The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-05-15
What Was Said?

Governor WILLS, In his letter to Mr.. GAR
LAND, refers to a conversation which TOOK
place at an interview on the 18th March last
between President GRANT, and Judge RiVsS'
General WIcKgAs, and himself. The purport
of that conversation il not given. 1t would
be interesting to hear what was said ; ana we
venture to ask.
Governor WELLS says that the main point
unt,er consideration was as TO whether Con-
gress should strike out the Objectionable fea'
lures In the constitution, or the people should
be left TO do this for themselves or not, rs they
mfyht choose. The Governor was decidedly
in favor Of leaving that matter to the people.
But lust then this Governor was bitterly
oppos;ng the submission of the constitution in
separate parts even 10 the people,. e., he
objected to allowing the people 10 decide this
matter a. all! To leave ont any part Of the
constitntlon-to consider any par: ohjec-
tionable, and so considering it, to strike 1t
ou,-he declared would be fatal to the Repub.
hcan party He has since changed his opin-
ion. or hypocritically affected 10 have changed
IL, under the fear OF General GRANT. The
decided hostility of the President to those sec
tions-to strike out which Governor WELLS
told the Committee Of Reconstruction would
be death TO the Republican party-was what
the Governor could not dare 10 treat with
contempt
Now we come back to the question which
floats upon the surface Of the ccmplacent YER
biage OF Governor WELLS. What was the
tenor Of the conversation al the interview
with the President? What did Judge Rl'Ls
say What did General WIcKnAM say? They
have both, in the most emphatic manner anu
before the public, declared themselves de-
cidedly hostile to the UNDERWOOD constitution.
Did they object TO the submission OF the
Objectionable clauses 10 the separate vote Oh
the people? We imagine not; but 1t is worth
knowing. Did Governor WELLS then favor
the submission of the question on those
clauses In that manner? II he did, he was
guilty Of gross duplicty-pretending one 'hlng
TO General GRANT and another to the Recon-
struction Committee. All these matters are
worth knowing. The people should under
stand them all.
We know that Judge RivEs is especially
Mortified at the provisions i'll regard to county
organizations, and we suppose that General
WICKHAM is ALSO Was there not something
said about the county organizations as
well as the "test- OATH" &c.
There is something bewitchngly affection
ate In Governor WELLs's aiiusion TO his col
leagues in the interview with General GRANT
1t smacks OF self compliment satisfaction and
pride n the association, rs well it might, when
we consider the exceeding paucity OF respec-
table relationship enjoyed by the Governor
But looking ut the intimacy and the conf
dence that are assumed by the Governor tt
exist between himself and the gentlemen
named, how far do they concur i'll his views oil
the constitution, or TO what extent has Inc
adopted theirs? Judge RIvEs is as emphati
caliy opposed 10 the article providing FOL
county organizations as General GRANT him
self, and we cannot doubt that General WICK
HAM takes the same ground. How is Governor
WELLS on this point? Is he not at the bottom
Of the opposition now being made to the sub
mission OF this clause 10 the separate vote OF
the people? That is most assuredly where he
is.
This Governor WELLS is 4 most tricky in
diyidual.