Maryland free press., 1863-01-30
InterestiAg correspondence Governor
Bradford en-, Che war and state Rights


to rob US, individuals have not the power, if
the will, for self.protection; therefore we are
compelled to call on your Excellency to use
the power of the State TO protect and defend
the laws which you are sworn to support
There might be some difficulty if the Consti-
tuition of the State of Maryland, with its laws,
Came in confiict, with the Constitution and
laws of. the Federal Government. In that
event, your individual opinion in regard to
States rights might govern you. But the
difficulty to which l now ask your attention
and assistance, arises from the fact of the To-
cation of military hospital among US, which
was established for that purpose, but has be-
come the receptacle of runaway negroes. Not
only are they taken within the military lines,
but are protected by the military in the hands
of individuals belonging to the hospitals out
eide of these lines. 1 understand that the
Colonel commanding states that until a runa-
way negro registers his name, he is free to
leave if he docs not choose to leave, his owners
cannot force him. If his name is registered,
he ia fact becomes the property of the General
government, because, after such registering
the Colonel has no authority, and the party is
referred to the Secretary of War.
According to the law of Maryland, party
who harbors runaway is subject to an indict.
ment, and if found guilty, consigned to tho
penitentiary.
lady of this county, living near Point
Lookout, has runaway girl in the hands of
one of the officers of the Point, outside of the
lines, but protected by the military of the post.
The proper remedy would be warrant, di-
rected to the Sheriff of the county, to arrest
this man who holds the runaway. IF the Sher-
iffis resisted, he can summon posse from the
whole county, who can arrest him.
Tho question is, Will the Governor of
Maryland protect The people of the county by
the militia of the State. should the law be
enforced by the Sheriff.
cannot understand the Government, if by
issuing the Proclamation of the lst of January
the President intended to act in good faith to
the people included by said Proclamation
We are excluded and worst servcd; worst
served because the Proclamation bears upon
It's face protection to us, and comes into our
midst in peace and cheats us of our property
In the South, where the Proclamation is to
take effect, the officer who are to carry it out
do not feel comfortable in going.
Federal usurpation has only been where it
feels the nerve of the Governor of the State to
be week. The fortresses of New York and
Boston were opened because it came to the
knowledge of the President that the Governor
elect and the people of New York would at
tend to this little matter. This must be a
fact. for from the newspapers lately am to
understand that the prisoners who were in these
fortresses are considered as guilty as they
were the day they wero consigned there.
l am confident that when these facts are
presented to your Exccllency, rs Governor,
you will maintain the laws and dignity of your
State, and protect the property of those cit
izens over whom you rule.
have written to the Secretary of War; and
mentioned the name of the lady who LOST the
servant, and that of the lady herself, who, l
understand, has, BY a strange law, changed
ownership to the Government by the singular
fact of registering her name.
The people of the county can and will protect
themselves against Point Lookout, if the Gov
ernor will maintain their rights by the power
OF the State. Respectfully, yours, &c,
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, ANNAPOLIS,
January 10, 1868.
DEAR SIH:-I have received your letter Of
9th instant, in which referring to the facilities
furnished by the Military Hospital at Point
Lookout for the escape of slavos in that neigh
borhood, and to the protection afforded them
by the officers at that post, and a4verting tc
the law of Maryland by which person har-
boring runaway slave Is subject, OH convic-
tion, to confinement in the penitentiary, you
proceed to inquire "wll the Governor of Ma
ryland protect the people of the country by
militia of the State, should the law be enforced
by Che Sheriff. and again you say 'the peo.
pie of the county can and will protect them
selves against Point Lookout, if the Governor
will maintain their rights by the power of thu
State
Vow, Il must be obvious, sir, that under or
dinary circumstances there would be no neces
sity to ask these questions, and that the law.
of the State would ordinarily be enforced by
all the powers at the command of the State. -
But it must be equally as obvious-though tin
tenor of your letter would seem to ignore tn
fact that the circumstances now surroun
ding us are Of very extraordinary character
and such as must practically modify, in man,
respects, the ordinary process of judicial pro
ccedings, whilst they would render utterly i'm
practicable the particular Executive assistanc
which you seem to contemplate. A singl
word explains this change of circumstances
We are in a state Of Har-a war of such char
acter and extent as modern times have ncve
witnessed, and which, like all other wars, car
r4es in its train fearful list of calamitics, SUI
rounds us with camps and hospitals and fort
fications, and compels the individual, especial
ly those in the neighborhood of such posts; fc
the sake of great public exigences, to subm
frequently to exactions which, at other time