The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1865-03-04
CoiBpensa lion for Slaves.

On Tuesday last resolution was offered
in the House of Delegates, looking to com.
pensation to shareholders of this State, by
the general government, for the loss ofslaves
The resolution required the appointment of
commissioners from that body to confer with
Congress on the part of the State, and urge
the claims of her citizens to compensation
tor the loss Of slave property. The resolu-
ton was referred to the Committee on Fed
eral Relations, much to the dissatisfaction
| OF the secesh members of the House, who
made strenuous efforts to have the rules sus.
pended for the purpose Of passing an order,
instructing the Committee to report on the
resolution before Saturday. The resolution
throughout was a strict party measure, every
Copperhcad in the House voting square
against motion to refer it, and when refer
red to that Committee, voting and speaking
equally as decided and unanimously in favor
of the order to instruct
In the latter vote we were somewhat sur
prsed to find two of the memkers from this
county, Messrs. McCauley and Pennington,
voting side by side with the solid secesh
vote on this obnoxious measure of paying
for Maryland slaves out of the federal treas
ury. Voting for an order requiring tie Com
mittee to report on the odious resolution,
within limited time, and that time dictated
by the secession movers Of the resolution,
had-although not exactly committing those
ms bar tot la n ctr nd
toward favoring the impudeut rebel project
of sending deputation to Washington to
insult the loyal people of the United States,
and disgrace the loyal people of Maryland,
by asking in the name of this State compen-
sation for property which this shareholders
rebellion has rendered worthless, and which
the Shareholders of this State repudiated
with scorn, when they might have had com
pensation for their slaves and at such time
as emancipation in this State would have
been of incalcuable advantage in rendering
moral aid to the government against the re-
bcAion.
But having, with derision, rejected the Of
fer, and afterwards, by the force of circum-
stances, been compelled to abolish slavery,
the indecency of the prctense that the fed
eral government is committed to the policy
of paying shareholders of this State for their
losses in that species of property, is simply
disgusting. When the people of this county
find their members voting with the rebel
members of the State on this question of
loading still more heavily the general gov
eminent with debt to pay for a species of
property that has become worthless by the
acts of its friends, they want to know what
such votes mean. Can any man be elected
to the legislature, from this county, who de-
cares himself beforehand in favor of load.
ing with more debt the government, to pay
>,iove owners of this .Jtate for that species
of property Nay! Then, whence comes
this voting with the enemy on this slavery
question. This nation has paid in blood u
thousand fold for all the negroes in America.
This was the price the shareholders demand
ed and not money ; but having received
their price in blood and parted with their
property, they now come and demand pay
ment again in money. DO the people of
Cecil understand those members who voted
with the rebels in the House on Tuesday,
last, as endorsing the claims of shareholders
of this State to compensation for slaves from
the federal government? Let them answer.