The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1864-09-16

!
number d young men had gone from our
midst to unite themselves with the South,
ern army, al hough without or against the
consent of their parents, they have .ex.
hausted every effort to prescribe and re-
quire oaths Of allegiance, prntestation aud
ahjuration, to fetter and embarrass them.
/ Heretofore it has been sufficient for citi.
zen to take the oath to support the Cuu-
stitution of the United States and the
laws made in pursuance thereof Any
act in violation of this oath was punisha-
lie according to its magnitude. A mans
thoughts were held, as were also his reli-
gious opinions, quite beyond the control
of human law.
The enlightened sentiment Of the civi.
liSed world had generally endorsed the
declaration of an illustrous American,
"that error could be tolerated when reason
was left free to combat it," Not SO with
this Convention. Even supreme allegi-
auce to the Government, now perverted to
mean the Pr, silcnt and his appointed Of
ticers, will not avail. You are to swear
not only th"t you have never given aid,
countenance or support to those in armed
hostility to the United States, bot your
opinions, language, sentiments, are cate.
chized and deuounced-you are TO swear
to your desires in all previous time. And
after having sworn your allegiance and
abjured the expression of all sentiments
obnoxious to the views of your rulers,
even that is not sufficient, for it is declar-
cd that the taking of such an oath shall
not be deemed conclusive of your right to
vote.
Many persons, in almost every section
of the State, have children or grandchild-
rem in the military service of the enemy
in many instances resident and settled
in the South before the breaking out of
the war. Cases have occurred where such
persons, having been wounded or captur-
ed, have been prisoners of war in the i'm
mediate vicinity of their parents or rela-
tives. In other cases the children of val
ued friends have been similarly situated.
Parents, relatives or friends have, with
the sanction of the military authorities,
mini>tered to the necessities of persons
thus situated. They have furnished them
food and clothing sometimes, when such
things were certainly comforts, if not lux.
uries. In doing this, they violated no
law of God or man-not even a military
decree or order. Now, such parties are
to be DISTINGUISHED unless they solemnly
swear, amongst many other things, that
they shave never given any aid, comfort,
countenance or support 10 those in armed
hostility to the United States"
And lest all else should fail, the basis
of representation has been SO framed as
to increase largely the representation of
the city of Baltimore and those counties
where the dominant party has prevailed,
while the humber of delegates is materi-
ally decreased in the slaveholding coun-
ties, the majority having steadily rejected
every proposition to allow the colored pop
ulation to be counted or represented as
heretofore. Their intense zeal for the
negro seems to operate just to the point
at which it ceases to injure the master,
but abates whenever the good of the poor
negro alone should excite it.
You will notice another provision by no
means an Improvement. The election of
the Judges of the Court of appeals is no
longer to be by districts, as heretofore,
but by general ticket, SO as to secure to
the dominant party in the State all the
members of that court. Again, the time
bonored territorial subdivisions of the
State have been abandoned, and 10 place
of parishes and election districts, with
which your fathers and you have been IA
milar, you will have put upon you the
New England system Of townships. We
forbear going into further details.
But after framing constitution con-
taiuing the restrictions and disabilities,
and working the wrong and injustice
which we have thus briefly and imper-
tectly stated, the majority seemed to be
disturbed, as we'll they might be, with
doubts whether their proceedings could
find acceptance with the people who, by
the present constitution and the law, were
entitled to vote. Fearing this, and re-
solved at all hazards to perpetuate their
present political rule in the State, and
to this end to secure the adoption of this
constitution at the sacrifice of every prin-
ciple of right aud justice, they have re-
sorted to another most unwarrantable pro.
cess.
We thipk that no Marylander can doubt
or deny that il any one expectation or
purpose was universal amongst all who vo.
ted on the subject of the Convention,
whether for it or against it, that expecta-
ton and purpose was that the constitution
now to be voted on was to be dead letter
until vote of the people was taken on it.
But in despite of this known and ackDowl-
edged TACT, in violation of undivided pubic
sentiment, they have determined at once
to give force and effect to that portion Of
it which they thong hit would be most like
ly to accomplish their purposes. By pro-
visions contained in that portion of it call
ed "The Schedule they have declared
that in the vote upon the adoption or re-
lection Of the constitution no one shall be