St. Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1845-1863, 1861-02-21

peisr to sbe LITE Pses;Aeasisi election I'd
disa6ecsed persons Of high and inw peei'
ton. after the result of shat election be.
came known. to consulf sogsther On the
Question Of submitting 10 that resist, and
also upon the various modes at rssis'
tance.
Among Other nsde@. resistance =
tie cnsnting Of the ballots and n III
In .susurxticn Of Mr. Lincoln s.d ths
ssiznrr of the Cspisnl and the District
AZ C.,lumhia. were discussed formally ia
this cisy and elsewhere. But too much
diversity of opinion seems to have exist.
ed TO admit Of the adoption of any We'll
organised plan until some of the States
commenced to reduce their theories
Of secession to practice. Since then,
the persons thus disaffected. seem ia
have adopted the idea that all resistance
to the Government. if there Is to be any,
should have at least the color Ut State
.aushoras. IF the purrose was at any
time entertained Of forming All organize
ton, secre: or otherwise. to seize th'
District of Columbia. attack the Capitol.
or prevent the Inauguration Of Mr.. Lin
cola il seems to have been rendered
contingent up,n the secession Of either
Maryland or Virginia. or both, and the
sanction Of enc Of these States
Certain organisations in this District
and in Maryland, that prior to the cleo.
tiyn seem to have been openly political
clubs, have since assumed the character
Of military organizations, and are now
engaged IN drilling. and expect to pro-
vide themselves With arms. some from
private subscriptions. But so far - the
committe. were able to learn their pur-
poses. while they aympathized with Sc
csssion. there Is no proof that they in
tended to attack either the Capitol or
the District, unless the surrender should
be demanded by State to which they pro-
fess a high dsgree Of allegiance.
Some of these companies in baltimore
protested to BIZ drilling for the sole pur-
pose of preventing other military compan-
los from passing through.,he State Of Ma
ryland. Whether these representations
Of the purposes Of these companies be cor
rect or not. the committee have failed to
discover any satisfactory evidence that they
have any purpose whatever. as > mere
mob, without the saacti"n Of State author
ity, 10 attack the Capitol Or any other pub
lie property in this District, or to seizs the
District. Iii, should b. admitted that
any one of th.sc organizations was hostile
4 - tarfe nIAI m - "a a.
full purposes, they are in n" other proper
sense secret, aud are hot. therefore, such
as are contemplated in the resolution
Of the House.
The committee are unanimously Of the
opinion that the evidence produced before
them does not prove the existence Of Sc
ere. organization. here or elsewhere. hos
tile to tn. Government. that has for its
object. upon ito own responsibility All at
tack upon the Capitol. .or any Of the public
property here, or an interruption of any OF
the functions of the Government.
The committee submit herewith all the
the testimony taken Oh the subject, aud
ask that the same and this report be print
ed, and that the committee be discharged
FROM the further consideration If the sub
ject.
ME-. BRANsH's vrEws.
Mr.. Branch. (N. Co. from the same
Committee. presented his views, as fol-
lows:
That he concurs entirely with the ma
jority, that the testimony does not cstab-
lish the existence Of conspiracy. or com
or a purpose on the part Of any
persons to seize the public property. in the
District Of Columbia, or to interfere with
regular operations of the Government
He thinks it has been established. not
the difficulty Of proving a
negative, that TO such conspiracy does ex-
list, either in this District or elsewhere.
1t appears from the testimony of Lieu
tenant General Scott. that seven compan-
les Of artillery and one company Of zap
psrs aud miners. Of the regular army.
have been ordered to. aud are CHARTERED in
this city. in close vicinity to the Capitol,
under mistaken belief that the public
property in the District vas or would be
in danger. and the Committee being unan-
imously of the opinion that no such COM
or conspiracy or purpose. hostile to
the Government Or its property exists. the
undersigned would ask .hc passage Of the
resolution:
Resdrrd. That the qaarsering Of troops
Of the regular army in this District. and
around the Capitol. when not necessary
for their protection from hostile enemy,
and during the session of Congress. is i'm
polite and offensive, and If permitted. may
become destructive Of civil liberty; and.
in the opinion of this House, the regular
troops now in il ought to be forthwith re-
moved therefrom.
~ We learn that the active Repabli-
cans in New York city, (says the Bal