Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1859-09-23

|
ting slavery, when the organic law is
changed, legally, by virtue of and in
pursuance to its own provisions, then
Congress having the power, viii and
must exercise it. These arc the means
by which free labor is to eradicate slave
labor.
The consequences we need not depict
Were it possible for the ends of Rcpub-
licanism to be attained, Jamaica and
lIayti furnish too surely examples of
what South Carolina and Louisiana would
become. and New Orleans would flourish
in Legitimate commerce" as Kingston
does now. No man doubts that the
slayeholding States would prefer the ha-
card Of disunion, civil war, or any chance
of evil, to the terrible certainty which
has resulted from emancipation in the
| West Indies.
All the elements Of the opposition
united, as is now the effort in Maryland,
the combination must be controlled and
moulded and governed by the most pow
erful .'elcment" that is, the Republic
can party. Such must be the conse-
\ quence, as surely as any law of nature
works out its results.
:. Are gentlemen, opposed to the Demo-
cratic party in Maryland, prepared thus
to place themselves in the hands Of those
who seek the destruction Of their breth-
rcn and their country?
! DO they intend to be The Instruments IN
| The hands Of ABOLITION Disuniong
! The means by which it is sought to
deliver Maryland to this Composition"
party are as easily disccrnablo as they
are ncfarious.
Relying upon the brute force, the fraud
and violence which controls the ballot
box in Baltimore, and which has dcs-
troycd it as an institution of free gov
erEment there; the Leading men in this
new movement propose, by tremendous
pretended majerities iHthat city, to over
come the vote Of the State. Their boast
is well known and open, that whatever
the voice Of the counties, it shall be
drowned in the hurrah Of the clubs; and
that no mattey what vote may be given
pFiirideF'f thd city. itishalI lie controlled
by pretendcdivotes within it.
The public men who headed the late
Know-nothing order in Baltimore city
are above the influence Of public opinion !;
they are beyond tho reach Of any con-
stituency. They are not amenablo to
fthe former, for they hold their power by
tho strong arm and to them the latter
had no existence, as the ballot-box, the
primary condition Of its life, has ceased
to be. Thrust into the places they oc-
cupy by lawlcssncss, and utter disregard
of right, they hold them IN defiance of
any expressed or implied wish or senti-
ment Of the community they misreprc-
sent. You have consequently seen men
elevated by such means perpctuating
outrages on the rights and interests of
their supposed constituents, which in
community where the institution of voting
existed, would have Immediately con-
signed them to private life. And after
series Of such acts these men come
before the power which maintains them,
and thank IL for the renewed expression
Of its confidence. We believe the con-
dition of Baltimore for the last four years
has been unparalleled in the history of
modern civilization. Life, liberty and
property have all been periodically at
the mercy Of the mob; and the funda-
mental institution Of free Republic,
the elective franchise, has been utterly
ignored.
This began in an organized effort,
which was successful, TO deprive adopted
citizens, and those of certain religious
faith, Of this right, the next and neces-
sary step was to prohibit the voting Of
all Democrats Unfortunately, which
has been done for tho last two elections !;
the irresistible consequence will be the
utter disfrahchiscment Of all who arc not
agreeable to the power that controls the
so-callcd "ballot-box."
AS lawiessness begets lawlcssness,
while moro than half Of the city are de-
prived of their rights, open, undisguised
Franc stands at the polls and casts fraud
ulent ballots by hands-ful and hundreds
On the occasion ct which the present
Chief Magistrate Of that city was said to
have been endorsed by his fcllow-citizens
and re- elected, over ticenty-scren thousand
tickets were counted, Of which tpcnty-
three thousand were in his favor.
The power that could thus produce
majority Of uinetccn Mousand, could as
readily create one Of fifty thousand -
The people Of the State are thus thor
oughly in the hands Of this influence
an influence that has caused the streets
Of our metropolitan city 10 flow with
blood that has disfranchiasd her citi-
zens that has ruined her commerce
that is dcpreciating her property and
driving Off her capital; that stalks red
handed with crime in her most public
places, and perpetratcs with IMMUNITY
murder, arson, robbcry-all the most
horrible deeds in the calendar Of infamy. !
So dreadful has it become, that terror
reigns in the place of Law, and fear and
dread spreads like a pail over tho hearts
Of all save the few who, for political or
private purposes, desire to maintain the
present anarchy. Her business mon, |
her mechanics, hor laborcrs, her capital
lists, begin TO feel that life and liberty 1
and property are dearcr than party, and /
are making an effort to free themselves
from the ruthless dominion that is over
them.
No matter what is the result Of their
cndcayor, it is our paramount duty, as
Marylanders, TO come to their assistance.
Their attempt may fail TO restore the POI
!itical franchise Of the people Of Balti- !