The national Republican., 1861-11-20
MARYLANn.

Tribune describes q speech made at the com |
mencement of this month. TO an spplauding |
crowd in the Front Street Theatre in Baltimore,
by old ex.Governor Frank Thomas, still Wig
orous and still eloquent, Who represents th
Allegheny district In Congress. The Tribune
correspondent says Of II,
at rivals anything ever said In Faneuil or
Exeter Hall against slavery. 1t was anti-slavery
all over and in its marrow bones. II is the be.
ginning Of a movement that 10 destined, at an
early day, to abolish the hated and hateful IN.
stitution in this State. II took the bull right by
the horns, and gave his neck n dslocating twist.
has vouchsafed to US an anti tislavery leader in
the person Of the incorruptible Frank Thomas.
one Of the lights Of ancient Democracy, and one
who is not to be intimidated by the arrogant
lesdersi I had almost forgotten to say that the
assembly which Governor Thomas addressed
was presided over by Samuel J. K. Handy, one
Of the most eminent leaders Of the Douglas
was in the very best vein. By the BY, may
say to the pro.savery sycophants Of the free
States that their faces would have tingled with
shame could they have heard Governor Thomas
,ion Of the shareholders to extend IT over the
| whole country, ss the origin and object OF the
rebellion. Tie whole speech WAS replete with
u vidication Of free labor against slave labor"
The change Of opinion in Maryland, indics-
ted by the delivery and reception Of this
speech Of Ex-Governor Thomas, a. contrast
ed with the mobbing and breaking up Of
. Republican meeting In Baltimore only
one year ago, u more apparent than real.
Nineteen-twentieths Of the people Of Maryland
have no pecuniary interest In slavery, and an
overwhelming majority Of them have been op-
po,ed to It at heart for many years. A signi
licant proof Of this is the fact that nearly
every body who has emigrated from Maryland
for q generation past has gone by preference to
free States rather than to slave States. Other
proofs are not wanting in the constant manu-
mission OF slaves, 10 the legislative provision
for the colonization of negroes, &C., DC.
Two circumstances, In addition to the advan'
tage which Shareholders have everywhere over
mere numbers In leisure and wealth, have
served to give to tn It class Fictitious i'm
portance in Maryland.
The first is the gerrymandering apportion.
ment Of political power in the Legislature In
favor Of the slsveholding counties, as dis
tinguished from the free labor counties. This
/ feature of the Maryland constitution is sill
0 strongly marked, although not so badly 50 as 1t
was formerly.
The second circumstance, (not however Pc
culiar to Maryland,) has been the fact, that
p until the present yesr, the vast patronage Of
the National Government has been long used
to foster ro.slavery sentiments, and crush ou
n the opposite sentiments. Nobody was ina
'ional," during the Administrations Of Mr
nj Buchanan and Mr.. Pierce, who did not com
ID up to the South Carolina standard; nobod
else could get office; and those who could no
= abide this test, were not merely kept out 0
public place, but lin this region) put under
social ban. The pro slavery fashion was se
at this seat Of power, and It was this fact vast
ID ly more than any real interest in, or attach
o ment to slavery, which explains the (ate) pro
slavery manifestations In Maryland. All thii
> is changed, and is still changing. It'll slavery
g which is now out Of fashion, politically and 50
cially, and We shall no longer see that institu
# ton domineering In regions In which, as in tn,
. most important portions of Maryland, it has NJ
Ia substantial foothold In the industrial organza
IN ton of society.
20 We can judge how matters are In the north
ID ern part OF Maryland, from what is known o
u this District, where there have never been many
slaves, and where majority of the resident
Il have always disliked slavery, but where, unde
y the influence Of Administrations In the interes
r. Of the oligarchy, the community has been mad,
: to wear the superficial aspect Of being fanatic
u ally pro-slsvery. Since we have lived here
: (now six years,) we have been threatened will
mob for publishing Republican newspaper
= and obliged to remove our books and paper
g to place Of safety. We have also seen tn,
!. columns Of the (respectable) National InteQi
. gencer opened to a communication from ON ex
/. Mayor, (now in the rebel army) threatenin,
!, violence to anybody who should dare to teacl
n free colored children to read and write Ant
during all this time, we have never doubted
that the people of the District would have voted
slavery out of It, IL they could have voted by
ballot, and II they could have been relieved
from the debauchiug influences Of the Nationa
Government, administered, until recently, in
the interest of slavery.
. The election of Mr.. Lincoln In 1860 has no,
80 much changed opinions either in Maryland
or In this District, as 1t has set opinions free
, Men are no longer politically bribed, or po
5 liticaly ntimidated into the support of slavery
and that institution is left to stand upon its OWL
intrinsic strength as property interest.
About fifteen years ago, a petition to Con
! gress for the abolition Of slavery in this Dis
trict was most numerously and respectfully
signed here. During the administrations Of
Buchanan and Pierce II would have been baz
ardous to have put such paper into circua.
tion. In the meantime, slavery as property
interest had declined, but pro slaveryism, as a
=. political fashion, had become more powerful
5 and indeed, apparently all powerful. But il
> was mere fashion, and changed as easily a,
fashions In dress are when the leaders of fashion
: change.
There are reasons enough In the nature OF
| thin0a IN account for ha hoat;l;kr ~ co,.,