one-a palgn which has TO De
| fought upon broad field; and by men. OF
all classes; and by men OF all polltlcal, complex
| ions, as we'll as all c0lors Of skin. We are to
meet upon this field to settle (you believe me,
gentlemen, when | say it, the great lssuee that
| were fought for on q thousand bloody fields IN
| four years of strifc-Wherc millions OF brave
men on both sides marched 10 search OF glory
| or death. The great issue; as l understand 1t,
| Of the late war was whether the law should be
| supreme or not-Whether some could nave
their will, trample upon the law, and utterly
| ignore it. Now, We have settled the lrSt IL
now returns to US in this form
| A Constitution is about to be submitted to
you; the object, aim, and purpose OF which IS
to restore the law to its supremacy by lnsugu;
| rating to Office men qualified and duly elected
| under the law That's the supremacy OF the
| lazy to which refer That is the great qucs-
| ton now to be met Our opponents say they
| don't want the Constitution adopted. Why -?
| Because they prefer military government to
| q civil one organized under this Constitution
| and in pursuance OF It. ...-~t
| Now, the sole question is whether the law
| shall become supreme agalu, and whether It's
| supremacy shall be indicated, and whether
| the Governor, who is the Chief Executive
| shall be elected or appointed The question
as to the supremacy oflaW Is involved III an
other way. 1t is this: | suppose there IS no
man now listening to me who has not his talth
firmly fixed upon this fact: that III the Com
monwealth OF Virginia all men are to be by the
! law free and equal Applause.
| The other question involved is " neither the
supremacy of the law is to be maintained In
this region It has become part OF the organic
| law of the United States, and must be OF this
| State-a part OF the organic law OF the land,
| that any man, without regard to race or color
who is born in the United States or under Its
! jurisdiction is citizen Of the United States,
and q citizen of each ofthc States. Applause. !
| Now, then. if by the law he is citizen, and
rccognizcd as such, this being fixed fact, in
| Cots name why should not he have the means
and power necessary to protect his rights as q
citizen ? Applause. Those who oppose US
| in this campaign cannot deny that that IS a
reasonable proposition, and one which Is not
| susceptible of reasonable or successful contra
diction.
| They tell us as doctrine of their party, by
means of the press and of indi7iduas, that they
| will not recognize this as fact, and that they
will not submit to political equality any longer
| than we have the force to compel them to do
so. a voice, That's SOL Now, we are
| fighting that question, whether the supremacy
of the law in this particular is to be maintained;
and I think it will. Applause.
And for this reason, gentlemen, it never has
happcned in the history of humanity-an
| God grant that it never may-that men S lights
| have ever gone backward Men may go back
ward somctimes-go down before their rights
and fail to maintain them-but right IS march
ing on like the great spirit OF John brown
Loud applause, Amen, That is good, !"
&c. When man puts himself on the wrong
side Of the locomotive he knows what to cX-
pect Somebody has to get off the track. a
man who stands before the locomotive to strive
against the power of the steam which propels
| it must 20 down or get out Of the way. And
so it is, gentlemen, in relation to this question,
and when we come to 90 into the field upon
this canvass, and in this campaign, it is our
| duty to say to gentlemen who oppose Us that
We don't propose to rule, we don't propose TO
ruin :, We don't propose to domincer or to at
| tack any man, but simply to exercise ourrights
| and plant ourselves fair and square upon the
| plain proposition and the great principle that
all men are free and equal, and are entitled to
| the exercise of the full rights Of citizenship.
| Now giveus that, in Gods name. Applause.
If you decline to give it to US By the help OF
| the right we must take it from you. APP
pause. A negro member: That is as good
| taking as any man can talk" Laughter and
applause. We desire it in no wrong spirit,
but simply in spirit Of justice, and right, and
| believe it is the only means under Heaven by
| which this State, as a State simply-to say
nothing of any great questions OF rght-the
only way it can be developed. You might as
we'll talk about ploughing up your heavy
| swards and clay bottoms with wooden ploughs,
| and expect to compete with the man who en-
| ploys all kinds OF improved machinery in his
aricultural affairs, as to suppose in this State,
| after We have made the progress We have,
that you can go back and deny to US full
participation in all the rights belonging to
citizens Applause There is nothing wrong
in this, and if right, what follows? 1t follows
thatif the man is q treeman-ifhc is citizen,
| and clothed with the rights Of citizeDshp-it
will be great crime to take from him the
means necessary to protect those rights. 1t is
| so,~is it not? What are the means by which
free man is to protect and defend his rights
Why. The ballot. Applause, That's some
thing, as somebody has said, which "descends
as gently as the dews Of Heaven or as q snow
fake" and yet how it enrichcs and fructifcS
| tho .,uIn IUhrld and han