St. Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1845-1863, 1861-02-14
Letter from Ex-Gov. Lowe.

FREDERICK CRY, MD.. JAN. 10, 1861
IL Nse Editors otthe Baltimore American:
GExrLEMEN My attention has been
called to an anonymous communication in
your paper of yesterday Ohe 18th inst. }
purporting to give an account of the Coun-
~ Convention which assembled in this city
on last Wednesday. In it l find the fol-
! wing paragraph:
'.Ex-Govornor Lowe followed in a
speech of great eloquence. He began by
speaking of the exaltcl character of the
presiding officer, and went on to expasi-
ate about political chicaney, trickery, and
what not lie treated with contempt the
idea Of Maryland remaining longer in the
Union. If her people wish to be slaves,
said he, let them remain, if they wish to
bow down to the will of despotic North
cru section, let them remain : as for him.
he would shake the dust off his feet and
depart for more patriotic abedcs."
This report is untrue. AS, however,
the writer uses language personally re-
spectful, a.nedisposcd to believe that he
did not Intentionally misreprescnt me, al
though am greatly surprised that any
intelligent man could so seriously misappre-
hend my remarks. generally speak
with precision and never with conccalment
or ambiguity.
have rarely ever noticed misstatements
appearing in the political press, and es-
pecially when made by unknown CORES
pondents; but. in the instance. and as the
injustice is done me through the columns
of respectable and influential journal, |
owe it to myself, as we'll as to others, not
to permit the misrepresentation to 60 un-
contradicted. Standing in the midst ola most
perilous crisis, it becomes the duty Of eve
ry citizen of Maryland to form his opinions
with de!ibcration, and to express them
with candor and fearlessness nor should
he permit the influence of his name, be it
great or small. to be publicly associated
with any principle or sentiment which he
does not entertain The soleinnity Of the
occasion forbids it.
1t is entirely untrue that ''treated niM
contempt the idea of -NpyL,nd remaining
ionger IN the Union." On the contrary, |
strcnuously advocated. the address and res
olutions which were afterwards unanimously
adopted by the Convention, and which you
fill find published in the Baltimore Sun" of
this morning. | earnestly expressed the
hope that the Union might yet be preserv-
ed by the adoption of some basis Of settle
ment as acceptable, at least, as that pro-
p,s;I by MIR. C..ttcnfcn. l dwelt
with emphasis upon the immense blessings
which Constitutional Union would Sc
cure. and the individual suffering and ma
tional calamities which disunion, in any
form, would certainly produce.
advanced the opinion that If Maryland
and the other Border Slavehvlding States
had called Conventions of their people and
invited the whole South to q conference,
in accordance with the views expressed
two months ago by the advocates Of prompt
action, we would now be much nearer to
happy adjustment Of our difficulties than
we are and that such proposition as that
Of Mr.. Crittenden, had it been adopted by
all or large majority of the Southern
States shortly after the late Presidential
election. and presented as an ultimatum
to the Northern people with candor and
firmness, would, in ali probability. have
been promptly accepted hut that the va
cillation of the Border Slaveholding States
had deceived the people Of the North into
the belief that they would have no State
to coerce ether than South Carolina, and
that Northern demag"eues had availed
themselves of this fatal delusion, and had
profited by this delay to stir up the war
feeling Of their people and to rally them
to the dangerous and monstrous doctrine
Of coercion. under the plausible pretcxt of
"entorei"9 the la@s and protecting the pub
lic property"
l said that in my opinion. the Disunienists
per sc in the South constituted, sixty days
ago. small minority, aud are still mi
nority Of the people of any one State,
(unless we are required to except South
Carolina > and that three-fourths of the
Southern States. perhaps all. would cheer
fully have consented to wait reasonable
time to afford the Northern people ample
opportunity to respond through their Leg
islatnres or by Conventions 10 the appeal
OF a umited South in Convention assembled:
which appeal, | urged. should aud conld
have been made moro than month ago,
had prompt action been taken after the Gil,