Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1864-10-19
MARYLAND.

As stated in the Star some days since, Mary.
land has undoubtedly adopted the free State
Constitution. We sincerely congratulate her
Shareholders on the fact that after the LIST prox.
imo they are to be rid of their incumbrance.
Had the new Constitution been defeated nearly
every slave in the State capable of running off
would have "absquatulated," leaving their
owners W tn those too young, too old, too lame
or too sick to labor, upon their hands, to be
fed and clothed by them under the provisions
OF the old law Of the State. which makes it
obligatory on Maryland's Shareholders to do
so. The adoption of the new Constitution
makes their support hereafter chargeable upon
the communities in which they respectively
reside.
With A No negro men selling in Charles
en- at S1CO in gold, and A No. negro girls
cling in Richmond at $50 in gold (Sl,0OO In
Confederate money!, as at present, and with
negroes utter Iy unstable in Maryland at one
dollar per doZen-the current value OF a single
string of A No. 1 Connecticut onions-there
existed no prospect that in the course of human
events the slaves of Maryland could ever
again have any market value to be paid for.
Thus is exploded, in few words, the plea for
the justice and propriety of compensated
emancipation" Compensation by the General
Government, ample and liberal, was offered
slavery men, ere their market value was utter
ly destroyed by the rebellion, but was blindly
rejected by the Maryland representatives who
claimed to be the especial guardians of the in.
terests of the States Shareholders. The latter,
as class, have feen the only active aud in
f1uential aiders and abettors of the rebellion in
the State, and in aiding and abetting it have
simply aided to get butchered their own chill
dren, relatives and dependents whom they en-
couraged to go South and fight against their
country, and to utterly destroy the value of
their property for the benefit of which not
few of them elected to become as thorough
traitors at heart as the most of the slave
holders in JEFF Davis's dominious
We pity them sincerely, though convinced
that the swift retribution that has oyertaken
them is well deserved.
TWO great results are, however, Immediately
to flow from the adoption Of the free State con-
stitution. The first is the effect Of this action
of the people of Maryland upon the prospects
OF the rebellion at home and abroad. It for
ever destroys the hope that Mary land can pos
sibly become part of the Southern Confede-
racy, and makes it certain that Kentucky,
missouri and Delaware will speedily take
similar measures to assure themselves to the
Union, past peradventure.
The second great result of this action of
Maryland will speedily be realized in the al
tered prospects Of the State in the matters OF
progress and the development of her indus |
trial resources Of every description, which,
thoug h dormant up to this time through the |
influence of slavery, are second to those of no !
other territory ia the world OF the same dimen.
sions. The increase in twenty-five years of
the aggregate wealth OF her people, of their
general intelligence and industry, of the ad.
vantages they will derive (from the States
necessary new policy for tn education of their
children at schools and in workshops, will pay
her back twenty fold as much as her people,
one and all, have lost through the war, inclu-
ding the former market value of her slaves