The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1863-09-26

Hc CtuHoSIapuy VI ~tHe Ctate THROWS
light on the mystery of the patience OF
.he North and the domination of Che
South.
There are siavcs in Maryland, and they
are not dis ributcd equally over the
State, and power follows them as the
shadow the substance.
Maryland is Slave State, but it is
also Free State.
There are in Maryland $3.50 slaves.
Of these, 1912 are held in the counties
south of The two rivers, and only l4,277
north of the same.
Five-sixths of all the slaves live in the
counties having but one-fourlh of the
white population. One-sixth of the
slaves are sparsely scattered among the
other three forths of the white people
In the Southern region there are So to
every 100 whites in the Northern re
gion there are 37S slaves to every 100
viii es.
The North of Maryland is Free Mary
land ; South of Maryland is Slave Mary
land.
1t has been careful not to allow the
law-giver to pass from between its
feet So careful has it been that, on
the prescribed basis of any Constitu ion
al Convention, The aggregate numbers
of the House and Senate give tic vote;
for II Senators and 40 Delegates.
The Governor is required by those who
formed the Constitution to be selected
from three districts in succession.
The power which seized on the Legis-
lature con rived by that division to Sc
cure an equally disproportionate share
Of he cxccu i've power.
1t constituted Eastern Shore all south
of the Sassatras river, but ore county,
one Of the three districts, though i con-
tans only 9l,S94 viii inhabitants !;
while the other slavebolding peninsula of
5S,S75 white inhabi ants shares with the
city of Bal imorc and its lS4,52O white
inbaLi ants another third of the executive
power and all the residue of the free
counties, with their POI 100 constitutes
the other district.
The power thus enthroned in the Leg
islature of the State to It's perpc ua ion,
its exemption from equal blrthens, lis
influence in the National Government.
1t has seized on one of the United
States Senators, and l,y law appropriated
him to the Eas .ern Shore-all but one
of the counties south of the Sassafras in
tcnscly slavehodiug- containing only
81 1851 white inhabitants, less than one
fifth of the people Of the State, and al
ready endowed with one-third of the
Governors.
1t has been careful to secure the foun-
dations of its power by declaring, in the
Constitution, that the Legislature shall
not pass any law abolishiug the relation
of master and slave as it Low exists in
this State.
That same Constitution directed the
Legislature to take the sense of the
people on Constitutional Convention at
lis late session. But that would give
the people an opportunity to strip the
oligarchy of power, and they might see
| fit to do it.
Before such contingency all consti-
tutional daty was silent.
- The forms of obedience were observ
ed, but accident was ready to avert dan
ger,
A bill was reported, passed the House
of Delegates, and was proceeding in the
Senate, carefully postponed till the last
night Of the session, when it was in the
power of its enemies.
One of tho oligarchy, from a county
where the slave exceeds the white pop
ula ion, zealously moved amendments
and called the ayes and nays, till the
President, pending the actual vote on
the final passage, pronounced the Senate
adjourned.
THIS aras on the l0M of .iarch ; lie
Presidents emancipation message had
reuched annapolis on the 9th, md that
pns latal to the bill.
The Legislature of 1859, wholly in
its mistress by law, forbade emancipation
of slaves by their masters, contrary to
the time honored policy of the State.
The same Legislature, at the bidding
of the lowest instincts Of the same inter-
es dsgraced even itself by law allow
ing free negroes to be reduced 10 bond
age at the will of the people in certain
counties.
Nor has this power been at all above
the most sordid abuses.
1t has exempted the slave interest
from equal AKA ion and thrown on the
land and the free labor of the State the
burthen of supplying he deficiency.
O;her property is assessed, by sworn
officers, at its value this interest is
valued by law, according 10 the age and
sex alone no slave is valued. above
$4U0, though before the rebellion he
would have sold for POO or $l 400 !
and then the rate is so contrlved thai
the average valuation of all the slaves
in the State since 1880 has been $l5S,
when the market value would have aver
aged three or four times that sum.
Even the administration Of justice
pays tribute 10 its power.
The State is made to guarantee the
STAKEHOLDER against loss from the crimi-
nal responsibility of his slave; for the
negro is property Or person, alternately,
as will best serve the interest of the
owner
The negro commits crime as a per-
son, by law the people of the State pay
to the owner the value of the slave con.