The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1843-07-08

peopIe of Baltimore as violation of their
faith
Certainly every right minded man of
MARYLAND will say-Pay faithfully the
interest Of our debt: make every effort to
pay il. If the money cannot be raised
to-day, raise it tomorrow. and do not let
any man believe that it will not surely be
paid. =,
There was a time when if any one had
said of Maryland will borrow money
and use it, but will not pay it back-we
would with one heart and mind lave an
swered such saying is base calnmny
man, woman or child Of Maryland paren-
tage, bat would have felt that saying TO
be all insult
During the last three or four years
party has arisen, in some parts of the
United States, who have get themselves to
specializing upon the obligation Of the
State to pay debt contracted by the
State. That party has studied TO pick
flaws in State contracts; and having found
space for bubble in the contract, Or
that failing, imagined a faw-have come
out boldly and proclaimed the Obligation
to pay altogether void. These men
claim to be beneiactors Of the people, be-
cause they have tang ht the people qulb-
BILE by which they might shuttle off their
debt They insist that the State having
got money by false pretence-that is as
some of them have argued, by a law
which had no lorce-and the money hav-
ing gone into the public Treasury for pub
lie uses, the people were not bound to
pay it back. but had a right TO keep it,
although the contract by which the State
60. the money was, as they affirmed, void
from the beginning. What name can we
give to this wretched chicanery2
Obviously, one or the other of two
things, in such case, the people ought to
do. Either affirm the contract and pay
interest and principal when due,-or dis
affirm it and return the money. Not set
aside the contract and keep the money
too. Yet this has been advised.
In Maryland there was time when we
lad only heard Of these things.
No one Of our people supposed that
lhis hcresay of Reputation could faint
ou' souls, or even find breath within our
border. We proclaimed. in many public
ways, that however crippled Maryland
might be in her resources, however I'M
happily constrained to delay her debit
whilst we had hearts and homes, lands or
goods, Reputation was a word that could
not 5e SPOKEN to her people: that the Ut
,erancc "t 1t would stir up revolt in every
mans mind, and reuse that ancient sem
sIbl!uy to duty which as in he war OF
the Revolution, ii poured out Mary land
blood like water, would now impel the
sacrifice Of worldly wealth to preserve her
honor plighted in peace.
With grief and shame, all good men
inhabitng our State have lately been made
aware that this proclamation was but an
idle boast.
1t seems that Reputation has been Sc
cre'ly nursed in the bosom Of certain Of
til .eople' 1t has bcnn growing up when
no e"e suspected it, Very recently
with ia past year--it has appeared
openly a" 'nGst us, and has come, at
length. t" cna,.cNge the public support
The Message of We Governor, at the
opening of the la, General Assembly,
recognized its existence, apoIo-zed for
its eXtravagances, and even gave it so
much counenance as to arg"e that on le
gal grounds, it might perhaps, by in the
wrong: upon the whole, that it had better
not push matters just now. That mes
sage filled many minds with distrust.
Tho ,>ro,oo1;pre sc tl< ,c nj |
tgates in the matter of the Treasurer was
another sign. A faithful, jealous and
capable officer. distinguished above all
other qualities for his tenacious vindica-
ton of the public falh;-whose exertlon
in that behalf VIGOROUSLY gave confidence
to our credit abroad-was dismissed from
the Treasury, not only without pre,ext
for the act, but even with high commenda-
ton for his ability and worth. and anolh-
el chosen in his place noted for, at least,
an equivocal opinion on this great ques-
ton of the duty of the State to make pro
vision for her debt unknown to the COM
munity of Maryland, for the most part, as
regards any thing else.
These were the signs of last winter.
More recently political meetings have
been held in certain parts of the State, the
object of which was TO embody the doc
lrne of Reputation in all effective and
mischevlous shape, and introduce it into
the public policy of the State.
These meetings have been conducted
with the aid and support of native Mary
landcrs high in public trust as represent
tativts Of the people. Speeches have
been made TO persuade the people that
Reputation was their right and their
duty. 1t has been claimed as an avowed,
accepted and authentic procedure of the
Democracy of Maryland.
We take great pleasure in doing an act
of justice to portion Of our political OPP