The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1863-01-31
IJublic ~(Fairs.
Lcftcr frcm Governor Bradford

AAN'iSt bittii WV 7tfhttOfG.
10 some irate individuals who propose
that Maryland should lake the field
under the Governors auspices, to gre
the Federal Government a lesson in re-
gard TO the best method of dealing wi h
contrabands impcrlled in he crises s.a-
very has forced upon tie coun ry, the
Governor has written the following:
Executive DEPARTMENT..
ANNAPOLIS January, ID, 1868.
DEAR Sill have received your let.
ter Of 9th inst, in which referring to the
facilities furnished by the Military Hos
1ital at poin Lookout for the escape OF
slaves in that ncjghborhood. and to the
protection afforded them BY the officer.
at that post, and aver ing to the law o.
Maryland by which person harborng q
runaway slave is subject on conviction to
confinement in the pcnltentiary, you pro-
coed to inquire will the Governor of
Maryland protect the people Of the coun-
t. by The militia Of the state should the
law be enforced by the Sheriff. and
again you say g. the people of the county
can and will Protect themselves agaiu>t
Point Lockout, II the Governor will
maintain their riyh.s BY the power of the
5 ate"
Now it nlu>t be obvious, sir, that I'M
der ordinary circumstances there would
be no necessity to ask these questions.
and that The laws Of the $ ate wouG
ordinarily be enforced by all the powers
at the command of the State. But il
must be equally as obvious-though the
tenor of your letter would seem % ignore
he fac that the circumstances now sur
rounding us are of very extraordinary
character, and such as must practically
modify in many respects the ordinary
process of judicial proceedings, whilst
they would render utterly inpracticablc
the particular Eyccu I've assistance which
you seem to contemplate A single word
explains this change of circumstances
lie are in Il state Of acar-a war of such
charac err and ex cnt as modern times
have never witnessed. and which like all
o her wars, carries in is train fearful
list of calanitics, surrounds us with
camps and hospitals and Notifications.
and compels the individual, especially
those in the ncighborhood of such posts,
for the sake of great public cxigcncics,
to subni frequently to cxactions. which
at other times the laws Of the land wonld
promptly interpose to proven.
A shorS time since We eniovcd, TO an
extent eGualled by no people upon the
earth, protection to person and properly.
under a Cons tuition and laws as equal
and as just as the wisdom Of man could
well devise. But it suited the vaulting
ambition of certain Southern conspira-
tors to renounce this Constitu ion and
these laws, and 10 make war upon their
Government with the pretencc of render
ing more secure the tenure of that very
species of property, the loss of which is
the subject of your complaint. Many
who have not openly joined in the rebel
lion. yc actuated apparently by similar
purpose, have continued to the present
time to aid and comfort them. Our
country thus openly and secretely assail-
ed has been forced, in self defense, to
take up arms it has organized and
equip red its armies, and established laws
for their dicipline and government they
may occasionally come in conflict with
the rights of The ci izen such, as have
already said, is a necessary consequence
OF all war but no one doubts that when
that war Is ended and the authority of
the nation completely rc-establshcd.
like other sufTerings in similar cases, all
who have faithfully stood by their coun-
try will be fully indennified for any losses
they may have sus aimed.
Whether, however, the prospect of
such settlement in future is satisfac-
tory or not, the sugges ion you propose
Of calling out the militia of the State
to resist the forces of the Government
who may harbor a fugitive slave, can
scarcely, | should think, command the
support of your own jadgmen, upon sober
second thought.
Nor can | regard these National forces
as you seem to do, as employed ouly 'to