Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1861-12-19

deepest humiliation and prayer Sackcloth and
ashes should take the place of Christmas gew-
gaws, anc prayers for those in authority should
be sent up from every freside-prayers, earnest
prayers, that their future virtue may equal their
past wickedness and their hearts be rendered as
soft as their heads.
----<D>--
Our SITUATIoN.-If we coolly and calmly
set down and look the whole matter fully in the
face, we are lost in wonder at the condition of
affairs in Charles county The State of Mary
land, as a whole-and her citizens act as citizens
of the tchole State-has cast her vote for the
Union and Government by the largest majority
ever known to this State. The citizens of
Charles county, as much so as Baltimore or any
other county in the State, were determined to
abide the issue Of the election and follow the fate
of Maryland whithersoever she should co. and
this without murmur or whisper of objection.
That election has been held-the vote counted,
and Maryland proved loyal State by such ma
jority as was never before known in her history.
By this act has Maryland, and with her Charles
county, proclaimed for the Union the Constitu-
ton and the enforcement Of the Laws. Mind
the last expression-the Laws-all and singular.
Charles county then stands before the Govern
ment and the world this day loyal county.
Charles county has ever been loyal; we chal-
lenge disloyal act to be laid at her door-and
yet what is her condition? As loyal county
and State, obedient to the recognized law, faith
full to the Constitution, the citizens of this State
have right, an undisputed right to protection
in their person and property. Twenty thousand
Federal troops are stationed upon the soil of
Charles county, their camps extending from
Mattawoman Creek to Liverpool Point. These
troops are here "for our protection" we are told ;
"to protect US from the Rebels" and yet, IN fact
we are exposed to more danger, to more losses
and damage at least Eat,tsA if very
Rebels were here. Our farmers are deprived Of
their provender to such extent that their cattle
must die. Our citizens are deprived of homes
almost; and fences, farms and fields fall prey
to the ruthless hands of those very friends who
come here to protect us,
Our negroes-ah, this is the. point-our ne
groes, bought with hard earned money and paid
for to the Northern speculator originally, and
as much our property as our horse or COW, are
taken from us, time and again, with no remune-
ration, and with threats of violence if we seek to
recover them. Insult is thrown upon our peo-
pie after depriving them of their honest proper
ty, and yet Maryland is known to be loyal. Is
this the policy Of the Government Is wild
crusade upon the institution Of slavery to take
the place Of the original plea-the Union, the
Constitution and the enforcement of the Laws
We cannot believe it.
Apropo to this are the preamble and resolu-
tions of DR.. Bayne-(see legislative proceedings
on first page Of this paper)-member from
Prince Georges county, upon this subject. We
think, and our people will bear us out in the
opinion, that a more suitable time could not
occur than the present to urge this matter once
for all with the authorities at Washington. It
is due to Maryland as State, that means should
be adopted to put stop to this procedure on
the part of the military encampments within
the limits of our State. Negroes flock to the
camps, are there received, concealed and spirited
off, and, on application to their owners, the only
answer received, nine times out of ten, is, to
sscatch your negro if you can--our army is not
an army of slave-catchers." This, if fully car
ried out, is just what we want; but the one
sided manner in which it is carried out is not
only ruinous to our people, but will eventually
prove sgnally disastrous to the whole country.
If they are not to be slave-catchers for Mei,
masters, let them not catch and protect the slave
at all. That they do persuade away from their
homes our negroes and conceal them from their
rightful owners, no man can deny, and yet this
is allowable while the master has no redress
whatever How often does it occur, that mas
ter appears at the camp in search of fugitive
slave. discovers and recognizes that slave, and
then makes effort to apprehend him,-solicits
the aid of officers for the purpose-receives the
answer above alluded to--falls back upon his
own right and the only alternative left him
attempts to arrest bis negro-is surrounded BY
soldiery--threatened with violence and VISITED
by the harshest epithets possible and finally
makes good his escape, while the negro is al
lowed to stalk off in open daylight and in def
ance of his master, of justice and law. Is there
no prevention for all this? Can the Govern
ment devise no means to avoid such state oi
affairs; or can it be that all this is with the con-
sent and appreciation Of the Government