Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1860-06-21

4
as those of the late act. Perhaps it nay u said
that delegates should have initiated nIg
for the repeal Of the Code law. IN reply 70 this
permit me to say, that when the bill Of tSe late
session had passed, they took occasion 10 ex-
anime the previous law upon tie subjest ant
finding the bill passed, and the previous law il
effect the same, and taking into constellation
that the previous law had been on tie satut,
book for period Of time including at least til,
four previous sess ons OF the Legislature. the,
naturally concluded it could not be 50 very OF
jectionable, otherwise the parties interested
would have taken steps to have brought t.eii
grievances under the law to the attentionpf the
Legislatures1Y pich, ecourse, it is needless t.
say was Dne.- Therefore. how can sslpa
biIity just Battach to the late delegates for an
omission is do, what those 50 deeply interested
did not think it worth while, or at least neglec-
ted to ask them to do?
Mr.. Editor, have thought the foregoing ne
cessary to be placed before the public min~ss, to
enable it to come to ust conclusions in reference
to the charges made by your correspondents
against the last Legislature, as we'll as the i'm
piled charge against the late delegates, for omit
ting to do their duty to their constituents. AS
to the sul1iciency of the defence, in extenuation
of these charges, of course an impartial public
enter up an impartial verdict. One word in
reference to the operation of this law, and its
effects upon those OILERS who are the bona flc
citizens of the counties bordering on the Poto-
mac. Although it would impose restrictions
which may be, and doubtless are vexations to
the OILERS, yet the enforcement ofthe law upon
the part of the seine fishermen would, in Ms re-
suits, IN my Judgment, benefit them greatly
beyond the injuries or annoyances they would
suffer from it, by relieving them of the conpe-
tlton of the foreign or nonresident OILERS, who
annually literally swarm on our river, and who,
perhaps, by their superior dcXterity or outfit,
outstrip the native OILERS and take from them
that which, in my judgment, they had prefer
ed right to.
Mr.. Editor the line of defence which have
set up, does not require me sc1iutina to notice
all the positions of Potomac and Pomonkey, for
as l have above stated, it is not my purpose to
deny that the evils as alleged do not exist.t All
that desire to demonstrate is, that these evils
would have existed in an equal ratio if the last
Legislature had not legislated upon the bject
at all 1t would give me pleasure, Mr.. Editor,
had | time and space to solve number of those
knotty interrogatores propounded by Potomac,
but the history (if may be allowed the express
sion) of the late fishing season has doubtless
questions for him. | am sure it has shown him
that the prohibition of drifting gill nets oppo-
site the shore of regularly hauled fishing land
ing has not had the effect of driving the OILERS
from all THAT part of the river where floating
nets pay, for the echo of that history comes
up to my declaring that the OILERS have
been more prosperous the past season thanfor
years back, Notwithstanding the existence Of The
law and the attempt to put it in force. Before
taking leave of Potomac, | must beg to say
that am sorry that in his honest zeal to de-
nounce the abominable act of the last session,
he permitted himself to apply epithets to his
neighbors (who are SO fortunate as to own es-
tates lying upon the river) for which I mistake
these gentlemen nightly if they feel that he has
put them under obligations. Sir, l am slow
to believe that these gentlemanly propretors
desire to be considered wouldsbe lords, or that
they are arstocrats, or that they bear them
selves with that supercilousness and pride
in their intercourse with their less fortunate
brethren, which Potomac depicts in the Bryan
town mans approaching one Of them for the
purpose Of doing him the favor to rent his 1Hn-
ty ON the shore,-so as. to enable hina-se- =
cute the business of glling. Mr.. Editor, Twas
gratifed to see that Pomonkey, like skillful
tactican, las he doubtless ISL changed the po-
hear nothing of these hardships and oppression
this law was to infict upon the free negroes whu
follow gilling. His fire is now directed against
the inhibition of drifting gill nets opposite the
shore of the landing, in addition to the waters,
berth and bounds inhibited by the previous law,
and ascrbed to this results similar to those i'm
puted to it by Potomac. Whether the expert
ence of the past season has demonstrated the
truth Of this proposition, as in the case of Poto-
mac, | must leave it to the history of the season
to determine. Passing over the beautiful meta
phor contained in Pomonkey's opening to his
last article, setting forth the nducement for him
again to appear in your paper las containing
an indirect compliment, too fattering for so
modest an individual as myself to refer to in
more explicit terms), | must call attention to
his reiterated assertions, that he is Democrat.
Now, does Pomonkey regard it necessary to
make this avowal of his party associations, by
the way of meeting the presumption that might
naturally arise to the contrary, from the course
pursued by him? Formerly all animadversions
upon legislative bodies on account of their acts.
either of commission or omission, were left by
their party friends to their political adversaries
| knowing full we'll that these were lynxed-eye
enough to discover all such errors or faults, il
any existed, and were never slow in exposing
them, so that they might manufacture capital
for their side. But the progress of the present
day shows change has come over this thing
and it has been left to Pomonkey to inaugurate
new plan of showing ones party fealty and
loyalty that is, to be the first one to pitch into
the doings of our party friends and by denoun-
cling them for the most fragrant acts Of injustice
and oppression, thereby, I suppose, augment
its moral influence in the body polite Sir, in
days gone by, if public servant could pass I'M
scathed through the searching ordeal of his
party opponents, he had some reason to con-
graduate himself that at least his public acts
were not open to any considerable amount OF
censure. Not SO now. He has more rigid
and scrutnizng one to go through-that of his
party friends. And woe to the unfortunate
wight, if bis record should show, or be supposed
to show, the slightest faint or bien1ish. He is
Immediately pouhced upon by his sympathizine
friends and sabred with the ferocity and celebrity
that characterize charge Of Cossaeks. In tax
ing leave OF your correspondents, beg leave tc
tender them assurances of my highest apprecia-
tion and for your uniform kindness please &C
cept my sincere thanks and, as the only repara-
t;on col, make Won for the trOuble n,noSe6 on