Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1863-09-24
AID u H . =
or TIE
Executive G 0 m m i t t e e
OF THE
Unconditional Union Party
TO THE
Pc ople of M aryl a n d.

lho state central NoHilhlt'SO aPPO'h'N'
| by virtue of resolution OF the Union Stat'
Convention which met in Baltimore on tht
! 10th of June, and which, at its adjournct
session on the 23d Of June, nominated the
Hon. Henry H. Goldsborough, of Talbot
for Comptroller, and w. L. w. Seabrook, o
| Anne Arundel, for Comm issioncr OF the
Land Office, submit the following address tc
the people of Maryland.
The first Union State Central Committee
in Maryland was appointed about the lst OF
July, 1861.
The appointment was made pursuant to a
vote of the State Convention which con-
vened in the city of Baltimore on the 23d OF
May previous.
That Convention met, at the suggestion oil
certain loyal citizens of Baltimore, to delIb-
crate upon the perils of the times, and the
course which patriots should unite to pursue.
1t had no official antecedeut. 1t distinct
ly defined, in an address and resolutions, the
p, sition of the loyal men of Maryland; made
provision for the assembling OF another State
Convention in August following, to nominate
Il Governor and Comptroller of the State
Treasury, and directed its President to ap-
point a Central Committee to arrange there
for. ....
That Convention met under the auspices
of that committee, and completed the work
with which it was charged During the
canvass which followed, that con mlttee, with
more or less of energy and success, directed
the campaign. When it was over the com
mittee had finished its work-was JunctouS
oDicjO' 1t was called into being by an
emergency, for that emergency, and none
of those who were its Godtathcrs imagined
that it was to propagate and have perpetual
succo ssion, or that Union party, rs such, in
tie swift vcsstudes of the times, was to be
other than temporary.
1rter the Gubcrnatorial election of 1861
il did no official act and had no Recognized
official existence for a year and half.
in the spring OF the present year the
Union men throughout the State desired
conference and organization, that they might
be able more ellcctually to sustain the Ma
tonal Administration in It's great struggles
and the press, in various quarters OF the
State, suggested that some organization
should take the initiative, as the Union men
of Baltimore had done in 1861, and call
State Convention.
The first formal expression of this desire
was made by mass meeting Of the Union
men of Allcgany, held in Cumberland on the
3Oth of April. The resolutions oil that meet
ing found a ready response from various
quarters, and On the 27lh of May the Grand
League of the State of Maryland, as Mc
only State organization Of tile Union party
in e1iStence' issued call for State Con-
vention, to assemble iE the city of Baltimore
on the 10th Of June.
This call was addressed to 'all persons who
support the whole policy of the Government
in suppressin: the rebellion and the dele
gates elected under it were selected and vo-
ted for without reference to any known or
supposed affiliation or membership with the
Union Leagues.
Meanwhile. however, by secret circular, a
meeting had been called at Bainum's Hotel
on the 14th of May. 1t was attended by
certain conservative gentlemen from about
half the counties of the State, the most of
whom had contingent desire for the sup
port Of the Government. In their delbcra-
tons they discovered :hc fossil State Central
Committee of 1861, and selected it as their
instrument for cliecting their purpose, and
the President Of the meeting INDUCED the
hope that the Cl airman of the committee
would have no hesitation in calling the COM
mittcc together The Chairman did not
feel justified in calling together the State
Central Committee hy his own summons, as
their Chairman but he convened the BaIti-
more city members Of that committee, aud
those members agreed upon cal! of the
whole committee. That committee (more ur
Iessl, met on :he 2Sth of May, Uho day af
ter the Grand League had called State Con-
vention,l and adopted a resolution, which
was pul lishcd on the goth, calling State
Convention to meet iE the city of Baltimore
on the 23d Of June.
Both calls were now before the people !;
the result was as might have been supposed
the people were confused. Some counties
elected to the Convention of the 10th, some
to that of the 23d; some sent delegates to
both.
The Convention of the 10th met pursuant
to a call, adopted brief platform, which,
confessedly, even by many of those who sup
port Mr.. Mallit, represents the opinion of
large majority of the Union people OF Ma
ryland; and to avoid, if possible, any divis-
ion in the Union rauks, appointed Com
mittee of five to confer with the other Con-
vention, and without making nominations,
adjourned to the 23d of June.
Both conventions met according to APP
pointmont, in different halls of the same
building.
As soon as the organization Of the other
convention had been perfected, our commit
tee presented to it the following communica-
ton:
"In pursuance Of resolution adopted at
convention of the Union party, called at
the suggestion of the Union men of Alegany
county by the Grand Union League of this
State, Oh the 10th instant, we were appoint
cd a committee to communicate to your body
the expedency of adjourning both conven-
ventions and uniting in call for another
convention to be held upon some future day,
to be agreed upon by committees from each
of said conventions, for the purpose of NOM
mating State officers for the approaching
canvass in this State.
"In that spirit of harmony which pre-
vailed in our convention, we tender you this
proposition, in the hope that it may be en-
tertained in a similar spirit, and that COM
mittee may be appointed by your body to
unite with lis in calling a third convention,
at such time as may be agreed upon in joint
committee, the action of which joint COM
mittec to be reported to each convention for
approval or rejection"
This concilatory proposition was most
ungraciously re eived by motion to lay it
upon the table, without even the courtesy of
reading, large minority voting i'll tke af-
firmatiye