Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1861-02-01
ROCKVILLE MORNING FEBRUARY 1,

ago, (about 40, 600, and the value OF
every acre of land in Maryland is d.
unfinished The rapid growth of Balti-
more has been caused by her commerce,
or trade. That trade is chiefly with the
South. 1t is true that Baltimore deals
also with the North. But how? She
buys from the North but, as TO about
nine-tenths of her sales, they are to the
South. Should separation be forced
upon us, and Baltimore be put with the
southern confederacy, she would hold her
own--woud not recede-and most pro-
baby would increase in business, pros
perity and population. Place her in a
northern confederacY, and she forthwith
loses nine-tenths of her present custo-
mers. Norfolk will soon become what
Baltimore now is. The favorite sea- port
of Virginia-possessed of splendid and
secure harbor-with thousands of popu-
lation and millions of capital attracted
thither from New York and Baltimore,
Norfolk would rapidly increase, and the
monumental city" as rapidly decrease
in trade and population.
With such separation, Of the Amer
lean States as that just indicated, and
then war between the sections, what
would become of the trade which sustains
Baltimore? The two principal avenues
which bring that trade are the Baltimore
aud Ohio railroad and the Chesapeake
Bay. Both would virtually be closed
The Baltimore and Ohio railroad would
then terminate at Harper's Ferry Bal
timore would be cut off, not merely from
the trade of Eastern Ohio, but from that
of Western Virginia. the Southwest, and
even the coal trade Of Western Maryland,
The mouth of the Chesapeake is be-
tween Cape Charles and Cape Henry
both part of Virginia soil. Two bate
ries erected there and few var steam
ers-would cut of Baltimorcs connection
with the ocean,
What, then, would become of the trade
which has built up Baltimore and now
sustains her population What, then,
would become of the $40, 900, 900 in
vested by the State of Maryland, the
city of Baltimore, and the people of the
State, In the construction Of 400 miles
Qncluding the parkersburg branch) of
rrh hilad west of Harper's Ferry? What,
our citizens hheeome IF fl tAA ie tAQqsands Of
tercsted in the trade brought to US by
that railroad?
If We 60 with the South, we may lose
our customers in Ohio. But, if We &c
with the North, and war ensues. we not
only lose these customers, but all our
southern ones, who. it is well understood
constitute at least three fourths, and pro.
badly nine-tenths, of the whole.
Sirth.-If Virginia and the Other
States South of the Potomac secede from
the present Union, no action on the par
of Maryland is equivalent to an election
to join Northern confcdcracy in pre-.
ference to Southern one.
Under the circumstances in which W.
are now placed, mastery inactivity .
on the part of Maryland is Synonymous
with annexation to the North and sepa.
ration from the South To keep Mary.
land passlye-to prevent any action on
her part-to prohibit her people from de-
Gliding as to their own destiny, is to de.
eide that destiny for them and annex
them to Northern confederacy 1t is
deciding that, if war comes, the people
of Maryland shall fight Virginians in
preference to New Englanders!
SeUeath,-I think that the question as
to whether the people Of Maryland shall
60 with the North or with the South is so
important one that they should have an
| opportunity of deciding it for themselves.
think it would be most presumptuous
for Legislature elected eighteen
months ago" to assume to decide that
question, and | think it even more pre-
snmptuous for GoUernor, elected more
than three ycars ago, to assume to decide
1t. The General Assembly has no right
to transfer the people Of Maryland either
to the North or to the South, because they
were elected for no such purpose. You
have no right to make such transfer, be-
cause the power is not given to you by
the State constitution; neither was it
delegated to you by the people when they
elected you in November, 1857. When
you decide to do nothing, you, in effect,
assume to make the transfer.
Eigih.-There seems to be singular
inconsistency between the policy which
you have recently advocated and that
which you have actually pursued. Iu
your address ITO the People Of Mary
land, " Of the 3D. Of january, you say
I" Believing that the interests Of Mary
land were bound up with those Of the
border slaveholding States, ] have been
engaged for months past in full inter
change of views with the Governors Of
Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Mis-.
souri,, with a rieto 10 coAcerted actioR uDon
o'~ part. These consultations, which
are still in progress, feel justified in
saying, have resulted in good, so that
when the proper time for action arrives
these sister States, bound up IN common
destiny, will, trust, be PREPARED TO ACT
TOGETHER"
Since you wrote the above the Legis-
latures Of all four Of the States you name
hare been convened and in some, or all.
Of them these Legislatures have provided
for the election Of conventions. You
have told the people thatyou correspond
cd with these States with q view to
concerted action upon our part" and in I
order that Maryland and these States
" might be prepared to act together"
Now you have determined, so far as you
can control the question, that they shall