The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1863-07-04
THE 4th.-To-day the anniversary of
our natal day will be celebrated in Elhton-
Let every nun show his colors.
For The Cecil Wing.


For The Cecil Wing
Mr.. EDITOR In his article Published in
your last issue, Mr.. W. }. Jones, as in his
former article, goes at great length into
matters OF Il personal character.
Pretending in the outset, to be governed
by desire to discuss the question OF Eman
cipation, and to reply to positions l had
taken in my gard he came forth with a
long string Of accusations and insinuations
applicable to me in II personal sense.
Espouslng the cause of a man, admitted
by him to be of worthless reputation, aud
initiating the conduct of certain of the
canine species when certain of their kind
are engaged in conflict, he comes forward
swapping at those engaged, in q manner
which Will perhaps start inquiry why he
should have intcrfered.
His insinuation that | had greater de.
| sire IN my views expressed, or in the course
pursued by me, to preserve my ''consis.
tency as pro. slavery Democrat. J." than
to preserve the Union" is as gratuitous as
it is false.
| have, since the troubles which now
atflct our country, constantly expressed nv
wish that there should be no attempt made
to create or revive parties this is my posi-.
ton now, and may be excused for saying
that if this course had been pursued in our
own State and out Of it, by those high in au.
thority as we'll as those in the humber walks
of life, the cause Of the Union, both in our
State and throughout the whole broad sur.
face of the country, would day present II
| far more pleasing prospect than it does.
Mr.. Jones, by mode of calculating pccu.
liar to himself. endeavors to show that ten
millions Of dollars would properly compen.
safe the owners of slaves in Maryland and
disposes of this matter by mere assertion,
which is his way of establishing his posi-,
ton.
By the census of 1860. there were in the
State of Maryland about eighty seven thou.
sand slaves these at the rate of three hun
dred dollars each, after making fair allow
ance for decrease by those who have run
away, would cost the sum of twenty four
millions Of dollars to enamel pate to their
owners. Add this to the existing debt of
the State, and you have the sum Of thirty
millions, less the sum of ten millions if
Congress had voted it. but which it has not
done. Three hundred dollars per head
was, | believe. the average of the price
allowed by Congress, when it undertook to
emancipate the slaves of the District of
Columbia.
This was considered low average for
property Of this kind, which if its value be
ly to the interference with it, and the course
of the Government and our own army to.
ward it, which should not be suffered to be
taken advantage OF to the detrimcnt of those
possessing it, 70 say that the assessment
OF this kind of property was either h Oh or
low is not material, when it is known that
very little property, real or personal, has
been assessed at the value placed upon it by
its owner, or its actual value. There are
numerous cases where real estate, stock,
&c, have not been valued by assessors at
one half, or even one-third, of what the
owner would have asked for 1t. To take
property from the owner against his con
sent, and at a price arbitrarily fixed by
those who take it, at "a price from which he
has no appeal, and under circumstances
which allow him no redress. will surely
occur to every fair minded man as IL hard.
ship.
1t may be well to remark here, that the
passage in my card" which gave as a rea-
son against emancipation at present, that
" Emancipation with compensation WAS not
asked for by any considerable number of
shareholders holding any considerable nnm.
Der of slaves" has been, by Mr.. Jones and
others. construed very differently from what
| intended by inserting it. Let me explain.
1t had been very frequently urged as rea.
son why there should be sudden emanci pa
ton, that slaves were running away, and
that their owners were losing then; this
reason was advanced very generally, in fact
almost entirely, by persons who were not
owners of slaves, and it was in view of this
assigned reason for emancipation, that / said
was opposed to emancipation, at pre-
sent, with compensation because such a
measure was not "asked by any considera
bic number of persons, holding any consider
able number of slaves And when | said
that was opposed to any act of enamel
patton, which has the effect to despoi the
owners of slave property of their right to
this property" | meant just what the sen,
tence implies, viz: That was opposed to
taking this property from its owners, with
out paying for it. which would be nothing
less than spoliation. ! did not mean, nor
ought to have been understood to mean
that, rhen necessary, private property may
not be taken for the public use, with fair
and just compensation for it. The intima
ton, that had l lived in the days of the
American Revolution, that my opinions and
course would have been different from the
patriots of that period, | repel with all the
scorn and contempt that such an impudent
and uncaled-for assertion merits at my
hands. No other notice of it need be taken.
With these explanations, propose to leave
the subject and MIR Jones, having no inclina-
ton to continue controversy dsagreeable to
me from the beginning, and having no spare
time to devote to matters which have assumed
more of personal character than a profitable
disputation uptn the merits of a public ques-
ton; and to this, l am further constrained by
the remark of Mr.. JONES' in his last article, that
he did not understand my arguments"
hope that in his search for adventures like his
renowned prototype, the valorous Don Quixote,
otherwise called the Knight of the Sorrowtul
Figure, he may succeed in finding an enterprise
more worthy of his fame, than the personal
assaults, and wind Mill" charges, he has
made upon SO humble and unpletending per-
son as myself, or the views, which in conse-
quence of misrepresentation, felt it due to my
self to give to the public. S. S. MAFFlT.
-
y We have news from v:cksburg the morning Of the
10Th ult. The siege steadily progressing, but the
firing had somewhat slackened in sequence of tho
heat On the 18th lighting continued all day, and ut
ngnt ono Of the Rebel forts blown up by mine
laid by our men. breach made in the walls
through which our men entered. The Rebels fought
savagey, but were driven back, and Gen L'gan had
mounted two heavy guns In the abandoned works. Rebel
accounts from Vicksurg the 18th say that the west
puhur st thAA