The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1865-05-06


Now iitat The iIa vehuldtfh Rebellion iias bten
pat aos.il II seeins rropss That sss shbhld lrrk
after those who ghveitils strchgih. Now thai
armed Traitors on the other side the line are dis.
posed OF, irseems TO Us The time has come 10 look
after those in our midst, who did their fighting
in more cowardly but equally effective way
And so thought the late General Assembly, when
il passed the Registry Law. There appear to be
two prominent reasons why that Law should be
faithfully and strictly enforced. Fist, as pun
ishment to home Traitors; second, as a precuu
tionary measure for the future
President Johnson has declared that 'sTreason
is crime" Our Constitution and Laws declare
it 'crimc, /" and assign 10 ii the extremest pen
atty. 1T is indeed the worst of all crimes, the
sum Of all villanies, an outrage equally against
The Laws of God and Of man. 1t Is too grave a
public sin to go unpunishcd, when such minor
offences as NJ o., robbery and even murder, ale
followed by such severe penalties: a
The deluded people Of the South, who by mil
itary authority or by force public opinion, were
forced into the Rebel armies, deserve some con-
sidcration. But what shall be done with these
Rebels in our midst, citizens OF loyal State, en-
joying The protection and privilege of the gov
ernment, who deliberately and Of their own free
will, gave their hearts, and so far as they dared
Their hands, for the overthrow Of that govern
ment9 Surely he who attempts to take your Life
in secret, is as culpabe as he who would do the
same thing openly. And leaving ont Of consid-
Grafton the question of absolute right, for the on
ly right that Rebel has not forfeited is the right
to be disposed OF rs the government in its good
ness may drect--it is rs little as the pestilent
Traitors Of the State can expect, certainly as lit
lie as the Union people are willing to exact Of
them, that they snffer disfranchisement MS a pen
atty for their crimes Treason should forever be
mark on a man as black and deep rs Gains.
It should be reproach and by-word 1t
should follow its wearer to the grave. 1t should
make him an outcast from respectable society,
mere dependent on the mercy OF his neighbors.
Great and important results have been accom-
plished in Maryan since the beginning of the
war. Universal emancipation has been proclaim
ed and Legislation has been directed to placing
the State on a new and higher career of prosper
ity than she has yet attained. The Union men
have done this work The men whom the Reg
istry Law proposes to reach, have violently and
persistently fought against it. They are still
lighting against it. They mean to continue do
ing SO. And if by any misfortune, the political
power which they lost BY their dsloysty, should
again pass into their hands, all the good results
achieved and in prospect may be averted, and
the State be thrown back into the clutches CT the
reasonable, slave holding aristocracy. With a
proper enforcement of the Registry Law, such
calamity will be avoided. 1t will secure the |
administration public affairs to the loyal peo-
pie, they who have so faithfully battled for the
interests of the State during the past four years
The work which they have begun must be |
pushed forward, their ideas must be carried out
And it would be about as wise to put loaded |
pistol in the hands OF a common high-wayman
and turn him loose upon society, as to permit the
political power of the State to revert to those
men who ruled on the 10th of April, 1861
They must be secured against the power of doing
mischief in future. The only way to accomplish |
this, and to make them feel how heinous sin is |
Treason, is to enforce the Registry Law. All fu- |
ture struggles will be decided by The manner in
which il is carried out.