The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-02-20
STATE CONFERENCE Convention
SECOND DAYS PROCEEDINGS.

open at ten o'clock, and the large crowd Thich ha
gathered in front of the building hurried in an
thronged the galleries. Many gentlemen were ad
mitted to the floor Of the Convention and occupie
the seats not appropriated by the members of tn
Convention. The President arrived few minute
after eleven O'Clock, aud as he proceeded to hi
seat the crowd in the galleries cheered. The Con
vention was called to order, and request mad
that those delegates who were not present at the
deliberations of the preceding day, should repor
themselves to the Secretary. DR.. Ii. S. Stewart
OF Anne Arundel county, and several others re
ported themselves.
Rev. Dr.. Bates, President of the Methodist Pro
testaat Church, was introduced by the President
and opened the Convention with prayer. He said
Our Father, who art in Heaven, thank Thee fo
Thy loving kindness and generous mercies which arr
daily bestowed upon We have shared largely of Thy
blessings, for which humbly thank Thee Unworthy
as we are throne OF grace 10 still accessible to us in th
days OF our trials and r!bulatlons. We feel it to be
| great privilege to approach Thy awful presence il
PRAYER We pray Thee to look with mercy upon these
citizens of State who have met for great purposes
We Thee to grant to them Thy holy spirit; restrain
them from doing wrong and promote them in their
efforts to do what is right Let their action rebound
Thy glory the good of the nation ard The advantage of the
State Bless unhappy and distracted country May the
threatened storm be hushed into camness May the ma
on be spared from suffering the perils which surround
it, May peace and prosperity crown people, and may
we return to former Quiet and content et Thy blessne
rest upon these citizens during their deliberations Still
continue to be our God and guide and may all be
constrained to give services to Thee Watch
glory. Amen
This prayer was listened to with marked atten-
ton .,,, .....,,.,,.
| transacting any business, when the Committee on
| Business arrived and the chairman informed the
Convention that the committee was ready to re-
| port.
Judge Carmichael, the Chairman. said:
Mr.. President the committee has instructed me to
port address and resolutions for the consideration of
this Convention. If the address and resolutions should
happen meet the appreciation of all the members
committee constituted of large number, and
quently there was great variety of sentiments
entertained by the members thereof The differences
however all in regard to minor points.
We believe that the Convention will find in the result
of the labors OF the committee all that might reasonably
be expected In substance they up to the demands
of every who has the heart of Marylander 1t will
be found that the members of this Convention have
Union, if possible, which they had in its main
when it an unimpaired government The purpose of
this Convention to recommend to the people of Mary
land in the event of the absolute necessity and in
evtabe dissolution of the Con ederacy of action
The destiny of this State united with that of the State
OF Virginia. cheers )and the South. 1t is not possible
for me- account of my health to discuss the merits of
the report and therefore present it for the appreciation
of the Convention.
The Secretary then read the following preamble
and resolutions
Whereas 1t is the opinion of this meeting that in the
present alarming crisis in the history of country is
sented by judicious intelligent and patriotic agents,
fully authorized to confer and act with sister States
of the South and particularly with the State of Virginia.
And Whereas, Such authority be conferred solely
by Convention Of the people of the State;
And Whereas, In the opinion of this meeting, the Le
gisature net btng in session. full and fair expression
of the popular will is most likely to be heard by Con-
venton, called by the recommendation of the Executive
And Whereas 1t alleged that the Governor now has
in contemplation to recommend by proclamation such
movement in the event of failure by the Peace Confer
ence and Congress to effect any satisfactory solution of
| the vexed question agitating the country
Be 1t therefore ReSolred, That shall approve such
proceeding the part Of the Governor, and add the
th
to regard such proclamation. And with view to allow
time for the action of the Governor in the matter this
Convention will adjourn until the 5h day of March next
unless iutermedatey the State of Virginia should, by
her Sovereign Convention secede from the Union in
shou Id not have then called Sovereign Convention of
the people of this State, this Convention shall at
reassemble at the call of the President, with view of
recommending to the people Of the State the election of
| delegates 10 such a Sovereign Convention.
ReSolced further, AS the of this Convention, that
the secession OF the savehoding States from
Federal Union induced by the aggression of the
slaveholdng States in violation of the Constitution of
| the United States.
Resolred further That the moral and material inter
ess and the geographical position of this State demand
that it should act with Virginia In this crisis coopera
ting with that State in all honorable efforts to maintain
and defend the constitutional rights of its citizens in the
Union, and failing in that to associate with her in con-
| federation with sister States of the South.
ReSOlred further, That the honor of this State requires
| that it should not permit its soil to be made highway
for Federal troops sent to make upon sister States
of the South and it is the opinion of this Convention
that attempt the part of the Federal Government
to the States which have seeded would neceSSar
yresu in civil war and the destruction of the Govern
ment itself.
Hon. ]. D. Jones said he was happy to inform
| the convention that the report was the result of
! the unanimous action of the committee.
