The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1864-09-30

dent OF this State, and Tor SIX months
resident Of the county or city in which he
may offer to vote, "slaH be entitled to uote
IN the acard on election district IN Which he
resides in all elections hereinafter to be
held" And that the act of Assembly pro-
viding for the assembling of the Conven-
ton enacts the Constitution and form of
government adopted by the said Conven-
ton as aforesaid shall be submitted to the
legal and qualified voters of the State, (cf
course meaning those Who are such under
the eristng Constitution and la,cs,) for
their adoption or rejection at such time
and in such manner and subject to such
rules and regulations as said Convention
may prescribe and the provisions herein
before contained for the qualification of
voters, and the holding of elections provi-
ded in the previous section of this act,
shall be applicable to the election to be
held under this section"
1t will be hard to find in the above
reoited provisions of the Constitution
and of the "Convention bilP' any au-
thority for the Convention, the mere crea.
ture of the illegal and qualified voters of
the State" to prescribe who snail be "le-
gal and qualified voters of the State" for
otherwise the Convention might have lin
tied to any extent the right of suffrage
upon the question Of the adoption or re-
lection of the proposed Constitution and
if the Convention can cause one provision
of the Constitution which they have made
to 20 into effect before its ratification by
the people, it is hard to find reason why
they could not have provided as readily
that any other or every provision of the
said Constitution should take effect before
its ratification, or, in fact, that no ratifca-
ton should be necessary.
Your memoralists have confidence that
your Excellency will interpose to prevent
the imposition of such an illegal and un-
warraDtable restriction upon the free suf-
frage Of the people upon the vital question
of the adoption or rejection of the Consti-
tuition proposed for their ratification
They are confirmed in this confidence by
a rene lbrance of the firm and decided
stand by your Excellency on the eve of
the last general election in opposing the
imposition Of an illegal oath upon the vo.
tiers of the this State by an offensive and
unwarrantable "mlitary order," and in
urging upon the judges of election the OBJ
legation of their oath to receive the votes
of all persons qualified to vote under the
Constitution and laws of this State.
Your memorialists, therefore, most re-
spectfully but firmly urge upon your
Excellency the propriety of calling the
attention of the judges of election
throughout the State to the fact that
they have no legal power or right, under
the existing Constitution and laws, to ex-
act such an oath of the voters, and that
they are, under oath of Office, bound to
disregard the said illegal mandates of the
said Schedule" and that your Excellen-
cy, in the proclamation submitting the
proposed Constitution to the vote of the
people, will declare and make known to
the people that your Excellency will not
count the vote in any county, or city, or
election district or precinct where such il
legal test oath shall be imposed, to the dis.
reimbursement of that part of the "legal
and qualified voters of the State'' who may
not choose to submit to such an usurpation
of power; and that no votes shall be coun-
ted other than those cast, as the existing
Constitution requires, Sin the ward or
election district in which the voters re-
side," and that, consequently, the said
provisions of the "schedule," in reference
to the soldiers in the camps, shall be ut
terly disregarded, and the votes taken in
pursuance thereof not received or counted
And that your Excellency will take no
steps to carry the said Constitution into
effect or to cause it to supersede the exist
ing Constitution until the same shall be
legally and properly ratified by the people
of the State, at free and fair election,
untrammelled and controlled by any ille-
gal and unwarrantable test oath, or by any
other restriction or interference unknown
to the existing Constitution and laws.
And they respectfully urge that any
other course upon the part of your Excel
lency will render the election mere mock
cry of the requirement that the Constitu-
ton "sltaH be submitted to the legal and
qualified uoters Of the State for their APP
provaI or rejection" for if only prescribed
portion of the illegal and qualified vo-
ters,' of any county or city, shall be al
lowed to vote, how can it be known what
are the wishes of majority of the vo-
ters2
And your memoralists will rely upon your
Excellency to take such further or other
action in the premises, as your best judg-
ment may direct, for the full and complete
protection of the rights, liberties and priv
ileges of the people of this State, in the
most important and vital question of the
adoption or rejection of a new Constitution,
to whose provisions they alone have the
right to give vitality and force.
MIR. Vallandigham Supports Mcclellan.
Hon. George H. Pendleton visited Day
ton Ohio, on the 18th inst. and was the
guest Of Mr.. Vallandigham. He was SER