St. Mary's beacon., 1860-01-05
~ EN- oRIAL.
To the Hoin1TRble, the General AssemblE
Of MARYLAND:


En- oRIAL.
To the HolsorAble, the General Assemblg
Of Maryland:
We, Tho undersigned citizens Of this
State. beg leave respectfully to present "a
your honorable body, that the State Of Ma
ryland. in all her varied interests, social
and industrial. essentially demands firu
and decisive Legislation on the subject of
our slave and free negro population. Itis
Kno.n to tacst Of ycu, gentlemen. that our
Vast free nasrc populstion. (pcw.. .s.mounts
ing to 80, 600 or more. are ia I.l,s. =
idle and depraved habits; that ts7sy cotf-
gregate in the cities aud villages, and sub
sist Ivy theft and the performance of shor+
jobs of work By the day or hour; and
that they VIII take no permanent employ
mont; that We have large number of
poor but worthy white citizens, who are OF
right entitled Ia such work, but are SUI
perceeied by such free negroes To tue great
injustice Of such needy whites
1t is alsa known that in the country
( those free negroes viii no, hire b. the year.
(wIth few rxc'rptinns) rs labor to our
farmers. but live mostly by dishonesty
and By the aid of slaves, whom they cor
rupt aud prefer to marry. That few Of
them. compared to the mass. rent farms
and thcrrb, force our poor white renters
IN leave the State for tn west and other
sections. II is also known that some Of
said free negroes cater into trades and me.
chanIsn "f various kinls to the great IN
jury Of our worthy white mechanic. TLasr
constitute only fraction of nug vas, NUM-
bcr of free negroes. but the effect upon
the poor white labOrer. renter and m"chln-
&c Is disastrous a. il is unjust. Charity
should begin at hom" first. and We sanu!l
be just to cur whit, ciiiI"n population be-
fore We are 81 generous tn the frea negro.
Even if the free negro performed such
work ~ well as the whit,s. (Which ". de-
N.Y. still that would furnish no luS;ifvny
plea as aga nst the necessities and interests
Of the poor white man.
Such a Iiea Is insulting to our citizens,
for it woull base the Justification Oh the
...5Ua ! Of equality between tn fgec negro
and citizen That rule wou' b, sound NJ
between all citizens. but extremely uniu.t
as between our citizens and free ncgrOc,.
This government was instituted for the ben-
eft # III" white man; and as he Las To SUI
tain It's bur lens by taxation and defend it.
safety 10y las own life. it i his legitimate
and exclusive right to have Ill the bcncls
il affords
10 allow the free ncgr" To- co.Epctc With
our white citizen in th" industrial pursuits
II life, is G g'"ss injustice nn the part of tie
State. 1t fs contingency never contcu.-
plated by tic trainers ofthc Federal Coust.-
tuition, or ly the trainers Of the Constitu-
ton of this State
But the vast bulk e our free negroes are
foreign a. I'll habits Of industry. and live
by stealing tn fruits of ,hr white mau =
sweat aud toll, when lie u quietly sl"cJ
They drift about from place to place. vitiat-
ing the slaves. AMI often act a. agents Of
ab"litonisth to aid iu the escape Of slaves.
for which they AZ pa!i by emissaries frol4
the North. they IRE burden upon ~.
filing our 'punty jaiIs, taxing IL heavily
for court charges, and finally are sent 90
tue pcnitcD,iary. where W. have to vote
them large supplies Of monay for ther
support.
1t is uscl s. TO disguise III" fact, tbqt
slavery and free negroism cannot much
longer exist side by side in tins STATE.
One or the other must give wav. May
Shareholders ia this State are anxlously
awaiting the action Of your body and if
nothing is done to secure their property.
they will tax it further south and IeHI :
Maryland free negro state. Tha abOiI.
ton Of free negTOlsm - essential ~ the ~
curIiy Of 'sLsye property, az we'll as tile
rights Of onr lab0ring white population.
No more parleying, NJ more timld aud
compromising legislation will lnee, III
issues OF this question. If the State would
preserve kci integrity n loyal ally of the
SOuth-If che would remove the horrors &c
house burai4gs, poisoning and eFvile stri:c
ia her own bosom--shc viii abolish fr,e
megrOism thbughout her borders az the car
hest possible period
We therefore pray your honorable body
To pass Laws cnslaylng our free R"gTpes fer
life to DUr own ciIizeus--tO BE- aceoInpaB Bied
by an exemption from ssle under execution
for debt
We also pray that a strong military pa
Ice for oa-h election district ia the State
may be apprintet to execute aud enforc..
all laws upon this subject and tile slnye
laws Of this State; also that universal pstA
system may be adopted. Various othtr
essential EEovisions german 10 this subject
will naturally suggest themselves 10 the
wisdom Of ynur boiy.
For al Of which your petitioners, as in
duty bound. viii es r Pray. DC. -r