The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1865-11-17


of State as to an individual. And
this has been proven to be true in a very
recent instance.
In the Border States the people have
been divided more distinctly than else
where, and there has been great bitterness
between the contendiug parties. Mary
land and Missouri baye been racked by in
testinal feuds, which have been bitter and
unconpromsing. In each of these States
a minority have succeeded in obtaining
power, and their acts have been distin-
guished by intolerance and disregard of
law. In Missouri the most fearful deeds
of violence have been enacted, first by one
party and then in retaliation by the other.
The courts of Justice were closed, and
the old law of an eye for an eye and a
tooth for a tooth, life for life was the only
law known.
In Maryland that extreme was not
reached. In both States, however, COO
vention was held to revise the State
Constitution, and in each the result was
just as m igbt have been expected An
iutolcrant faction, composed Of the most
radical men Of the State took good care to
adopt such measures as they hoped would
prove sufficient 10 keep them in power, by
DISTINGUISHING all who did not agree with
them in political sentiment. The Mary
land Convention we know was composed
of obscure men, In vain did any one
look for the names of the old and vel!
known citizens of the State. The body
was principally made up Of set of IL
norant aud unscrupulous fanatics, who
had no reputation to lose, and who seemed
to have neither regard for law or deccn
cy. They showed themselves to be
ready to 90 to any lengths to secure
continuance of power to the party whom
they represented. Elected by force and
fraud, they knew that their tenure of
power would necessarily be of short dura-
ton if the ballot were left free. TO secure
themselves continuance of misrule, they
boldly resolved to distranchise majority
of the people of the State. This thu y
proc, eded to do in manner utterly in de-
tiance Of the Constitution of the United
States and of all known and recognized
principles of justice and right. Never
was there more fragrant, unlawful and
unrighteous enactment than the Regis ra-
ton Law of Maryland. 1t is not only
plainly in violation Of every constitutional
right Of the citizen, but is 80 fagrantly out
rageous in its provisions that the more re-
spectacle members of the Republican
party in the State, such men for instance
as Montgomery Blair, w. H Purnell,
formerly Comptroller of the Treasury,
and now Postmaster Of Baltimore, and
others, have felt bound in honor to de-
nounce and repudiate it.
A few days since this outrageous and
unconstitutional enactment was by due
process of law brought before the Court
OF Appeals, the highest judicial tribunal
of Maryland, for their sdecsion. The
day has been in that State when the opin
ion OF that tribunal would have been re-
garded as of unquestioned authority, and
its decision received as final but, now
it is composed of men elected for parti-
san purposes, and they neither regard
the sanctity OF their high position, nor
the solemnity their oath of office. by
their decision, which declares the infa-
nous Registration Law constitutional,
they have shown themselves to be the
mere willing tools Of the baser and more
INSCRIPTIONS men of the party by whom
through fraud and violence, they were
elected to fill the seats which they have
taken the opportunity to disgrace. Such
an exhibition of Judicial baseness is
enough to disgust every man of sense. A
few more examples of the kind will lead
all honest and right-thinking men to
conclude that it was very great blum
der to make the judiciary of the State
elective. If it should lead to return to
the old system Of appointments for life, OF
during good behavior, we are not sure
but that it woul Id be productive of great
and lasting good.
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