The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1865-03-25

Hoffman, Valiant and Wooden. Those not sign
ing are Messrs. Lee, Chew and Hodson.
To the Honorable the
House of Delegates Of Maryland:
The Committee on Elections, TO which was re-
ferred the memorial of James l.. Ridgely, con-
testing the seat of Richard Grason as Judge Of
Circuit Court of Baltimore county, respectfully
report
That they have received and maturely consid-
cred the allegations and proofs of the memorial
list and respondent; have examined large num-
Der of witnesses and caused their testimony to
be reduced to writing.
Mr. Ridgely contests the seat of Mr.. Grason
upon the ground that Mr.. Grasoh is disqualified
from holding the position under the 4th section
of article of the Constitution. That section
declares that mo person who has at any time
been i'll armed hostility to the United States, or
the lawful authorities thereof or who has been
in any manner in the service of the so-called
Confederate States of America, and
no person who has given any aid, comfort, coun-
tenance or support to those engaged in armed
hostility to the United States, or in any manner
adhered to the enemies of the United States, Ell
Their by contributing to the enemies Of the United
States or nnlawfully sending within the lines OF
such enemies, money or goods or letters or infor-
nation, or who has disloyally held communica-
ton with the enemies of the United States, or
who has advised any person to enter the service
of said enemies, or aided any person so to enter,
or who has by any open deed or word declared
his adhesion to the cause of the enemies of the
United States, or his desire for the triumph of
said enemies over the armies of the United States,
shall be entitled to at any election to be
held in this State or to hold any office Of honor
profit or trust under the laws of this State, &C.
With the wisdom of that constitutional provi-
sion the committee had nothing to do. The ques-
ton presented to it was-had Mr. Grason COM
mitted any of the acts prohibited by the Consti-
tuition ? If so, there was no alternative. The
committee having sworn to Support the Consti-
tuition" could not disregard its provisions, how
ever distaseful their enforcement might be, and
they carefully investigated the facts and patient
ly listened to the evidence adduced
The evidence showed, (what has become q
part of the country'S history, and might have
been treated AS such without formal proof that
on the 10th Of April 1861, troops responding to
the call of the President of the United States and
passing to Washington in obedience to his requi-
sition, were encountered upon their way in the
streets of Baltimore, resisted with force, and sew
eral of them wounded and killed. 1t further
showed Immediately thereafter men from various
quarters were in arms in Baltimore and the sur
rounding country that there was at Towson-
town military company organized and drilled,
known as the Baltimore County Horse
Guards" in which company Mr.. Grason held
the position and acted as Lieutenant; that after
the attack the United States troops, either the
came day or the following morning, Mr. Grason,
with Mr.. Merryman, another Lieutenant of the
'Horse Guards was in the city of Baltimore,
and they were seen upon North street within two
or three squares of the City Hall and Police
Headquarters, going toward Towsontown; that
the afternoon paper of the day, under the head
ing of "Patriotic Offer" announced that the
Baltimore County Horse Guards had volunteered
their services for the defence of the city. That
shortly after the arrival at Towsontown of Mr..
Grason and Mr.. Merryman, the "Horse Guards"
with their officers, Mr.. Grason included, in uni
form and in arms came to Baltimore and repor
ted in Holiday street to the Police Headquarters;
that after dark the same night they went down
to Fort McHenry; after short delay returned,
and went back to Towsontown.
The evidence also showed that on Sunday fol-
lowing, April 2lst, 1861, Colonel Wynkoop-in
command of another detachment of troops on
their way to Washington, in obedience to the
lawful authorities of the United States, by way
of the Northern Central Railway-was arrested
in his progress at Cockeysville by the destruction
ofthe bridges, and debarked and encamped at
that point; that the Horse Guards in whole or
in part, moved out from Towsontown toward
their encampment at Cockeysville, and stationed
TowSontown that this position was maintained
until the forces of the United States retired to-
ward Pennsylvania when, in obedience to Or
ders received, from General Stewart, they follow
ed along the line of retreat destroying the rail-
road bridges behind them 'to prevent the troops
from returning ~ that while on picket they ar
rested persons "under suspicious circumstances, y
and detained them in custody that one, at least
of the persons so arrested and detained-Mr. Gra-
son acting for the captors-was released 'upon
the condition that he would go home and have
nothing further to do with the army to which he
belonged'-the army of the United States that
besides pistols and sabres the said Horse Guards
were armed with, or had in their possession, RI
hes with ammunition, received from Baltimore
which arms were retained by the members of the
company, and subsequently gathered in by de-
taehment of the United States troops, which
came at night from the Northern Central Rail-
way for that purpose, and among others obtain
ed one of those rifles from the house of Mr.. Ora
son. r h
1t was also shown that the members of the COM
pany, on Sunday, ground their swords for actu-
al service, denouncing the United States Govern
ment, and avowing their intention to stop the
progress of the United States troops that they
wore badges bearing the Maryland Coat-of-Arms,
and although the company carried no flag, yet
the State flag was flying over Ady's Hotel, the
headquarters of the company, where it had been
placed by Harry Gilmor (since infamous as
guerilla and robber-at that time corporal in
the Horse Guards, and other members of the
company.
1t was also shown that during all this time
and till the disbanding of the company Mr.. Gra-
son was with it, or some detachment of it, or at
its headquarters active and counseling or direct
ing its movements. As one of the witnesses ex-
pressed it, "He had the brains of the company F;
was the only man who seemed smart enough to
do the business" l
With some conflict of evidence and much that
was merely collateral or irrelevant, and with |
some subsequent occurrences, which it is not ne
cessary now to notice, clearly proved the forego
ing facts were established beyond question or
doubt 1cftrf
Mr.. Grasou, for week, more or less with his
company, the Horse Guards, was in arms and on
a war footing. Of this there can be no doubt
and your committee did not understand that Mr. |
Grason or his counsel really denied it.
But the real question disputed is, ''Against
what power or authority were they in armed
hostility ?"
Z Your committee have not been able to satisfy |
themselves, either from their own vivid recollec-
ton OF the occurrences, from any evidence that |
was brought before them, or from the records of |
those eventful days now passed into history, that
there were more than two parties in Baltimore
city or county at that time in actual or threaten
ed collision. Of these the one was the U.
S. Government, or its lawful authorities Those
authorities were neither making nor meditating
any attack upon Maryland, or any other State or
power. Finding, Unexpectedly, the public prop
erty and archives and the national existence
and imperilled, the President called I
the great body of the national militia to the de-
fence of the nations Capital The troops whose
progress was resisted in Baltimore, and those
whose progress was arrested at Cockeysville,
part of this force. They who re-
sisted opposed arrested the progress of the troops
were the other party and, if in arms, were sin
armed hostility to the United States or the law
fnl anthor;ties thereof ~ There was and could |