Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1861-05-23
Belmont Chronicle.
THE UNION IN MARYLAND /!
SPEECH HON. REyERDY JOHNSON,
Correspondence OF ihe Baltimore Americana
FREpERIcK, Md, May I, 1861

address the Home Guard upon the occasion
of the presentation to them of National
Flag from the ladies of Frederick.
The population of the city was swelled by
the addition of upwards of 1000 persons, !
who poured In from the surrounding towns
and villages somctimcsin lengthy cavalcades
of horses and vehicles, and again in compa-
nies of tens and lifties. !
Union cockade, aud badges were displayed
in profusion upon the coats ofiubiant Union
men, numbers of whom were decidedly am,,
bilious in their ideas of patriotic personal
adornment, wearing cockades as large as sun
flowers.
The stars and stripes futtercd gaily from
about forty different points. and altogether,
Frederick may be said to have donned her
holiday suit for the occasion.
It was feared from the occasional showers
which fell early in the forenoon that the GER
emony and the consequent enjoymcnts of
the community, would be marred by q recur-
renee of the gloomy weather of Monday. but
the clouds soon broke away and the cerc-
mony proceeded, under the oxhilarating in
fucnces of sunshine and gentle breezos.
At one time during the morning the ex
ctemcnt was high, aud it was feared that
the presence of many wild spirits from the
surrounding country, bent on the gratifica-
ton Of personal aud political inclnings,
would lead to serious collisions, but tho
prompt arrest of several rampant partisans
probably avoided the spprehendcd difficulty.
The scene of the presentation fOrmaties
was the Court House yard, where stand,
draped with the national colors, had been
erected, and at the hour designated for the
commencement of the ceremonies was sur
rounded by two or three thousand persons,
including the Brenge Guard, body of
about three hundred respectable citizens,
principally aged and middle aged men, or
ganized for the purpose Of home protection
and defense.
Mr. johnson appeared upon the stand
shortly before four clock, and after TN clo-
quentand ieryent prayer by Rev. III. B.
Creager, spoke as follows:
SPEECH OF HON. REvEnDY JOHNSON.
am before you by the request of the pa
triotic ladies of your city, to present in thell
behalf standard, the work of their hands
which they desire to entrust to your custody
and protection.
With this request can comply with the
truest pleasure.
In this existing crisis of our country fat,
every indication Of national, patriotic
spirit, is hailed with joy by every loyal heart
And when, rs in this instance, it is eyhib
tied by those whose thoughts are instructive
" pure, having no partisan motive 10 in
fucnce them, no patriotic prejudices t.
crafty, no petty ambition to subserve, NJ
interest other than in their country's pros
perity and good name we rejoice at it ever
the moro from conviction that II must teo'
to strengthen the resolves Of the loyal, en-
courage the hopes of the despontllng, an,
bring to pause the plottings OF the rebel
lious.
Before doing the mere act I am delegate,
to perform hope you will consider the oc
cssion as justifying few thoughts as to tin
duty and interests ofo State in the pres
ent emergency. In the original causes whicl
have procured it, sh1, thank God has haC
no share Amongst the foremost and bra
vest in winning our independence amongs
the truest and wisest in forming our Gov
ernment, and amongst the first in adopting
II, her sons have uniformly given it n faith
full and jealous support No trcasonabl
thought, as far as we know, ever entered tn
mind Of one of them; certainly no threat q
treason was ever whispered by them. The
ever felt the immense advantage Of th
Union they saw evidenced by cvcrythin
around them the blessings it conferred upo
Maryland and upon ALL Prosperity uncS
ampled, national power increasing ever
year with rapidlty and to degree nove
before witnessed in nations history, an
winning for us a name challenging the rC
spect and admiration of the world. The
saw in the extent ofthe country. and the di
ferences of climate and habits, elements q
strength rather than of weakness, and ~
pretended therefore no parricdnl efforts i
any quarter to destroy the Government.
If occasionally murnurs Of dissatislactio
were heard elsewhere, they were attribute
TO the whining disposition Of some and tn
Disappointed ambition Of others. They wer
-ridiculed, subjected to no other punishment
but left to stand ~ monuments ofthe safet
with which error of opinion may be tolera
ted where reason is left free to combat it.
No ''whisky insurrection," ever occurre
within our borders. No ordinance of null
cation was ever threatened by us and, if W
continue true to patriotic duty, no ordinanc
of secession, direct or indirect, open or cC
vert, will ever be adopted by those in author
ity, or it madly adopted, be tolerated by tn
people.
To this steadfast attachment to the Unio
we are not only bound by gratitude to tn
noble ancestry by whose patriotic wisdom
was belueahod 10 US, and by the unapprs
ciable blessings the bequest has eonierre
upon us, but by the assurance, which th
most stolid intellect can hardly fail to fee
that its destrtc on would not only and 0
OHCe uepTlNo Us VI uil tHcsc, DuJ pItclpltit
us into irreparable ruin. In this ruin IA
would more or less participate, but our gee
graphical position would make it to us in
mediate aud total A peaceful dsseyeranc
the good and great men who have hereto
fore guided our public councils ever predic
ed TO be impossible The proclamations no
trumpeted through the land, the marshalin
of hosts by thousands and tensof thousand
the whitening ofour waters with an immen,
naval marine, the blockade of ports, I'll
prostration of commerce, the destruction
almost all civil employment, the heatt
tone Of tho public press Of all sections belc
ing forth tho most bitter enmity, ALL all to
tify to the truth Of the prediction.
How this is 10 result Heaven alone know
But TO my mind one thing is certain. III
Government, by no single act of its own, h
given cause for resistance to its rightful a
thority. The powers which it was exercisir
at the moment when rebellion began to ul
ter its armies of pestilence," were clear
couferrod upon il by the Constitution Al
ifthe Executive, then just legally chose
had meditated any illegal policy, the fiicn
II