Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1864-01-21
From the Richmond Dispatch,
A Word for Maryland.

The bill Of Mr.. Miles, to which we alluded Tuesday
is understood, and believe has been expressly avowe
be intended for As benefit of the Maryandes of age
to bear arms residing among In the OF the
discussion hard things havo been said of Maryanders
10 general without, think, Sufficient There
are, it is true, ansng US many persons rem Baltimore
who the curse Of that great city as loRg they
manned in it, and who will always DO the of any
city In which, for the tme they may happen to take
their residence Yet does to very hard that
the OF whole State should suffer from the acts
Of handful Of desperadoss who may happen to have
been born within it's limits. Let make the
own. SuppGse some extraordinary convulson should
banish the whole body of nativeborn rowdes-apd
We have enough Of them Heaven knows-to some city
south Of us-Chareston, for instance. Suppose they
should practice there the arts they have learned here
til the whole population up against them
man. Would not think II hard that old Virginia
should be sgmatzsd for the acts of these her degens
ate children-chlldren whom she would scorn TO own
and of whose deeds she would bs deeply ashamed There
e no Virginian who would not protest against any
Judgment found against bis State upon testimony such
this Yet this is recsly the testimony upon which
Maryland has been judged The Plug Ugly aud the
Blood NIB taken types Of that from whom
sprang Howard Williams, and Smith, ia the of the
old Observation-Disclosures fathers fought by the side of
eurs at Guilford at Camden, at Nnety-Sx, and at
kutaw-whose institutions are the same with own
and of whose many who have laid down their lives
since this began, fighting In this cause, which ia
ttes as we'll az ours
When the conscript law was on its passage in the
spring of 1862, the most prominent among the Mary
LADDERS who resided among as dssred its provisions to
embrace all citizens OF Maryland residing any OF the
Southern States. Taeee views were presented TO dhs
reAt members Of Congress by citizens OF Maryland,
and the evils which would follow any exemption of their
countrymen were at the time clearly pointed out.
They did not, however, impress the minds of the
bers deeply az to produce any modification OF the
law, and the Marylanders were left out. This fact is
stated by . writer in the Enquirer, of Monday and
well known before. The useful class of Maryland
ers feared the very thing which has happened and
expressed Overwhelmingly that the vicious class OF
their countrymen fading that they not liable to
CONSUMPTION, would congregate here in large numbers
and by their vices excite pre- JUDGES against all Try
landers. The better class OF them at this moment
all in favor of ex ending the CONSUMPTION to Maryland
Bat why should coDgr essOna invective be reserved
for Maryland alone Are Marylander5 the only men
who neglect their duty? Is there neglect of duty in
Congress itself at this moment, when the enemy is stir
ring heaven and earth against us What have they
done that members should be so ready to har their an
athsmas against Maryland the only sinner The law
requires that should 60 into with clean
hands. HoJd up your hands, gentlemen Of both Houes
Outside OF Congress-in the army and among the peo
ple-are there none who neglect Guty7 Where were
the balance of the 10000 men Bragg's muster roll
when he fought the battle of Chickamauga with less
than 10000? Where were the 100000 that Lee ought
to have had when he fought the battle of Sbarrsburg
with but IS 900? Where are the straRglers and de
serer who in the mountains and lnfest the low
country like ocusts2 Depend upon 1t, II the Mary
anders have snned deeply they have snned al least in
company.
II is sviden, to every man who will take the trouble
to think that those Marylanders who are among us are
deeply interested in the OF oar cauae az we
can possibly be- They can never 60 back to their
State unless as vctors They must set up their homes
in the South or they live nowhere Whatever fate
may befa must be their fate also. In the meantime
they have sent many brave soldiers-men who have
fought as well as any in the Confederate army. The
mechanics of Maryland form so large body that if
they fall under the CONSUMPTION understand some Of
the public works will be stopped entirely We hope at
least some caution will be observed in this respect
We hope moreover that if it is determined to conscrbe
these men Congressman will at least cease to use to-
wards them and their State that Appan jeering style
any good purpose