State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1831-1836, 1836-10-11
Voc. ". NO. 81.
TO THE PEOPLE OF MARYLAND.


the electors chosen by you on the first
Monday of the current month, to elect UNI
der the provisions of the constitution, a
Senate for the State Of Maryland, that they
should submit to your calm consideration
the causes which have thus far prevented
them from discha.ging their solemn trust,
and the principles and views by which they
have been governed in their endeavors to
accomplish it.
Sincerely DESTROYS of performing with
scrupulous fidelity the duty devolved upon
them, the undersigned, in conformity with
the practice OF every prior College of Elec-
tors since the 18th day of August, 1776,
determined to take for their sole and eX-
elusive guide the Constitution under which
alone the office was created, its duties pre-
scribed and themselves elected. Recurring
TO that instrument, they found the 18th
section TO be in these words" That the
said electors of Senate shall meet at the
City of Annapolis or such other place as
shall be appointed for converting the Legis-
lat,ire, on the Sd Monday of September,
1871, and on the same day in every fifth
year forever thereafter; and they, or any
twenty four of them, so met, shall
proceed to elect, and by ballot, either out
oftheir own body or the people at large,
fifteen senators, mine OF whom to be resi-
dents of The Western, and six TO be resi-
dents ol the Eastern shorel men of the
most wisdom, experience and virtue, above
twenty five years of aye, residents of the
State above three whole years next preced-
ing the election"
They also found that by an amendment
of the Constitution proposed by the act of
1922, ch. 204, and confirmed by the act of
1923, ch. ll6, each eloctor of the Senate,
before he could act as such, was bound to
take the following oath of office, 81 do
swear or affirm, as the case may be that
will be faithful, and ,,ear true allegiance to
the State of Maryland, and that i0H sup
port The Constitution and la,0S ofthiS Stale"
And by the 18th section of the original in
strument which is so far unrepealed, that
such oath was to be taken by the electors
Immediately on their meeting These pro-
visions were too plain to be misunderstood.
They are obvious as every organic law es-
peciaIly should be, to the dullest capacity;
with our duty so clearly and specifically
defined, we assembled in compliance with
universal usage, in the Senate Chamber at
Annapolis, on Monday last, the third Mon
day in September, at twelve O'Clock, and
Immediately qualified by taking the oathS of
offce--as however only twenty one (the
undersigned) did so assemble and qualify,
aud the constitution by its letter seemed to
require that twenty four should be present
at the election of a Senate, we waited pa
tiently for the other nineteen members
elect 10 Join us. We knew that they were
in the city and confidently anticipated that
uhey would take the oaths of office in the
course of the day and organize the college.
4 report however soon reached us, that
they had resolved not TO unite with us, iii
the performance ola common duty, except
upon conditions, to be prcvuusly prescribed
by them.
At first we did not credit the rumor. We
did not believe l. possible that any mere
agents of the people of Maryland, selected
for specific purpose, the performance OF
single aud well defined duty, would grave
ly determine to make it depend upon any
Thing else than fair construction of tho
constitution aud laws. We could not sup
pose that we, who were known to be under
ahe most sacred and solemn obligation TO
execute II trust faithfully and conscientious
ly, could be approached with proposition
ofbargain touching the performance ofonr
duty. We never for moment entertained
the idea Of trHliicking upon such subject;
and a proper self respect, together with the
palpable obligations of duty, prccluded all
otus from listening to such u proposition
coming from any quarter, however respect
full in its language and still less could we
receive it from any other than q member of
Ghe college, duly qualified us such. Our
duties were most clearly pointed out by the
constitution, and we were not only bound
rs good citizens to support ii, hut our very
oath Of Office made it our particular and
sacred duty TO uphold it in all its integrity.
The votes we were to cast for Senators
were not to he given as our votes, but as
IN ose oflhe people of Mar! land. They had
by their constitution laid down the rules,
which were to govern MS; and we should
have been false to them and to our oaths,
il we had permitted any other to be pre-
scribed TO us.
We soon ascertnined that there was too
much truth in The rumor to which we have
referred, and that misguided partZan
feeling was threatning the State with an
nrchy and its terrible results Hoping for
a returning sense of duty we continued in
session nearly the whole of each day, until
Wednesday last, the third day of our ses-
sion, when without taking the oaths of
office, the whole of the nineteen electors
left the city of Annapolis, and the State
without Senate. Whether they nre 10
return or not, depends upon you. 1t be-
comes You 10 act promptly aud decidedly.
BE not deceived by the cry Of Reform.
Many OF the undersigned, aud those by
whom they me Immediately elected, are III
favor of Reform to certain extent, aud by
constitutional means Revolution is moi
Reform. The history of the world reads
/ us awful lessons of the former. Nothing
can Justify it, except in the language ofyOur
bill of rights, 1.-The ends of government are
perverted and the public liberty endunger-
ed, and all other .neans of redress are inef-
ficient.7 Can these things be predicated