The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1865-04-15
The Right of Voting.

of America, " and no person who has voluntarily
left this State and gone within the military lines
of the so-called Confederate States or armies
with the purpose of adhering to said States Or
armies, and no person who has given any aid
comfort, countenance or support to those engaged
in armed hostility 10 the United States, or in any
manner adhered to the enemies of the United
States, either by contributing TO the enemies of
the United States, or unlaWfuily sending within
the lines of such enemies money or goods, or let
tiers, or information, or who has disloyally held
communication with the enemies of the United
States or who has advised any person to enter
the service of the said enemies or aided any per-
son 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 sad enemies over the arms of the
U. S. shall ever be entitled to vote at any cleo
ton to be held in this State, 20 bold any office
of honor, profit or trust under the laws OF. this
State, unless since such unlawful acts he shall
have voluntarily entered into the military service
of the United STATES, and been honorably dis
charged therefrom, shall be on the day of cleo
ton, actually and voluntarily in such service,
or unless he shall be restored to his full rights of
citizenship by an act Of the General Assembly
passed by vote of two-thirds of all the members
elected to each House and it shall be the duty
of all Officers of Registration and Judges of
Election carefully to exclude from voting, or be-
ing registered, all persons so as above disquali-
fed: 6.a ~
Thus reads part of the fourth Section of the
first Article of the New Constitution. That Con-
stitution is now the established system of govern
ment for our State We are bound TO enfoxce its
authority and to carry out its provisions until it
is substituted by another. To fail in this, to
pass By its commands UNDECIDED, to disregard its
sacred provisions for the welfaIe of the State and
the happiness of the people, were.worse than to
have continued under the old constitution.
The Convention which framed the new Consti-
tuition had two leading objects to accomplish
viz The emancipation of slavery, and The dis
reimbursement Of the active Rebels throughout
the State. The latter was indeed necessary
consequent of the former The Union members
of that Convention well knew, that unless the
pestilent advocates of secession and slavery in
our midst, were limited in their power to do
evil, the benefits sought by the emancipation of
slavery and the legislation attendant thereon,
might be entirely averted from the State. The
latter was necessary to the success of the former
But more than this. The question involved a
principle ofright. And the Convention wisely
reasoned that men who were giving active aid
and encouragement to traitors armed against the
National Government-men who were notorious
ly and Familiarity known as sympathisers with
the Rebellion which was spreading desolaticn
and woe throughout the land had forfeited eve
ry right to citzenship-had lost every claim to
A. 80 e 4
whose overthrow they heartily desired.
The Convention looked upon treason in any
shape or in any degree, as crime. And to have
permitted those who favored and participated in
the rebellion to go unchecked, UNPUBLISHED, would
have been not only premium on Treason, but
the highest injustice to those who remained true
to the government. aa
To carry out this principle and to save the
State from the enemies of the government, the
late Legislature enacted law requiring every
voter to be legally registered and providing for
the acknowledgements of those who have placed
themselves under the ban Of the above Section of
the Constitution. ~ Hsds fs-asf ~
Three Registers are to be appointed by the
Governor in each election district of the counties
and wards ofthe city, who shall examine and
decide upon all applications for registry, with
full power to administer oaths, examine winess-
es &c. The act requires that the Registers shall
be appointed by the Governor from among the
citizens of the State most known for loyalty,
frmness and uprightness," qualities most essen-
tial to the proper performance of the duty.
tits a serious and responsible act TO dsfrano
chise an American citizen. But while we remem-
Der that the elective fir nchise is one Of the dear
est privileges freemen enjoy, we must not forget
that treason is the most odious poiticalheresy, a
crime equally against the laws of God and Of
man. He who clamors for the overthrow of a
government and unites himself with its enemies,
by his own act alienates himself from every
claim to the, protection and. privileges of that
government. He becomes 10 it as foreigner,
hostile citizen of a hostile nation haa
These is class of men in the State, who ow-
ing to the peculiar position Of Maryland, have
tried to maintain sort of individual neutrality
throughout the war. They have held aloof from
public affairs as much as possible. They have
taken no active part in the suppression of the
Rebellion, nor yet have they given cordial sup
port 10 the efforts of the administration But
they have kept quiet and thrown no obsta-
Gle in its way. These people, though wanting
patriotic duty, have been guilty of no crime
and deserve no ofirial punishment
But there are other men among US who have
made themselves amenable to the Law Men
whose sons and brothers Joined the Rebel army
with their full approval. Men who have given
tangible aid and encouragement to the public
enemy men who spurn the old flag and des-
pise the brave heroes who have borne it triumph
antly through the contest men who closed
their hearts when the minister prayed for the
President, and grew jubilant over the temporary
success of the traitors; men Who never rejoced
In Union victory, but whose every aspiration
has been for the triumph of the Rebellion: men
who are Familiarity and VIGOROUSLY known as fa-
voring the success of the. Rebels. Against such
men the law must be vigorously enforced They
must be made to feel that no man dare assail the
government with impunity, and that sympathy
with active Treason is crime $50
We may well exercise forbearance toward
those unfortunate people of the South who were
forced and deluded intoa support of the confeds
sracy. Inths hour of triumph the nation can
afford 10 be magnanimous toward them. But