St. Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1845-1863, 1862-03-06

4 - '""e ~ 'cbatn fonSer I'D tiie
Union would subject them to ccntin.
aauce OF disparaging discriminstion
submission to which would be inconsis-
tent with their welfare and intoicraLle
to proud people. They therefore de.
sermined TO sever its bonds and .cstab.
iiah new CspfeJcracy for themselves.
iss The cxpefils<l.s instituted BY our owl,
revolutionary Fathers. Of a voluntary uu.
ION OF sovereign States for purposes spc.
eiled in solemn compact, has been
perverted by those who. feeling power
and forgetting right. were Determined
to respect no law but their own will
The government had ceased to answer
ends for which it was ordained and es.
'abllshed. To save ourselves from q
revolution which, in its silent but Ia
pa rr"gr.ss, was aboat to place us un-
der the despotism of Lumbers. and tu
preserve in spirit, as well as in form,
system ut government We believe tu
DC peculiarly fitted to our condition, and
Tall oi promise for mankind, we determined
TO make new association. composed oi
States homogeneous ia interest, in policy
anl in feeling
True 10 our traditions Of peace and
our love Of Justice. we sent commission
rrs to the United States to propose a
fair aid amicablc settlement Of ali anes-
iions of public dcLt Or property which
might be in dispute. But the govern
mcnt at Washinst IN. den, ing our right
TO sclt-govc-nment. refused even to lis
ten To any proposals for peaceful sep
ara,i"n. Nothing Was then left TO us bu,
10 prepare for war.
The first year in our history has been
the mos. cvcntful in the annals Of this
ron,insnt. \ rev government has been
established, and its machinery put in op-
Grafton over an area exceeding seven hun
drtd thousand square miles. The creai
principles upon which We have been vii.
ling t" hazard everything that is dear to
u,an have male cou.ilcs,s for us which
could never have been achieved By the
-w.rd Our Confrlcrscy has grown from
SIX TO thirteen States: and Maryland, al
ready united to us by hallowcd menaorics
AMI material intcresis. will, believe,
when able t" sp ak with unstiRcd voice.
rYnncct ler dr.tiny with the South. Our
people have rallied with unexsmpled una.
'nimity to the supper. Of the great priuci-
pies of constitutional government with
firm resolve to perpetuatc by arms the
rights which they could not peacefully Sc
curr. 4 million of men. it 10 estimated.
are how standing iii hostile array, and
waging war along frontier of thousand,
OF miles. Battles have been fought. sicg.s
have been conducted. and. although the
contest is not ended, and the tile for the
mo,acnt is against us. the final result iu
our favor is not doubtful.
The period is ucar at has'l when our
foes must si.k under the immense load Of
debt which they have incurred. debt
which. in their cif"rt to sntiugatc us, has
already attained such fearful Dimensions
rs will subject them to hurthens which
must continue to "rprcss them for gener-
aiinns to CONE. We, too, have hal our
trials aud difficulties That We are to cs-
cape them in the future is not to bc hoped.
1t was to be expected when We entered
npnA this war that it would expose our
people 10 sacrifices and cost them much.
both of money and III" d. But we knew
The value of the object for hich we strug-
gled. aud understood the nature of the
war iu which We were engaged. Moth
ing could be so bad as failure, aud any
sacrifice would be cheap as the price of
success in such contest.
But the picture has its lights as we'll as
its shadows. This great strife has awak-
encd in the people the highest emotions
and qualities Of the human soul. 1t il
cultivating feelings "f patriotism. virtue
anl courage. Instances Of slf-sacrificc and
Of generous devotion to the noble cause for
Which we a,r co,rtending, are rife through
out the land. Never has people evinc.
cd more determined spirit than that now
a,.imating mcn. women aud children in
every part of oar country: Upon the
first cali the men fly to arms: and wives
and mothers send their husbands and
sons to battle without u mur:nur Of re-
gret.
It was, p:rhaps, in the ordination Of
Providence that VIC were to be taught the
value Of our liberties by the price which: we
pay for them The rccullections Of this
great contest. With all its common tradi-
tians of glory. of sacriice and Of blood,
will be the bond ef harmony and enduring
affection amongst the pcopie. producing
unity in l-liey. fraternity in sentiment
and joint rff"rt in War. Nor have the ma
tcrial SACRIFICES Of the past year been ma.le
without some f,0rrcsass,dil.g benefits If
the acquiescence of foreign nations in a
pretended blockade has deprived Us s'of our
cssn,ncrcc with ts,.m. il Is fast making us
a self-supp"rting and an independent peO-
rl.. The bl"eka.ic. if cttcc,ual and per-
mancnt. could ouly serve to divert our
Industry from the production of ar,iehs
for export. aud e,nploy it in supplying
commodities for domestic use.
II is a satisfaction that we have MAIN
tanned the war By our unais!cd excriions.
W. aaye u,iiher askcd nor received a<sis-