The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1861-02-23
TCommunicateiI
The Marylant,i COME renee Conv shtion.

This body of great men, the Concentrated
wisdom of Maryland. as they were hsraldcd
by The Sun, have met, performed their arduous
duties, aud adjourned until The 10th day of
March, to give the Governor time 10 call the
Legislature; hut should Virginia secede in
the meantime. they are to convene insian.tr.
The leader Of the aif'iir, Euoch Louis Lowe
said nothing about gibbetting Gov. Hicks,
and Robert McLane, who swore at tn. Insti-
tnte meeting that the Susquehanna should be
the boundary between the North and South,
made no effort, at this august Convention, to
send Cecil county adriit, so far as appears
from the reports.
The address to the people of Maryland was
sent forth as wonderful production, and the
whole Convention was constituted Il commit
tee for its circulation. The reader will find
it \ re-hash Of the editorials Of Tie Sun for a
month or two past.
This august body found the wrongs all on
one side, and their great object seemed TO be
to encourage Virginia in secession. They
tacitly approved tn, taking of U. S. Forts.
seizing Arsenals, plundering arms, robbing
the mint, abstracting the public funds, firing
into the Star of the West, dsgracing the
National Flag, and cutting off supplies from
Major Anderson, brave and meritorious
officer.
These were subjects of public notoriety, and
people were every where speaking of them,
and were certainly expecting an expression of
| opinion on these matters from this august
assembly of national men; but not word in
condemnation escapcs-not word.
The agsressions of the North were all the
theme, and no one wishes to palistc these
aggressions, they have been long and persist
ent, but when VIZ heard their speeches de-
nouncing party ties, we might have thought,
had We not known the men, that they were
sincere. Who broke up the democratic Con-
vention at Charleston, and who sympathiz.d
in the movement? Had You been at Bllti-
more this week, and looked into the Univcr-
salst Church, you would have seen a speci-
men of them there.
1t was not the personal liberty bills that
caused South Carolina to secede, nor the
election Of Lincoln. 1t was long ure. deter.
minded purpose.
1t was in view in 1856, when Charleston
was fixed as the place Of the next Convention.
Solth Carolina desired the election of Lin
coin as an excuse for secess ion, and as there
was strong probability that Douglas would
be elected il nominated the mos efiectual step
to secure the election offs Black Republican
President was to divide the democratic party,
and they did it, and it produced the expected
result, and as soon as the news reached Char
lesion there WAS public rejoicing. Men do
not rejoice when they are defeated. Many of
those who assisted South Carolina Though
they may have done it unwittingly) still sym.
pathize with her reasonable doctrine and
their affections are loosened from the Union.
There was time when it was regarded as
almost sacrclisious to speak of the dissolution
Of the Union, and nothing has done more to
lessen the sacrcdncss of the tie that bound us
together than the continued threats of the
South to dissolve the Union. l am no
apologist OF Northern aggression, hut there
have been faults on both sides, and public
address to tho people in times like these
should be Invested Of its partizan character,
and state the issues fairly and impartially.
There probably were many good men in the
Conference, but the leading spirits were
disorganizers. Be not deceived. A man
may shout tor the Union and have no real
affection for it. Tyrants have used liberty as
watch word, Will, they were forging chains
for mankind. Y.