Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-09-02

deeply regret not only to do injustice to Mary
land, but to any Of her gallant sons. The 10
formation which | received, and which ia the
hurry Of the moment did not state as fully as
should, was that the arrest was made upon test
mony regarded as credible. and acted upon the
assumption that. hearing nothing TO the con
trary. that testimony received a. credible was so
Mr. Jones of Aaryland-So far from this be
ing credible, il has been from the time il was
first started in MARYLAND down 20 the present mo
ment. denounced wilful and deliberate lie
unsustsined by particle of testimony. The
| gentleman was wrong IN more Of he statements
l The Legislature of Maryland did not convene At
Annapolis: Annapolis was held hy Federal troops.
and Governor Hicks convened the Legislature to
meet at Frederick. There was then no design,
BY meeting at Frederick, to meet Johnston OF
hold any communication with him. They had
met AZ Frederick, and there was proposition
sent to that Legislature or some proposition
made asking Il to pass an ordinance of seces
sion. IL was referred 10 a committee The Leg
islature was Overwhelmingly Democratic The
chairman of that committee was Mr.. Wallis. one
OF the most talented and distinguished sons OF
Maryland and a man of as pure honor and in
tegrty as any man alive That committee made
a report. which was adopted almost unanimously,
there being but two or three negative votes. that
the Legislature of Maryland then assembled had
no power To pass ordinance of secession.
Then that these 1en, men of honor, men whose
character was dearer TO them than their lives.
that these men. with such a record that they had
no power 20 pass such an ordinance of secession
shosld have acted as they were accused of act
ing is an sbsurdty as well as falsehood There
was not one particle of evidence. except the false
witnesses who gave the information to General
Mcclellan, and whose names have never been
disclosed
And, | will say further, that upon this evil
dence, which the gentleman SAYS General Nc
Clellan considered creditable these members OF
the Legislature were arrested and put in prison,
sent from one prison to another: from Fort Nc
Henry to Fort Lafayette and Fort Warren, and
kept there for fourteen months by this govern
ment If there had been this credible evidence
of their completely with a design TO pass or
dinance Of secession in to introduce the Con
federate forces into Maryland. why were they
not tried. even by drum head court martialf
| They were rendered their liberty il they would
sign parole Some few Of them. overcome by
long confinement, their health failing and their
families sufierings, did agree to the humiliaton
but there were others, and among them the very
men who signed the report that they had no
| power to pass an ordinance of secession, who re
fused to sign the parole, demanded trial upon
any charges the government had against them
that, having taken and kept them prisoners, with
out trial or formal accusation and the gov
| eminent not very able to find witness of any
thing imputed TO them, that they had a right as
American citizens under the Constitution to be
absolutely and Internationally discharged They
put themselves Oh that ground, and notified the
government that they would die in prison before
they would give any parole. / know these men
personally, and there never ere men more pure
or untarnished, who loved their whole coun-
try, desired more sincerely to see its union re-
stored than these very men.
| What interest had they to make their State
the Belgium of the UnionY No longer than two
months ago. in the Constitutional Convention
now setting at Annapolis this question was raised
and the insinuation made that there was pur
pose on the part of that Legislature to take some
action looking toward secession and unfrendly
to the Union.
A member of that Legislature was a member
Of the convention, and he got Up in his place,
and, in the face Of the people of Maryland, pro
nounced the statement absolutely and unqdali-
| fedly false
| Now let Gen. McClellan's defense be that he
was msled by evidence that he deemed credible,
and let him have the benefit of it, for "to err is
human, to forgive divine"
| / could not, Mr.. President, a. a Marylander,
knowing these men as do to be true men, true
to our Democratic principles. after lying weary
| months in cesemaies of forts, where they
have been so cruelty and uujustly incarce-
4
without giving the charge the completest
tradiction the English language will admit.
insist that the charge was false; but do not be
lieve Gen Mcclellan would have acted on any
1 testimony which he did not deem entirely credi-
BILE Applause and cries of Question:
Mr.. Holsman, of New jersey wish to say
that was the obstinate Jcrseyman among nv
delegation who opposed the nomination Of Gen.
Mcclellan. At the same time, believing that
this question has already been fully ventilated,
and that further discussion not do any good,
I renew my motion to close the nominations and
call the States [Cries of "Question u
Mr.. Long, appeal to my friend from New
Jersey to permit me for few moments to adj
dress the Convention. A voice. Free speech. -
| ask the courtesy of the gentleman for a brief
permit to saw a few words in relation to the can
ddates. Cries of mo. no." Free speech.
Mr. Holsman-I came here opposed TO the
nomination of Gen. Mcclellan because did not
consider it one which ought to be made, but in
Difference to the wishes of my thirteen associ-
ates yielded This question has been thor
oughly discussed on both sides. and further dis
cussion will not change single vote, so | must
! insist on my motion.
Mr. Long, have before been prevented from
expressing myself upon the resolutions. now
| appeal TO nv friend from New jersey not to
ssrike down the freedom Of speech in a Demo
cratic Convention
Mr. Holsman-I. myself, to some little extent,
though not much many gentlemen here,
have suffered for free speech 1t was two years
ago that was the FIRST to propose in any assem-
blage an armistice and convention.
Mr. Long-I believe having the floor, have
/ the right TO proceed.
Mr. Hosman called for the previous ques-
ton.
Mr. O'Brien OF Illinois, desire to make a
nomination. and for that purpose ask favor
that the gentleman from New Jersey will with
draw his motion.
Mr. Holsman declined TO do so
Mr. O'Brien-I move that the convention do
now adjourn Cries of mo. no."l do not
desire to interrupt the proceedings of this con-
vention or to make any argument. | desire sim
ply to place in nomination a gentleman whose
name would be a rock and tower Of strength TO
the Democratic party. And. in behalf of por
ton of the delegates of Illinois and a majority
! Of the people o. the Northwest. now place in
nomination his Excelency Horatio Seymour. Of
New York. Immense cheering. renewed over
and over again, followed this announcement
The President-The gentleman is not in or
der. Laughter and applause The question is
upon the motion of the gentleman from New
! jersey for the previous question.
! III: Olds, of Ohio--I move that when this
convention adjourn, il adjourn until to morrow
morning at 10 o'clock.
Mr. Long called for the vote ty States
of To he