St. Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1845-1863, 1861-01-03

I We unu III. the Baltimore Americas, q
! late date, synopsis Of the address o
our distinguished countyn,an, H. @. s
Key. delivered at county meeting q
] Prince Frederick in Calvert on the LID
! ultimo. The President Of The meetiri,
(Col. Nathaniel Duke0 in introducing. u !
i Key 'tsnsrked 'shat having reccntfy me me-
with Mr.. Key. and conversed with hin
upon the issues Of the day. and the bes
J means Of restoring peace and harmony t
the country. and Of removing all causes o
the present unhappy dissensions, he be
came impressed with the propriety of al
address by Mr.. Key to the people Of tn
county. and accordingly. ON consaltasio.
with many other citizens Of the county
earnestly invited Mr. Key to attend tn.
meeting. which, after urgent solicitations
! Mr.. Key assented to.
! Mr.. Key. having been introduced to
the meeting spoke subst antially as fol-
lows:
That having yielded to the solicitation
of Mr.. Duke and other friends, he ap.
pearcd with some diffid-nce and hesitation
in view of tho exciting and alarming ques-
tions now agitating the country-questions
requiring the greatest degree of wisdom for
their solution. That the high regard
which he had always entertained for the
people Of Calvert, and the kind considera-
tion with which lie had ever met at their
hands, made him always ready to respond
to any call to appear and consult with
! them upon the questions of the 'lav That
heretofore in his visits 10 Calvert he had
appeared as champion in party contests /:
and he could wish that such were now the
case. But more momentous issues were
now presented to tho people of that coun-
tv. and to the whole country--issues in
their magnitude and importance absorbing
all mere party conflicts. and obliterating
all party lines. In such state of affairs
he hoped all party prejudices and heart
burnings would be laid aside. and sacrifi-
ced to a firm and decided effort to prom ots
the best interest of our State and Of thu,
country. Our country, founded by sages
and patriots, and cemcntcd with heroes
blood, now renowned and honored
throughout the world for its arts aud it,
arms. for its free institutions, and its equal
laws. for its rapid advancement in all that
constitutes a nations wealth and nations
power. to which the the struggling peo-
pie of other eli,nes look as the beacon light
to guide them to a harbor of safety, and
whose institutions they are striving to i'm
itate--that country was now en- nsironed
with psrils Of the most alarming and mo-
menious character, which threatened the
whole fabric of the Union with destruction.
A sectional and descriptive party.
tranpling under foot the solemn guaran-
tees of the Constitution and the laws
made in pursuance of its provisions to
secure the rights of our section of the
cenfedcracy, having succeeded by mere
brute majority in securing their section
al triumph, was now rio,ing in the full
assurance of welding the whole power Of
tho Government, and Boosting of the
approaching accomplishment of their ia
natical schemes. Even Senators of the
United States were heard pronouncing
1.-The election Us verdict of Jury of
the country in favor of making the Con-
'stitution Constitution of freedom
throughout the land; that blacks were to
be on the same footing with whites in the
rights Of citizenship. and that a "high.r
law than the law Of the Constitution was
&c be free y resorted to to promote their Sec
siousl aggrandizement In the insolence of
their shouts ofvictory. they do not hesitate t.
'proclaim that there shall be no more slave
States, no more Dred Scott decisions but
that the Courts Of the country are to be re-
constructed. the Constitution construed al
together in behalf of freedom, and the
South stripped of its rights in the COM
mon territory of the nation.
MIR. Key did Not think that the South
looked upon the election of Lincoln as 50
much in itself cause of alarm and disoui-
ct, but as being the eliminating point
in scctionalisln-as an index of the OBJ
iects and designs and the unfriendly feel
ings of the Northern section of the Con-
federacy
! For himself he confessed that he was
overwhelmed with horror when he con-
.idered the dangers tha. beset US,
and the perplsxing problem of the
solution of the momentous questions cal
.irg for speedy and decisive action.
That he loved this Union, and would do
anything consistent with the maintenance
Of our constitutional rights. and our hon
or and equality in the republic What
shall b. the position of Maryland in the
crisis? Her social and other interests and
the nature of her institutions, her SYM
pathies and her feelings. all combined to
unite her destiny irrevocahly with the
South. Should not her voice be heard in
the midst of the danger? Mr.. kcy
thought that Maryland should consult with
the States Of Virginia Tennessee, Ken
tucky. North Carolina and Missouri, the
States really the most interested in qucs-
tons in dispute. That Maryland, from