The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1861-03-16

] will travel on your railroads and canals
| will visit your cities, and behold vo,l,
monuments and your Capitol: hut I shall
see nothing. ! can zee nothing. cqualling in
colossal grandeur the great intel lectual CT ca
ton which gave your General Government,
the powers Of an empire; whilst your State
Governments, existing in smaller fragments
bring justice. and law, and government. al.
,st at ,ar door Of the citizen and give him
at the ballot box control over their admin.
istration. These. people Of America. are
your true glory. As friend Of humanity.
! pray you sustain yonr Government {:
uphold yonr Consti: ution: maintain your ale.
glance let stars be added to ynur national
flag: let ono be struck from it-NEvER /!
NEVER!
People Of Maryland. have tried to prc.
sent TO yon bricf. but I trust q clear and
accurate outline Of the powers and relations
Of the National and State Governments, under
which we have lived in prosperity. honor
and freedom for more than seventy wears. -
OF all the States Of the Onion Maryland
from her location. has drunk freest and deep.
est from the great foun.sins Of our national
prosperity. The General Government has
been to you MS a shower Of mamma for seventy
years. You have grown with its growth
Your wives, your children, your Liberties and
your institutions, have ever found safe shell
ter under the wings of its eagle. Truly,
as hen gathereth her chickens under her
wings. SO has the National Government
sheltered you. The sons of Maryland have
found s,rvice and gained honor and glory in
the military, as we'll as IN the civil depart.
ments of the Government. Your mechanics
and artisans have found homes: and we'll re-
warded employment in her noble and costly
pubic works. Your commerce has been pro.
tected on every sea. For seventy years you
have been cher lsllcd BY her love, her care.
her power rs il she were. rs in truth she
is. your mother. Through her you arc own
ers of broad domain. stretching from ocean
to ocean, and from Mexico to the frozen re-
sions Of Canada. All this is now your coun.
try, and within its more than imperial limits
you and your children, and your chillren's
children. may find free and ample homes
FOR ages and ages TO come.
If you are asked to abandon this imperial
domain and withdraw your LEG lance from the
General Government will you do it, Have you
any complaints to make Of the General Cow
crnmcnti Its course has ever been parental.
J on complain of your sister States! And will
you abandon your allegiance to the General
Government because some of your Northern
sisters have passed laws unfriendly to your
institutions in violation of their constitutional
duties, and which laws are therefore void or
because some Of your Southern sisters have
passed Ordinances of Secession in violation
of the same sacred instrument, and therefore
equally void ] trust not l pray not. Rely
upon il, the heart OF the people of this great
country beats in tune to the music of the
Union If the Congress which is about to
close its career shall fail, by constitutional
majority, to propose satisfactory anne ndments
to the Constitution. do not he dishe artc ned.
That Congressman il is with a blush tor my
country that ! say it-numbcrs many poi'i-
clans, and but few Statesmen.
There is another mod" Of amending the
Constitution. Let the Legislatures Of the
@veral States call on Congress to summon a
Convention. Two-thir,ls OF tho State Legs.
latures agreeing, Congress is bound to call it.
\ Convention fresh from the people would
agree on amendments satisfactory to the coun-
try. The people If the United States would
look to this. They do not mean that this,
our Government is to he broken M; aud will
therefore take care that fair concessions are
offered by the one, ami accepted by the other.
These amendments should be submitted to
State Conventions and not to the State Legis-
laiurcs. The people will see to it that they are
accepted by the constitutional majority ofthc
States. Even the seeding States, tired as they
will be of their unnatural position, will cast
their votes for the amendments when they are
assured that these votes will insure their final
adoption. What we need now is patience,
forbcarancc, love of country. DO not despair
of the Republic. Stand firmly by your flag
your Government, your country. in this their
hour of danger. If evil bclidc you, it will
come whilst you are in the path of honor and
duty. Abandon these, and yen will at best
become defenceless member Of dwartcd
Contr,leracy, full of notification and seccs-
1t will naturally partakc Of the qualities OF its
parents.
For myself, I did not know how much
loved my country till saw her in these her
greatest pcrils. She has the best, the truest,
the most loyal affections of my soul. l love
her the more for her mistertuncs and dangers.
l love her better than in my youth. In youth
we love so many things as to prevent conccn-
tration of The affections. But, as we advance
in life, our own tnturc hsme, where We hum
bly, hope to meet the loved ones who have
gone before us; and the home here, to
whose shelter We must commit the loved ones
We leave behind us and the race with which
We are connected by the mysterious ties of
lcngo our highest and hottest thoughts
Like the Sybiline books these Remaining OBJ
.jccts of our love are the more dearly treasured
for their diminished number. | am too old to
change my allegiance. could not have done
so in the more impulsive days Of my youth
Be that as it may, have loved my country
t"o long, too we'll, ever to rcnouncc her
Were she to treat me uniustly, yea, even
cruelty, would sooner perish than DO anght
against her honor, her glory, or her power
She would be my country still. l would
trust to her justice. IT that justice failed to
reach me whilst | live, would still serve her
to the utmost of my power, and trust that it
would at last reach my humble name even in
tho grave. Come what may in the widest
range Of human events, l trust my arm, if
ever raised against my country. may fall
shattered by my side, and that my tongue
may be pasicd il it ever attempt to give
uttcrance to a thought, or wish disloy al to
her safety and honor.
Taunt ME not with being a submissonist.
To lawful authority the lottiest spirit submits
most Loyalty. No man was ever less noble
for being subm issive to the will and the laws
of onr Great Father in Heaven; or for being
obedient, and faithful to the Constitution and
laws Of his mothcr-the country Of his birth
and his love. These are high duties, acknowl-
edged alike by Jewish, Grccian, Roman, and
Christian patriotism. When Socrates, more
than twenty centuries ago, was condemned to
death by an unjust and ungrateful country,
his friends arranged for his escape. He
refused his proffered liberty and life; and
placed that refusal on an obedience to the
laws of his country so high and lofty as to