Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1861-05-30


Active, energetic, bold and desperate
quick to plan and daringt to execute, they
presumed upon their acknowledged tact
rather than their strength of numbers to
withdraw our State from that attitude OF
loyalty and conservatism which the un-
doubted sentiment of her people demands
that she should occupy.
Secession for Maryland can bring moth
ing but ruin to her citizens---the dcs-
truction of her every interest. 1t con-
verts her soil into an immense battle
feld-a prey to the perhaps alternate
fortune of contending hosts. The scourge
of war is brought to the door of every
citizen, and her citizens themselves
brought into desperate conflict with each
other, and this is to be done at the Did
ding of conspirators who have fomeuted
the troubles which unhnppily afflict our
country, and who, having don" so. now
seek to divert from themselves, in the
States Of the Gulf. the consequences OF
their acts, and place upon us the h"r-
rors and miserps which secession will
inevitably entail Our interests. our
duty to ourselves, no less than our pa
tri tis,n, forbid it. Such proposition
merits and receives our scorn and IN
dignation.
The secession of Maryland accomplish
es beyond peradve turc the abolition of
slavery within her limits, and that spec
div by bringing q Government foreign
to her and mi icabIe to that institution
upon her border, and to which slaves who
once escape cannot as now be recovere
1t diminishes largely the value of her
slaves, by the fact that if they are not
sold South they will run North. aud th"
effort to sell them Sout vii seri ous'y
reduce their value BY the large nunhrr
thus thrown upon the market from Ma
ryland and other States similarly sitna-
ted, at a time of great pecuniary rmhar
rassrnent. This sacrifice, amongst 9TH
ers, it is gravely proposed that Mary
land shall make to the cupidity Of plan
tiers iu the Gulf States, who are 10 cres-
ted in cheap negroes. and who in turn
will contemn Maryland for the condi-
ton of anti-slavery into which their
Vaccinations, aided by conspirators
within her own borders, will have coerced
her.
Secession is wrong ever if it could he
peacefully accomplished; it is n crime and
shame no warrant Tor it is contained in the
Constitution given us BY our patriotic ances-
tors; a resort t. it is n reproach to their I'M
Outstanding who designed for us "perpctu-
al Cnian;' it cannot be defended upon any
principal Of right. duty or the interest OF
Maryland, or indeed of any other State,
Revolution can only he justified rs a relief
from intolcrable oppression, aud when the
wrongs sought to be redressed are greater
, than those cntaiel in the eif,rt to accomplish
| it, and when also tho benefits to be derived
from it shall fully compensate for its sacrlt-
ces.
Can the people Of Maryland claim any
such right of revolution under existing cir
cumstances? Who will pretend that any
symptom of such an oppression has at any
timc existed within the borders of Maryland
or any other State? Nowhere upon the face
of the broad earth can people be found who
have been more abundantly blessed with all
the evidences Of prosperity and power than
those of our own loved land; and never was
there period in our past history when all
! the material elements of that prosperity were
heaped together in richer pro(usinn than at
the very time when these wicked cunspira-
tors reduced their long cherished plans to
practice. But for this secession movement,
instead of the bankruptcy, heggarry and ru-
In which have everywhere followed in its
footsteps, We should be greeted on every
sde with the thrift enterprise and pr"sprri-
| ty resulting from the last years nveril wing
| harvest; and our broken merchants and uu-
employed mechanics and heggarrd lahorers
would this day be chGerei as If old, with
peace throughout their borders and plenty at
their board.
But the example of other States. and
particularly Virginia, is held as good rea-
son why we should embark our substance
our rights, and our liberties upon un-
known and uncxplorec seas, with certain
danger and sacrifice confronting us be-
fore We are launched. and with proba.
bility Of being engulrhcd, with all W"
hold dear, carly in the morning. Eel
low citizens, Is it wise ? is it safe is
it prudent thus to act? We apprehend
that YOU will have no difficulty to an
swcr these questions, if you do but per-
nit your honest judgement to control
you. Can crime be sanctifcl in your
eyes because committed by your neigh
Dor or friend? Is it less crime be-
cnuse those you love are guilty of it,
Aud if secession for Maryland as au alb
s,ract proposition is wrong. how can it
become right because Virginia has resor-
t.d to it Is Maryland au appendage
of that or any other State ? bound to do
wrong against her own judgement be-
cause Virginia, in defiance of the will of
her people so lately and so emphatiraly
expressed, has seen proper so to art p
1t will not be forgotten that the Srces-
.ionists or sympathizcrs with t1at here
~ in Maryland d. not in all eases openly
avnw it, but mask them elves behind
what they are pleased to denominate op
osition to coercon of the South; aud
this is made by them broad enough to
cover Il the purposes that avowcd Sc
crssiOnlstS desire
The Collection of the revenue, the
protection of the public property. the
performance of any of the functions of
Government in opposition to the dirfa-
ton of Seccssinnsts. according to their
theory. is COERCION. The use If the pub
lie ways Of travel, the employment in
f,,f IF uny p,paus untpssa,y f,l r,ti,.,t
any point in dancer If ASSAULT ~ inslr
rectionists is denominated ino,s.o", ani
relying upon the demorallza''"" il pm
lie sentiment which they have euleavr.
ed to effect, they raise an cutlery rn'i
create mob which ou.rages every rr'n
ciple of right aud caus S the shedding ut
the blood of the people. The right At
transit OF troops, when ordered by the
government of which Maryland is part