Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1861-05-31
REPORT
Committee on Federal Relations,

Of tic House Of Delegates
The Committee on Federal Relations,
to whom were referred the Message aud
Correspondence of the Governor, the
Bill calling a Sovereign Convention, &C.,
&c, ask leave respectfully to report, as
as follows:
The message of his Excollency, the
Governor, demands the consideration of
the Legislature. from two points of view
first, in regard to tho state of public
affairs which it discloses, and secondly,
as to the remedy which it suggests to the
people Of the State for the perilous con-
tingencies which surround them.
So far as We can ascertain the views
of the Governor, from the brief presen-
tation Of them, which the haste of our
meeting had, as he states, permitted him
10 make, it appears that he regards the
circumstances which have transpired
since the attack upon the Massachusetts,
regiment in Baltimore, on the 10Th Of
April, as constituting oil the facts to
which it is necessary your attention
should be drawn. Your committee, OF
course, recognize the propriety of avoid
ing at this moment all unnecessary re-
cuhence to discussions which have alrea-
dy been far ovorstepped by The rapid
progress Of events; but they find it, at
the same tine, quite impossible to do
justice to the Questions before them, with
out frank and explicit reference to at
least portion Of the public events which
had preceded and were so closely con
nccted With the occurrence alluded to.
The President of the United States,
by bis proclamation of the 18th Of April,
had called upon portion Of the States
to place at his disposal body Of militia
to the number of seventy-fye thousand
men. The proclamation was directed
against the people Of the ucwly-formed
Southern Confederacy, and its purposes
aud policy were obvious, although its
terms were technically shaped in confor-
nifty with the act Of Congress Of 1885
1t recited, with formal precision, in the
language Of the act, that the laws of
the United STATES we're opposed, and tie
execution thereof was obstructod, in the
seven seeded States, "by combinations
too powerful to be suppressed by tle or
binary course Of judicial proceedings, or
by the powers vested in the Marshals, -
and it called forth the militia Of the other
States, in the further language Of the
Is sapmess snch combinations,
aoF- .S-a,fs the laWs q &c duly execu-
tal. IN pursue el7of another section
of OBJ lag, !. iden onmaati = 81.
eurgents to dispense ana fire paaccahi
to their respective abodcs within twenty
days. Il there is any proposition clear
beyond dispute, it must be, that if the
occasion which authorizes the President
to call out the militia, under the Act OF
1898, existed at all, IL was declared, by
the explicit terms Of the proclamation
to exist only in the States Of the South
crn Coafaderacy. which were therein
enumerated 1t is equally indisputable,
as matter Of law, that the militia, il
called out lawfully at all, we're lawfully
empowered tqaxecnte the laws and sup
press unlawful combinations in the seven
States named, aud in none other Such
conclusion Of law is not only obvious
and unavoidable, as a matter Of construc-
ton, but equally to be insisted upon as
matter Of principle and seIf-protectiou
on the part Of the people; for the exer-
else Of the military power, in free GO
vernmcut, is never to be permitted, ex-
copt within the limits anl under the
seycrest restrictions and cheeks Of the
law If a President Of the United
States, under the fraudulent prctence OIL
suppressing unlawful combinations il
Louisiana and Florida, could be permit.
ted to call out troops. to be used for any
purpose IN Maryland or Virginia, no sol
Of any State would be free from inva-
sion, and no right of the citizen any
where would be secure against overthrow
It was not, however, because Of any
apprehension that the militia which were
called out by the President would be
used in other than the designated quar-
tiers, that the proclamation created ar
intense and immediate excitement in thu
Southern and Border Slave States Or
tho contrary. Il was iba very purpose
aauunco3 by 1Ir Lincoln which kin
3i3 - a5c fam Of reseutment and
ves.a suse His proclamation was re-
garded rs q declaration Of war agains
the Southern Confederacy--as a deliber.
ate summons to the people Of the two
sections, into which bis party and III
principles had so hopelaSly divided the
land, to she'd each oticFs blood, in wan.
tonness and hate A scheme so full OIL
wickeduess--so utterly subyersive OIL
every principle upon which our govern
men. was founded, and 50 sure to involve
the destruction Of that government. lei
the fortune Of war be what it might
could not but excite almost TO frenzy ev'
cry feeling Of those who sympathized
with tho people against whom it wai
Eliminated. Independently, too, Of il
vantoBuss and inhumanity, il was fell
.Elt hrawn to be a gross violation Of tht
CNpsiiig'ien, and without color Of Lawful
ast oei The people of tho seeded
f.aias nhethoF arnstitutionally or un.
con- ttplieun.ly sad eaarated themselves
frobsthis foycrnee md established q
federal g0verumatT-0f fheir own, will
al the forms OF q coast zion and all tho
subsb.ntial attribute. 4 actual ipdepen.
dcncs. Through theic constituted au
thoriles aud in their collective capacity
as cSamunitics, they Tad Withdrawn
gAcns,lyrs from TIC Union repuJiatct