Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1861-01-17


flames Of civil var, waged by her agains. the
government in which We now glory.
In the face of such consequences what jUstif-
cation, what excuse is there for cUnYcning the
Legislature?
Within its constitutional power it can do roth
! ing aud there is nothing for it TO do.
The only danger to Maryland in the present
crisis is that rebeIiious States nay destroy the
| United States; and that to her is absolute ruin;
but against that her On aud her auliicicnt secu-
| rity is the pawer of the United States Govern
| mcnt supported by the loyal dcYotions Of tho
| people outside the disalfectcd States. Maryl"nd
cannot suppress revolution in South Carolina,
aud neither South Carolina nor any other State
threatens Maryland with invasion or any otfer
danger. Congress and the President are vested
exclusively with the power TO enforce the laws OF
| She Union and every person III Maryland, MS
we'll rs in all the other central slave StItcay Is
Found to obey hc orders of the President for
that purpose, anything in their laws to the con-
trary notwithstanding. The Legislatures can
therefore do nothing in the natter.
But many persons clam0r for the Legislature,
in ordo. that it may agree wish Virginia, or with
other olave States on II course of conduct.
The Constitution forbids any agreement be-
tween Maryland and any other States for any
purpose
Not ouly does the 10th section of the first article
OF tho Constitution declare that "nO State shall
enter into any trenty, alliance or confederation;
hat it also says: mo State shall without tie
consent of CoDgrcss, eHtc! into any agreement or
compuci with another State or with torciyn
rdwer." And act G, declares this ConstitWtiOm to
bo the Supreme law of the LAND of Virginia,
well as of Woryiand-and that tho B,emkeIs Of
tho several State Legislatures, and ALL ecscu'i,e
and jHliciai officers of the scrcrak Notcs, shall
be bound by oath affirmation to support this
Constitution.
Are the members of the Legislature to violate
their oath? If not there can bono consultation.
Ii they are, then it is not to preserrc the COns-
tuition, but to promote its destruction by rerOiu-
tioa, that the Legislature is to be convened.
The Legislature can, within its constitution
nj power, do nothing. 1t is rs unconstituliOn-
al to make any agreement with Virguih as ii
would be with England or France An agree
ment to consult, to haveany common purpose,
any conserted action is expressly forbidden;
for if allowed, the United States might pe de-
fled by coalition too powerful to he suppress
sed without arms, and the laws OF the Union
be eE'orced only at the hazard Of civil war
The prevailing discontens, the inhamed state
of public feeling, which now prompt men and
States to consult, are the very''dangers the con-
sti,utional prohibition was intended TO guard
| against. Southern states only now think of Il
coalition, but what should we say OF IL free
State coalition to .epeal the constitutional
guarantee OF the slavery interest!
A convention OF The central slave States is
equally unconstitutional, dangerous aud need
| less. Whatever it can do, which is not un-
constitutional and mischievous, can be better
done without it.
Is il to propose amendments 10 the Const-
tuition?
No body authorized to amend could even
| consider the proposals.
But Congress- on the application Of the Leg
islatures OF two-thirls Of the States, can call
a convention of ALL the States, and that can
remedy every grievance
Is it to secure agreement on the same amend
ments
Their representatives in Congress nrc the con-
| stituiiona representatives of the States, in the
only body where the States are permitted to
consult and they can there move any amend
ments they may concur in thinking necessary,
and those amendments will under the CoGsti.
| tuition, be formally sent for approval TO all The
| States.
Is }. % agree upon demands TO he mnde on
| the free States on refusal Of cfhich nothing is
| to follow
Then, why assemble it?
But is the purpose oft to combine the cen
tral slave States in demands on the free States
accompanied with the menace ofreyolution, in
| the event of their refusal to ~ bmlt to the die
tation?
Then the convention is IL reasonable assem-
| bly, to levy war for the overthrow of the Gov
ernmcnt.
| Such consultation among the central slave
| States where no voice from the free States
will be heard aud their feelings and wishes will
be wholly dsreg egarded and where the more ex-
| treme opinions of the slave States will predom-
mate, is likely te result in = demand of con-
cessions wholly Impossible TO be obtained,ac-
companied by the implied pledge not to he
satisfied with anything less and on the refu-
| sal Of the free States 10 submit 10 terms thus
dictated without'any Consultation with them,
the reyolutionisls will precpiIGte the whole
of tss consulting States into rcvolutlon.--
This, believe, TO be the most natural result Of
| the proposed consultation. | presume the
rev0utiOnisls haze not been so'dull as TO over
| look it.
Maryland is not ready to b. cntrapped-
| Her people are the best guardians OF their own
inte e'ts duty and honor. tits for them nor to
| demand oith0se who counsel IA convention of
| the Central Slave States, to specify whether
| there are in the words OF President jackson,
"any acts so piainiy unconstitutional Gad so IN
| tOierably oppressive to thelA that they are will
ling 10 tear the government to pieces in the
pursuit OF redress.
| 1t there be such acts then, convene the In T.
iSlature; assemble Convention; concert with
| Virginia measures of resistance in a .i.iult of
| redress but also let the people prepare their
hearts FOR WAR, and their fields Tor deso!ation, e,
and their children for slaughter, Let them
| prepare for an era OF proscripliyrs cUuiiscL-
| tions ard exles, TO be followed by anarchy and
10 be closed by the rude despol!sm Of the
| sword.
But if their be no such grievances, which
| justify, in the eye OfreCson, eucOunicring those
tl Id
not allow themselves 20 be seduced by iHcidi-
Gus wiles, under plausible disguises, into, inca
sures which, whatever may be their pro'rssed
objects. tend 10 such results, aud must bring
them forth.
Hill any one propose gravely 10 rush on
such ruin-hecause few negroes have run
! away and have not been caught--bccause some
/ liberty bills have been passed ard never acted
on-be"ause a mob, once iH a While, has rcsis-
ted an unpopular law-hecause Mary yland has
been in II minority on Presidential election.
Or are there any other grievances for which
resolution is considered he only adequate rem
edy ? lsit the personal liberty bills
They exist in only u few OF the free States
They 60 not exist in any one 0! the States co.
ierminous with the slave States, Shey are a II
remote from us-where II negro hardly ever
goes. u is notli own that they ever aided sin
gle negro TO escape. The courts OF the'Un-
ted States shave always declared them void
and it is only in the courts that free coun.
try entorces any law. Itis probable that they
will soon be repeated and vanish with .thC
temporary excitement which occasi oued them
They have been suffered to exist more than
two administrations without any one in Mary
land d Gaming OF revolutionary redress.
| Is il the failure 10 enforce the Fugitive Slave
law?
TIE States are not CHARGED with thht duty nj