The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1861-05-11
TO the Legislature of Md.

The undersigned ctizeusos Cecil county repre-
ssnt
That they solemnly protest against the sending
by the Legislature Of ambassadors auder the style
Of Commissioners. to other States us a clear and
palpible violation Of the Conslitu tson Of tho U S.
That they further solcmny protest against tho
call OF Il Convention, TO determine. what such
body has no legal constitutional power to deter
mine; namely: whether the people of Maryland
shall remain citizens of the United States And
We here solemnly repudiaic the so-calcd right Of
Secession. aud will resist it to the lasi extremity
That the ri sht Of revolutnn implies tho ri ght to
resist revolution and that We will resist it, by
if necessary and tn It if unfortunately the rest Of
the STATE should secele Cecil shall remain Mary.
land and in the Union.
That we expressly and deliberately repuiiatc
the action of. j. heckurt. Senator from this
county, who has misreprcSen.cd his constituents
cndca,ored to hand us over to a military despotsm,
and deserves and hereby receives so far as we can
give it. our thorough disapprobton.
That our thanks arc due and are hereby ten
dercd to those Senators who have SO nobly resisted
the Bill wrongfully denomuated Of " Public
Safety " but really inten lei to impose upon usa
dcspoisnl. and assure those noble and patriotic
Senators OF our grateful remembrance.
That i'll our opinion the Delegates chosen unler
reign of terror in Baltimore should at once retire
permanently from the positions they hold
That we request Senator Hecksrt. OF Cecil, i'm
| mcdiatcly to retire from, or resign his seat.
That We warn the Delegates from this county
that their public conduct is observed. and if incou
sistent with the sentiments herein expressed win
draw upon them tho Listing exccration and repro
baton Of our people.
That in our opinion the Legislature should i'm
nedately adjourn SINE DIE, and that so far rs
have the power we call upon ii to do 50 ; and that
without further legislation of CUR kind, except to
repeal what they have already enacted.
That we protest soleHnly as inst the SOC ,llo
Bills OF Ratification Of the outragcs lately com
| mitted in Baltimore City and demand that the
laws shall as existing, be strictly and impariay
administered against the persons engaged in the
comnlital vi those outragcs, without resp ect to
| persons
The above petition is circulating through
the county for signatures, and it is the duty
of every man to sign 1t, and get his ncighbor
to do so. The second clause which protests
against the call of a Convention to determine
what such body has no legal power " to
determine: namely: whether the people Of
Mary land Shall remain citizens of the United
States" merits the special attention Of every
man in these days, when secession has
become fashionable. Each State is bound
by the Constitution Of the United States, as
part OF one common government, which is
a solemn compact, deliberately entered into
BY the contracting parties. of their own free
will /; said parties being each and every
individual State on the one side, and al the
remaining States combined on the other side
There are but two ways in which this bond
can be cancelled. One is by the majority Of
the people, fairly expressed on the side of
both the contracting parties; the Other by
violence and force. If one party attempts to
sever the bond forcibly. the other party has
undoubtedly the right to appeal to the same
means for its preservation, and the stronger
party must be the winner. The case at
present stands in precisely this condition.
The latter part of the third clause in the
petition next claims our attention namely
And that if unfortunately the rest Of the
State should secedc, Cecil shall remain Mary.
land and in the Union" Not acknowledging
the right of all the rest of the State combined
to sever our allegiance to the Federal Govern,
mcnt, we OF Cecil would still claim to repre-
sent Maryland, and fully represent Der, in
the Congress of the United States, and il
invaded by the scf,osracized portion of the
State, we would call upon, be entitled to
and receive, the protection of the Fedora
Government.