St. Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1845-1863, 1861-02-28
LEONARD TOWN Md THURSDAY MoRNING. .FEBRUARY

tnus result th At the Southern Rights men
of Maryland; as early as last November,
earnestly Recommended the election OF
{! Convention by the people. They believed
! then. and believe now. that if Maryland
had taken decided stand, her example
would hsve been followed by the other
border Save States; not one of whieh. iu
| fac. has q deeP sn iatarsss3irl14hasss<sasss
ss herself
lie, geographical position, making her
! the seat If war in the event Of collision.
aud her s.ixtinns to the District of Column
bia, combine TO render her position in this
! crisis one Of permanent difficulty. We
were satisfied that the border slave States,
that is, Delaware, Maryland. Virginia,
, Kentucky and Missouri, acting Ia concert
! with North Carolina and Tennessee. by
calling a Convention of all the Southern
States last Nuye,.lher or December, would
have CO, trolled the action Of the cotton
States, b. the adoption of manly policy.
Ii they had opted such basis of settle
ment as rhe Crittendcn resolutions, and
presented it to the North a. the ultima
tum Of Ehc South, We believe that it
would have driven the leal-rs of
the Republican party into a submission to
! u demant! go clearly right and moderate
and that the Union would have been
saved. The co-operatiouists Of the cotton
States. who We're then really i'll the ma
. jority. would have been enabled t" stem
the torrent Of secession, which they were
powrrlrs. tu do in the absence Of aid and
81 .t.,-
States. At all events. if it be pnssble to
suppose that the Northern States would
have deliberately rejected 80 reasonable ali
offer OF peace aud fraternity rendered by
a united South, it cannot be considered
probable that tsnatIcism would have ven-
! tuTed to draw the sword Of civil war
against fifteen States and eight millions o;
brar. aud wsrlike people. CiyaI war
would have been impossible.
1t is un.rue, therefore, that the South
ern Rights men Of Maryland desired the
election ef a Sovereign Convention, in
order that they might carry Maryland ou'
of :he t,nioa. Their earnest purpose, OH
the contrary, was to prevent secession asi
uisuaion, hy a formidable movement to
obtain such settlement az could alone
preserve the Uuion, ANA failing in thst,
then TO avert the calamitics Of frarricida'
war by a peaceful separation. Mary land
has uot performed that great dsty. We
do not design to cast reflections on any
who differed from US in epinlon. They
may be honest; but that they have pur-
sued fatal pslicy, events are rapisly
demonstrating.
The inacton of the border slave States
has resulted in the secessios Of seven
States, aud tn establishment Of = South
, eru Coufederscy, and. what is in6I.i;e,,
more disastrous to the hopes Of til.
. friends OF The Union. it has given time
and opportunity to the incorporating
, leaders of the Republican party to avow
the war spirit Of their people, under tn,
plausible prctext Of "eato.ring TIE tar.
o,td prote'4ine the public p'oilerty," aut
to ceusoli late the masses of the Northerr
States in determination to coerce the
: South, Us indicated in the recent specche:
: of Mr. lincoln: aud wc ail understand
: that coercion mcan7 civil! war.
, II is useless to argue the right or pro
pricties OF coercion There stands tbs
fact that the seeded States have ofhciall,
declared that any attempt to rctake th;
|, forts or to collect revenue within thei
limits will be resisted by force of arms
and We know that such war commenced
in any one State will necessarily becom;
general Thus it happens that the peace
: honor AMI safety IF the border slave
States are Involved in events which they
have not inaugurated and cannot master
Instead of being arbitrrs of Southern dcs
. tiny. they are new driven to accept con
! sequences which they might have con
trollcd.
: 1t is now, we fear. too late to remc,,,
{ this great error. 1t is too lase, We: tear
; to accomplish reconstruction BY the IN
strumentality which We solenlaly believ,
would have prevented disunion: never
: .heless, whilst there is life there Is hope
, aud we regard it as the most sacred duty
as it is the highest interest of the border
slave States to make this last effort t.
rc-establish the noble government whicl
was constructed Ly the genius and bap
tized in the heroic blood of eur fathers
Judgment is now left for them to decide
: their future destiny dissolution i.
. final. lu that case We suppose there cal
|, he no doubt that the sentiments Of az
overwhelming n,aj"rity of the people o.
; Mar, land Is loyalty and thoroughly with
the South
Maryland would never subordinate her
. action to that of any other State; yet sh.
> cannot forget that the power, conservative
, principles, and geographical position %
Virginia make it eu,iue,.lly proper, it noi
absolutely necessary. THAI she should
, unite her fortunes to those Vt ttla, State
/ Virginia will not leave the Euion unlcs'
it becomes impossible for her to adhere &c
, it consistently with her honor, her csnsli
, tutional rights. her inde;,enden, sover.
| eighty, ami her domestic peace aud safe
; ty. Maryland stands precisely upon thai
igroulrd. Ii :rginia 's so@pclisd to g.