Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1863-04-23
THE SLAVE POWER.

There is no subject in which the people Of
this commonwealth have a deeper concern
than that Of tho power which the slave interest
wields in the affairs of the State Ever since
the establishment of oar independence, this
power has dictated the policy to be pursued
and indicated the laws to be enacted for the
government Of the people and the manage
ment OF the affairs Of the State and with
but very little opposition this dictaton has
been submitted to, though the policy it has
adopted may have been felt to be onerous,
unjust and detrimental to the development
Of our interests and opposed to our material
progress. 1t has in effect kept the State far
behind the position to which, with her i'm
mense resources, she might have long since
attained. .- ., s-.1 3.
Let us for few moments examine the
claims of this power to control the legislation
of the State. All this is necessary, for our
present purpose is to contrast st. Mary's,
Charles, Prince Georges and Anne Arundel,
the four leading slaveholding counties in the
State, with Carroll, Frederick, Washington
and Allegany counties, where the slave power
has very little more than nominal existence.
In the election Of 1860 st. Marys, Charles,
Prince George and Anna Arundel counties
cast 8,6s5 votes, while Carroll, Frederick,
Washington and Allegany counties cast 81,
900 votes. By our present rule of represent
tation, these six thousand votes can controi
the twenty one thousand, simply because the
majority are Shareholders Not that they
possess greater amount of intellgence-not
because they possess a greater amount of
wealth, or that the peculiar character of their
property is more important to the interests
of the State, but simply and alone because it
Is slave property This was the only reason
assigned for the unjust proceedurein tho con-
vsntion which framed the present Constitu-
tion, and adopted the present basis Of rep
resentation. We ask, then, why shall this
be? There is no substantial reason that can
be assigned for its existence and it should not
longer be submitted TO-. .s J.. ..
There is but one, and only one reason that
we have urged for the existence of such
state of things, and it is this. Shareholders
are impressed with the idea that the large
non-slaveholding population of the State, is
sensible that the existence of slavery is dttri-
mental to their interest and should the power
OF the State pass into their hands. they would
employ it to advance the interest of the large
laboring white population of the State, in
stead of as heretofore almost exclusive bene-
fitting the sole interests. We are opposed to
the longer continuance of this state Of things
If the majority of the people of the State
favor the longer predominance of the slave
power in the councils of the Statc--if they
approve Of small minority of the people
debating the policy Of the State because that
minority is slaveholding people, let them
have the opportunity of saying so. 800.
But if majority Of the people of this
commonwealth approve of the Republican
principle, Of the majority of the legally quail
flied voters ruling, let them have an oppor-
tunity of saying SO, and let their opinions on
this subject be the law of the State. l... .,
we are opposed to doing injustice to any
number Of the people of the State, however
small, and we are equally opposed, and shall
as steruly resist and as vigorously employ all
legitimate means in our power to prevent
small minority of the people of this State
doing injustice to the large and overwhelm-
ing majority Of our citizens. ma ''1%-"'o
live have q republican form of govern
ment In name, let us have it in reality. Our
people should wake up to this subject. Per-
haps no county in the State has suffered more
from the peculiar legislation to which we
have been subjected on the account Of the
slavdpower than Allegany and we should
bestir, ourselves up II our interest and
see to Il, that the policy which is necessary
to the development of our great, our I'M
mense and inexhaustiblo resources shall not
be shwsrted by the Influence Of the little pig
my siaveholding county whose wealth and
population hardly equal one of onr election
districts. bIl nlG}L'-'l -15}r4d-