Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1862-03-14
THE SENTINEL.
FOR THE SENTINEL

space In one column OF your JouTnal, W Hihe
suggestion to the shareholders of the coun
ty, which, if timely considered and acted
upon, may remedy an increasing evil, and be
the means of retaining fugitive slaves al
ready harbored and secreted by those regi-
ments more notorious for their slave-stealing
propensities than their patriotic zeal. | would
suggest that, the slave owners of the county
land especially those who have absconded
slaves in the different regiments) meet in Con-
peltion, and select committee tobe composed
Of the most intelligent and influential citizens
Of the county, regardless of political predi-
lections, whose duty it shall be to wait on
the President, make known their grievances,
and demand il need be) the issuing of a
proclamation, ordering all officers Of the army,
from the highest to the lowest, and inclusive,
to surrender to citizens OF Maryland their flu
gitive slaves. The issuing of such proclama-
ton by the President would be in keeping
with oft repeated declarations to the country
prior to his Inauguration, and assurances Civ
On in his inaug ural address, that be had IND
purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere .ci'
the institution Of slavery in the States where i
existed;n that 'hehad no la,cful right or incliHd
hon to do So" and that tie fugitive slave Law
should be recognized and enforced" He, a:
President, is bound by his oath to enforce th,
laws. And even did not such law exist, al
gencral-in-chef Of the American army, he
could prohibit the harboring and secreting o.
fugitive slaves within the lines of the army,
and compel their surrender to rightful own
ers. The adoption Of such course as this
would 60 very far toward disabusng the pub
Tic mind as to the emancipation tendencies Of
the administration, aud of its intention to
deprive the STAKEHOLDER of his property and
constitutional rights. While, on the other
hand, 1t would strengthen and encourage con-
fdence in the policy Of demonstrating the
Union, yindicating the Constitution, andsus-
tanning the laws. If the President, or those
in authority under him, should refuse to pro-
tect and vindicate our rights, as his and their
oaths require of them, it would make Sir
Richard Steele's opinion of the British Minis
try Of that day, much more applicable to the
American Ministry of the present, namely
'That we are governed by q set of driyellers
whose folly take away all dignity from dis,
tress, and makes even calamity ridiculous. =
But, Mr.. Editor, would it not be as wei
for all the counties to pursue the same course
or else meet in general convention in the city
OF Baltimore, at an early day, and adopt som,
such measure, by which their just right car
he indicated against the perfdy Of a set o
creatures who have come in our midst unde
the guise of quelling rebellion, while the os
tensible object is to corrupt and steal our ne
groes2 1t is useless for those persons who ar
victims to the exercise Of trait peculiar to
and characteristic Of, fanatics, and which
more than anything else, apart from their so
cial and political perfdy, seems to distinguish
them as degenerate branch of the human
family, lost to all sense of right, justice ant
common decency, TO undertake to recover
their slaves, by applying in person to thos,
regiments, wherein this obnoxious elemeni
predominates. Such application is but the
signal for indignities and insults of the most
disgraceful and indecent character. | would
that it were in my power to illustrate their
virtues rather than their vices; but this must
be left to other hands write from the black
record of the past, and the disgraceful acts OF
the present When any class of men lose all
veneration for the honor Of their country
repudate its constitution, and set at defiance
its laws they deserve to receive the scorp
and coniemp. of their fellow-citizens. and
the execration of mankind in pcneral Tn,
American army is composcd of two dis,ipc,
classes the first and larrer portion. is conscr
vative, loyal ana patriotic. the second and
last class, is the reverse, and a blot upon IN,
whole.
But few DAYS since most worthy anf
estimable gentleman of this district v;s;,et
the encampment Of the Massachusetts 10Th.
regiment notorious for its fanatical ZEAL
TO apprehend and rescue by peaceabe means
his fugitive slave, when he was greeted b,
the hooting and howlings of a mob and suf
fered indignities at which civilization stand
aphast. and vet mt s;nrIa otfcar ,nada l.;