St. Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1845-1863, 1861-04-25

At the larges. public meeting ever h.lj
!, our County. compored b'ah Of Military
and citiz ms. aud convened in Leonard
Town, on Tuesday, the 23rd Of April, fo,
the purpose OF considering the present
crisis and adopting mcasures for the defence
0, our rights, the security Of our h"mes.
aud the maintenance o. the honor of our
State. on motion, Col Benedict /. Heard
Vas unanimously elected President and
WAS assisted hy Col c. Combs, Chap
man Billiugsley and John H South"r'n
=. Vice Presidents. l.. w. b. Hutchins
and John r. King acted 40 Secretaries.
Before III. transaction If any business,
Rev. DR.. Bunting. who had been waited
upon By q committee, app-~r-d upon the
.taud aud invoked in fervcnt and eloquent
terms the Divine lls's;ng upon tho Gauge
for the furtherance os which the meeting
had convened. On motion, a Committee
Of six. one from each election district, Was
app .iutcd By the chair who's. duty i. WAS
u.sds to report resolutions expressive "i
the visws of the meeting. The following
gentlemen eomposed the committee: Il.
q. Harris. J r. Dent. Thomas Martin
WIN. Coad, Dr.. J. W Forrest and Jos
eph Forrest. Th. Committee retired and
during their absence, the meeting was
addressed by John II. Sothoron. Chap
mas killingslcy. Oscar Miles. J. f. Coad.
Or. r. Neale. JAS. 7. Blackstone and Col
n. Duke, Of Caiver, in f,rcibls and clio
quent terms and IN vim iication Of South
cru rights and .h" houor Of our State.
The chairman Of the committee here an
psared. aud read the following presablc
end resolutions. which were voted upon
separately. and adopted without dissent
ing voice:
In times Of extraordinary political ener-
scney like the prescat--uhen there is n
sectional Administration Of what is nnw
falsely call, d the United States Of Amer
ca-whep there is q determined purpose
on the part Of those controlling such Adj
administration to deprive nearly half Of those
states Of their equal rights in the admins
ira,iop Of the Government. ALL the en-
joymcnt If equal privileges within thu
limits Of the ss,uc. in violation Of th,
letter and spirit Of the constitution &c
the United States--wh.n eight States
Lave determined. by the sover' Ign will Of
their people. that shey have severed their
connection with said srctional tiovcrnnleu,
and declared til. ir determination to govern
themselves, and their effort to do SCI,
peaecably. has bceu prevented by the
armed aggression Of the sectional Govern
ment. BY invading their soil, hlockadine
their ports. destroying their commerce and
trade, aud in every way agsrrssing their
rights and institutions with view to f"rcc
them to submission. it il due TO the people
Of those States. that the people Of all 9TH
er States, friendly to Justice and Right
and to those principles Of Freel"lA and
Independence which prompted our Fore
fathers to resist aggression and wrong.
should cxprcsa their sympathy with this
cause Of Right. sgainst the cause Of NIGH,
aud tyranny.
Therefore. We. the citizens Of Saint
MARKS County, Maryland. in County
meeting assembled. do earnestly and de-
votcdly express our syn,pathies with tho
cause and people Of the States which
have seeded frem the Onion, aud. do
pledge ourselves by every sacred obliga-
ton We eau assume. to aid, by every
means in our power. ia securing the Ia
dependence Of all those States, sud that
of such others as may join them.
Resolved, That the Commissioners OF
tax for Saint Mary's County be requested
70 levy upon ths assessahle property "f nh.
people Of the County. the sun at $lO.-
600, for the purpose Of purchasing arms
and ammunition for our peapls. in order
that they may BE- enabled u defend their
rights, and the honor and Interest Of eur
State. and that they be- further requested
10 attend the order for the levy with such
further orders ~ may be calculated to
make il eff-etual.
Resolved. That Col. rheopholus Harri-
cor. Col. jobs II. Sc,horon. r. +. Neale,
DR.. Jalues Waring. Il. ii. Recder.
Col. Chapman Billingslvy. Col. Il. q.
Harris. r. J. Stone, Thos. Locker. Thos
q. Spencer. Dr., J. w. Forrest and L.
3. Abel be . committee Of pubic safety,
whose duty il shall be to take the necessary
steps TO procure the arms and a,smunition.
Il which the County Commissioners au-
thsviss the purchase and to effect their
proper distribution vhso procared--sht y