Elk Gov Lowe assembled the platform and said
! that he requested to read the following ad-
dress to the people of Maryland as further expo
sition of the views of the Southern Rights men of
! the State Of Maryland
To the People Of Maryland This convention has been
| convened under extraordinary circumstances and we
therefore deem proper 10 state orley the causes OF ITS
conyocaon and the position which the Southern Rights
of Maryland have held from the beginning of our
unhappy national difficulties and which they hold
The Southern Rights men of Maryland have been most
perstently charged with being secessonsts and dsuni
onsts This accusation is most unjust and nexcusable
inasmuch their policy has been clearly and frank
| ly defined and proclaimed.
Immediately after the election of Mr. Lincoln to the
Presidency of the United States by sectional party
which avowed principles and purposes in violation the
Federal Constitution and hostile to the honor peace and
sovereign equality of fifteen States of the Union became
| apparent many wise and patriotic in this and
other border slaveholdng States, that effort would
be Immediately made by the secesonss Of the Cotton
States to effect disruption of the Confedcracy There
good reason, however to believe that in Georgia
Florida Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Texas
orty of the people sincerely in favor of the Union
provided that the savehoding States would mmed
ately, by constitutional amendments give the South
reliable Of protection in their rights of prop
erty and complete recognition and guarantee of theiI
political equality.
1t was evident that those States designed only the CO.
operation of the border slave States; that such
ton not obtained is greatly regretted Hence it
that the secessoniss the cotton States left in ab
oute control OF the public sentiment and succeeded in
naugurating the policy Of separate State action and
eliminated in the establishment of Southern Conedera
cy, the leading spirits of which inform the country
that the time for reconciliation has passed. and all hopes
| of a reconstruction of the government gone.
1t precisely prevent this calamitous result tha
the Southern Rishts men OF MARYLAND as early as las
November earnestly recommended the election of Con
venon by the people They believed then, and believe
now, that if Maryland had taken decided stand, her
ample would have been followed by the other border
States not one of which, in fact has deep neres
in this crisis as herself.
Her geographical position making her the seat of wa
in the event of COLLISION and her relations to the Dstrc
ofCoumoia to render her position in this crisis
one oil permanent dhcuity We were satisfied that th
border slave States that is, Delaware Maryland. vr
gnia, Kentucky and Missouri. acting in concert will
North Carolina and Tennessee, by calling Convention o
all the Southern States last November December wou
have controlled the action Of the cotton States, by tn
adoption Of manly policy If they had adopted such
basis of settlement the Crttenden resolutions ant
presented il the North the utmatum of the South
believe would have driven the leaders of tn
Republican party into submission a demand 81
clearly right and moderate, and that the Union woult
have been saved The cooperaonts Of the cotton States
who were then really in the majority, would have
been enabled to stem the torrent secession which the,
powerless to do in the absence aid
ment from the border slave States. At all events if
be possible to suppose that the Northern States wou
have deliberately rejected reasonable offer of peac
an fraternity rendered by united South it cannot b
considered probable that anatclsm would have venture
to draw the sword of civil against fifteen States
eight millions of brave and warlike people. Civil wa
would have been impossible.
1t is untrue therefore, that the soahern Rights mel
of Maryland desired the election of Sovereign Conven
on in order that they might carry Maryland ont of tn
Union Their earnest purpose on the contrary, was
prevent secession and disunion, by formidable move
ment to obtain such settlement could alone preserv
the Union, and failing in that, then to avert the caam
ties Of fratricidal war by peaceful separation Mary
land has performed that great duffy. We do de
sign to cast reflections any who differed from us
opinion. They may be honest but that they have puI
sued fatal policy, events rapidly demonstrating
The inaction of the border slave States has resulted
the secession of States and the establishment of
Southern Confederacy, and, what is infinitely m
q n nf TTpinr ha
given time and opportunity to the uncompromisng lead
Of the Republican party to the spir
Of their people, under the plausible pretext of enforc
the lars and protecting the public property and to
soidae the of the Northern in a determir
alton the South as indicated in the recer
speeches of Mr. Lincoln; and all understand that C,
ercion means civil war.
1t useless to argue the right propeties of
There stands the fact tha the seeded States have oca
y declared that any attempt retake the
lect within their limits will be resisted by fore
Of arms; and we know that such commenced in
State will necessarily become general Thus it haI
that the honor and safety of the border sav
States involved in events which they have not il
augurated and cannot master Instead of being arbite
of Southern destiny they driven to accept
u sequences which they might have controlled.
is now, fear too late to remedy this great erro
1t too late fear, to accomplish reconstrucon
IT the nstrumentality which soemnly believe wou
have prevented dsuniOn; nevertheless, whilst there
life there hope, and regard it the sacred
y it the highest interest of the border slave Stat
to make this last effort to re-establish the n
| bic government which constructed by Il
r genius and baptized in the heroic blood of our fat
= ture destiny, if dissolution is final. In that
pose there be doubt that the sentiments Of
overwhelming majority Of the people of Maryland is To-
% ally and thoroughly with the South.