Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1863-09-24

nouncement of this commit tee by the chair
and before the members upon it had time to
retire from the hail. it was discovered that
majority Of those named upon it were favor
able to the proposition submitted by our COM
mittee: thercupon motion was Immediately
made "that the committee be enlarged by
the appointment Of four additional members;
this motion prevailed, and tEeir committee
was increased by four of their number most
avowcdly hostile to compromise.
After this action the result was easily fore
seen; all efforts at harmony were steadily
declined, their chairman refusing to permit
vote to be taken upon any proposition Oh
| fered: and so ended the conference OF the
committee of nine invested with "power to
confer" They reported back to their con :
| vention their inability" to agree with our
committee: submitted resolutions, which
studously ignored one of the most vital
| questions of the day, whether considered as
to State or National policy, and recommend
ed that their convention at once proceed to
nominate candidates.
In vain did member from Cecil urge, first,
adjournment without nomination )" failing
in this, then, postponement for further re-
Eccticn and consultation.
motions for delay were thrust aside, the res
olutions of the committee were adopted as
embracing all that was necessary for State
and National interests, and ticket put for
ward with the full knowledge that by that
act Mey dicicled The Union ranks pittom hope
IF rGmedy.
Before this step, so fatal to harmony and
Union, had been fully consummated, num-
I,r { tl,nir r,opD,lprS iurlptnu of
those who had served upon their conference
committee, indignant at the course described
wiMQre,c and Joined the convention Of which
we are the representatives,
Our convention finding every hope of
Union defeated, and seeing the evident tenn
per Of the other body, resolved, unanimously,
to nominate ticket and MIR. Goldsborough
was put before the people almost at the same
moment that Mr.. Maf1it was nominated be-
low stairs.
Our candidate needs no introduction from
us his course in the State Senate during the
past two years has earned him debt Of
gratitude from the people of Maryland.
To him was largely due the defeat OF the
the Infamous Safety Bill" and other at
tempted reasonable acts OF the Legislature
Of 1861.
DT. MdIlll. IL W1s well hllONH, Nao ODIlON-
ious to large majority Of the more decided
Union men Of the State, because of his pub
liShed hostility to emancipation, in which he
declared that "ncne but Shareholders had
any right to deal with the subject" and be-
cause, also, Of his avowed opposition to
constitutional convention.
Not content with the announcement of his
views through the press, in advance OF the
I, 1,h hnc -,
the adjournment of both, taken occasion to
discrcdit his orn, by excepting in his pub
lishcd letter Of acceptance any approval of
the recommendation for a constitutional con-
venton and sought to deprcciato the other,
while offending the true loyalty Of both, by
selecting the columns Of u distoyal paper to
advertise that lie would not have accepted
a nomination on our platform"
The acknowledged pressure Of that public
opinion to which We offered to appeal through
a third convention, and in the face Of which
we have said Mr.. Matlit's nomination was
made, has constrained his committee in their
address into an attempt to create the impress
sion, by artfully drawn statements, that the
issue, as now made up between them and
ourselves, is one Jetceen " those who expect
at the proper time to approach the subject of
ties" and "those who favor peremptory
emancipation without regard to constitution
al rights or reasonable convenience" while
they are equally careful not to commit them
selves OF their party to either.
They were most careful to exclude eman-
cipation" from their platform, and they only
indirectly refer to it to stigmatize it as a
subordinate measure Of State policy while
:. -, lac tr,,o Int l,rnn p,;po,iiv
vote was cast against any mention of a con-
stitutional Convention in their resolves.
tits difficult to see, indeed, how Mr.. Maf-
fit can consent to stand upon the non-com-
initial, evasiye, no-policy address of his Cen
tral Committee, after his ,trank and positiyc
avowals before and since his nomination.
If either he or they can now be brought to
favor the consideration Of the subject, it SIM
ply proves how rapid Is it's advance when
aided by poS,tice candidates aud progressive
public sentiment.
Fcllow-citizcns, VIC are no revolutionists;
we advocate no shortcut to the extinction
of slavery in Maryland.
We dsavow all measures for the violent
abroGation Of slavery in cur midst. We claim
that in the exercise Of our prerogatives as
American citizens, VIC owe it to ourselves to
discuss fairly, and finally to dispose of, this
evil; and we hereby sulcmnly declare it to be
our conviction that the dignity, the honor,
and the prosperity of the people alike de-
mand that we should legally and constitu-
tonalIy abolish the institution at the earliest
period compatible with the best interests of
the State, and the permanent welfare, stabil-
ity, and unity of she nation.
Since " the people know that the substance
(of slavery is already gone, and that only
the skeleton has been left" we are Of the opiu
ion that the sooner tic " Skeleton' is removed
the better it will be for the true interests of
the State and the nation at the same time
we are fully persuaded that this can only be
accomplished by at once bringing the people
face to face with it in the election of such
men only as are willing to discharge their
whole constitutional duty by accepting their
full measure Of responsibility in calling
constitutional convention at the earliest mo-
ment practicable.
We are admonishcd by the refusal of the
last Union Legislature to provide for taking
the sense of the people in respect to con-
vention that it will not do to take for grant
ed, because a candidate is heartily in favor
of suppressing the rebellion, therefore he will
favor the earliest removal Of its producing
cause, or give to the people the opportunity
SO to declare.