Smyrna times., 1862-03-13


locate there-and every person who could be
persuaded by his prejudices or by msrepresen-
tations to enlist in the crusade against the
Board was thus enlisted Several members of
the Board were approached and separately de-
sired by contractors to serve as candidate
for President against General Tllghman, but
H. II. Goldsborough alone yielded TO that re-
quest. Printed proxies were privately clrcula-
ted and votes obtained by fraud and fasehOod. |
as in the case of Col France, who held near |
So 900 of stock aud was told it was to be used |
only in making change in the location OF the |
road and not to remove the officers, as his own |
letter to a member of the Board, now in pos
session Of one of the contractors Board, will |
show Their first movement was at the Annual !
| Meeting in 1860. In this they were fortunate
ly defeated-and having forfeited their contract
by an utter failure to comply with is terms,
they bagan the claim against the company for
their forfeited stock and bonds, and unwilling
to submit their demands to a tribunal where The
witnesses and facts where knewn and accessi.
| BILE they brought suit in the United States
| Court at Wilmington, Del, and again they
| began their clandestIne work to get possession
OF the affairs Of the company by turning out
| the officers who understood their contract and
their conduct. Again Mr.. Goldsboruugh was
their candidate fer the Presidency.
Yet notwithstanding all the efforts of these
parties and their associates, notwithstanding
all their attacks upon the President and officers
Of the company, and notwithstanding their rep
resentation that by putting the Gifairs of the
company in charge OF political set of Union
men, that the State and National admnistra-
tons would build the road, which they knew to
be false, at the late election the old board re-
ceived again the expression Of the confidence
1t 81. 1
the stock voted except the contractors and have
been declared again elected by the judges of
election. 1t is true that those judges on the
day of the election, relying upon the Judge
ment of a gentleman who had experience in
such matters (now State Director in the
company at first decided to eiect 335 votes Of
fered by The President of the company, and U pom
the pressing solicitation OF Mr.. Goldsborough
signed the certificate suggested by him at that
time-but they were satisfied from investiga-
tion made the same evening that those votes
were legal aud ought to be count led-that in
Justice had been done and lhat the return they
had made erroneous: they had only to as
certain whether they had the power to correct
it. After consulting the best counsel in this
county (not interested in the subject natter
they also obtained tao opinion of sorae of the
E best legal authority in Maryland and became
satisfied that until the return was filed with
the company for record by them, they not only
r had the legal right, but it was their sworn duty
to make their record true. And rhey at once
went to the secretary of the Stockholders meet
ting ~ no had acted as their clerk and demand
i, ed OF hin their returns in order to set forth
q all the facts upon the same record. This de-
= mand was refused by Mr.. s. Il. Hopkins who
also refused TO sign paper acknowledging the
+ demand and refusal. They therefore filed a
, new Certificate setting forth oil the facts and
e directed that it should be placed upon the
r. records of the company as their return OF the
election. For doing this act, which as honest
% and honorable men they were bound to do, the
"a very INSCRIPTIONS writer in the Gazette charg
A es them with slultifying themselves under oatt
q and makes numerous wrlthing inlimalioHs cal
a. culated 10 make Just men despse the assassin
), who thus assails their character. The truth is
- they were bound by their OGthS to make tru,
80 return Of those who were elected officers of th
- company, and it is only because they had tn
- moral courage to do right irrespective of con
:. sequences or cavillIngs, and TO turn Down mel
., who were seeking Offices they did not deserv
A aud were not righttu ly elected 10, that thl
of disappointed asprer wishes to reflect upol
J., their motives. When the record of the dar
II deeds ofthis world come 10 light, it will perhap
appear that the writer of these editorials wa
or one of the very individuals who conspired wit
- these contractors TO immediate the old boarC
= for considerations that need not now be men
~ toned.
nd Since the return Of the judges we learn tha
er the new claimants made demand upon the ol
m board, for the books and property of the compc
% ny-to which they replied that being entitle
d. by the certificate of the judges and OF right
&C the administration of the fairs of the compan
10. they were yet willing to refer by consent th
NJ subject of The contested election to tho Court
ei- ft r immediate decision, or to pursue any LEI
ev Objectionable course that might be suggPstC
he to preserve and perpetuate the company. Til
be- proposition the new claimants (feellng then
cir selves backed no doubt by what the Gazette
nv. it's last issue using the favor,e language
,er certain renowned uboliioGists properly calls Il
nd higher poweD declined: and renewed the
me deman in peremptory terms. To this the o
ls board with bare quorum replied that tht
INST were unwilling to contest the case elsewhe
lrv than in the tribunals established by the cons
led tuition and laws and preferred to deliver Il
ork properly rather than destroy the compan
bv But we learn that the President of the compa
ese (who was not present or participating in th
to action by reason of disease that hud confin
de- him to his bed) on learning Of the action of /
,m board, with his usual perseverance, left his si
n6. room, vi-iied the members of the board, call
red them together and satisfied them that they h
lew no right to surrender the property of the CO..
,ro. pany because il they were legally the office
lad. OF the company (as he was eat'siled and as |
ere new claimants evidently believed, else tn
be- would have submitted the question 10 |
old CouFtt) they could not without destroying I
hey company, surrender the trust reposed in tn,
nd 10 other hands. The foil board therefore or
om- calm review of the whole subject resolved
re- reconsider their action did 50 on Friday la
H. and on Saturday officially notified MIR. Col
nfe- borough and his associates that their denaI
dis could not be complied with.
thus 10 justice to them weinsert tho legal opiR
and of Messrs. Randall and Hagner a
ther "If the corrected report Of the judges of ell
they tion be legal and valid report, establlsh
The the right Of you aud your associates to be
81 ta. fs