East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1864-09-07


now withdraw the nomination of
Franklin Pierce. (Cheers.)
Mr.. Holsman, Of Now Jersey: j
move that the nominations be now
closed, and that we now proceed to the
call by States.
Mr.. Jones, of Maryland: 1 regret
exceedingly that the honorable gen.
tsman who took the stand TO defend
Gen. Mcclellan from tho charges
brought up by the gentleman from
Maryland put that defence upon the
ground that he did. If he had put
it upon tho ground that General
Mcclellan had credible information
upon which he rested, then would
have rested that defence on the ground
on which it was put. But when he
undertakes to put that defence upon
charges of completely of any members
of the Maryland Legislature with the
conveyance of information to Gen.
Johnson, or inviting or desiring the
invasion of Maryland by any of the
members of that Legislature, / beg
that this convention will hear me while
/ show how untrue is any such impu-
tation although l do not doubt Gen.
Mcclellan was misled by false witness
es on whom nc relied.
Gen. Morgan, of Ohio Will the
gentleman from Maryland grant mo
one word ? l would deeply regret not
only to do injustice to Maryland, but
to any of her gallant sons. The in
formation which l received, and which
in the hurry of the moment did not
state as TuIly as L should, WIS thu: tire
arrest was made upon testimony re-
garded as credible, and / acted upon
the assumption that, hearing nothing
to the contrary, that testimony receiv-
ed as credible was so.
Mr.. Jones, of Maryland SO far
from this being credible, it has been,
from the time it was first started in
Maryland down to the present mo-
ment, denounced as a willful and de-
liberate lie, unsustained by particle
of testimony. The gentleman was
wrong in more of his statemonts.-
The Legislature of Maryland did not
convene at Annapolis; Annapolis was
held by Federal troops, and Gov.
Hicks convened the Legislature 10
meet at Frederick. There was then
no design by meeting at Frederick to
meet Johnston or hold any communi-
cation with him. They had met at
Frederick, and there was petition
sent to that Legislature or some pro-
position made, asking il to pass an or
dinance Of secession. 1t was referred
to a committee. That Legislature was
overwhelmingly democratic. The
chairman of that committee was Mr..
Wallis, one of the most talented and
distinguished sons of Maryland, and
q man of as pure honor and integrity
as any man alive That committee
made report which was unanimous
ly adopted, there being but two OF
three negative votes, that the Legisla-
ture of Maryland then assembled had
no power TO pass an ordinance of Sc
cession. Then that these men, 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 to pass such an or
dinance Of secession, should have act
cd as they were accused Of acting is
an absurdity as well as falsehood
There was not one particle Of evidence
except the false witnesses who gave the
information to Gen. Mcclellan, and
whose names have never been disclos.
ed. And, i viii say further, that
upon this evidence, which the gentle.
man says Gen. Mcclellan considered
credible, these members of the Legis-
lature were arrested and put in prison
sent from one prison to another; from
Fort McHenry to Fort Lafayette and
Fort Warren, and kept there for four.
teen months by this government. i
there had been this credible evidence
of their completely with design tc
pass an ordinance Of secession in order
to introduce the Confederate forces
into Maryland, why were they not
tried, even by drum-head court mar.
tial? They were rendered their lib.
erty if they would sign a PAROLE
Some few Of them, overcome by long
confinement, their health falling, and
their families suffering, did agree tc
the humiliation; but there were others
and among them tho very men who
signed the report that they had nc
power to pass an ordinance Of seces.
sion, who refused to sign any parole
demanded a trial upon any charges
the government had against them
that having taken and kept them
prisoners, without trial or formal
accusation and the government not
very able TO find one witness of any.
thing imputed to them, that they had
a right as American citizens under the
constitution to be absolutely and un-
conditionally discharged. They put
themselves on that ground, and Motif
ed the government that they would
die in prison before they would give
any parole. know these men per-
sonally, and there never were men
moro pure or unrestrained, or who
loved their whole cAntry, or desired
more sincerely to see its union restor-
ed than those very men.
What interest had they TO make
their State the Belgium Of the Union
No longer than two months ago, in
the constitutional convention now sit
ting at Annapolis, this question was
raised and the insinuation made that
there was a purpose on the part of
that Legislature to take some action
looking towards secession and unfrind-
ly to the Union. A member OF that
Legislature was pember of the con-
vcntion, and he got up in his place,
and in the face of the people of Mary
land, pronounced tho statement abso-
lutely and unqualifedly false. Now
let Gen. McClcllan's defence be that