The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-05-03
Governor Wells.

The Williamsburg Gazette has repub-
lished from the Dispatch some extracts OF
en- article concerning Governor WELLS
which was written at the timc Of hill, ap-
no;p,ment to the Office no now disgraoes..
That article ewas based upon information
oiven.by friends Of that gentleman, which
was received kindly by the Dispatch;
frat, because General scHorIELDs appoint
nent was strong recommendation and
secondly, because Governor Wells sue
ceedea Governor PsrRporNT, whose then re-
can't conduct IN the political arena had been
offensive and therefore the feeling induced
BY the change was one Of satisfaction. The
disposition was to be little blind TO
WELIsss faults, ana little kind to what What.
ever virtues he might have. s
so,upon the authority of persons in the
Wells dinterest, he was represented in 0
favorable light. His appointment was q
surprise, agreeable though 1t was, and
therefore thai, premOnition Of advancement
which always elicits what may be said
against man was wanting. Nobody here
could fell Of his Alexandria tyrannies and
suspected dealings; nor Of his Michigan
career. And even the prina jacie evil
dencesof corruption In the United States
District Court Of this city was not well IN
derstood.s Indeed, Governor Wells had In
his personal intercourse given no indlca-
ton Of his proscriptive opinions, nor hsd
he intermeddled with the colored popula-
ton publicly imbuing their minds with
feelings not compatible with social harmony
and order. People were not curious about
the docket of the United States Court.
Lawyers endured patiently the entire mo-
nopoly by him Of the cases for violation OF
the internal revenue laws (Which dlsap-
peared 50. mysteriously), and everybody
felt more or Less satisfaction at his appoint
But the yelled prophet soon threw off his
disguise, and appeared in all his hideous-.
ness. BE abandoned all prudence-aH
considerations for public feeling and public
decenoy-and in q TRADE of demagoguism
delivered to the blacks made that well-
remembered allusion to JOHN Brown which
provoked universal disgust. This paper
Immediately gave him frst-rate notice"
From that day Governor WELLS has been
growing no better. He has kept up sys-
tenn of petty intrigues with disreputable
persons-he has been engaged in constant
schemes about Offices, cutting up the pro-
minent places of the Government amongst
his followers, retaining the best for him
self-playing the game Of removing disa-
bilties, or rather, deluding and deceiving
hundreds who were encouraged to hope for
relief, and being ever on the run between
this city and Washington, seeking to en-
barrass the commanding General here and
tighten the cords that bind the people Of
Virginia. He and his lieutenants gave the
General vast amount of trouble, and their
mutual ordinations of one another were
such that no man who heard them could
have had the slightest confidence in any
one of them. ..E.....
This is the Governor WELLS 90 kindly
received. This is the man who coolly told
the Reconstruction Committee that the
people Of Virginia, whose bread he was
eating, could not be trusted that if set at
liberty they would prosecute "loyal"
men, Sc.
OF course If we ever dreamed that Co.
vernon WELLS was worthy the good opinion
Of any man it was great mistake. 1t
was public wrong to give currency to such
an opinion, and we ask pardon.