The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1865-01-21

50 horrible in its consequences. was this
atrocious iniquity, that even they dared not
attempt to enforce it without first securing
the approval of popular vote. To this end
they submitted their scheme to the trial by
ballot in clever counties. and endeavorcd to
caIolc the honest masses into its support
but the people turned with loathing from a
measure so utterly uni Just, and recorded their
condemnation Of it by overwhelming major
tiles. And so this infamous project for the
cnsIavemcnt Of all the free of a helpless race
failed, and failed 3ignally.
But the save-owncrs did not abandon their
purpose. Ten years before they had made
II Constitution for Maryland, into which they
had incorporated these provisions, side by
side:
til" relation OF master and slave as it now exists i'll
| this state"
NO person shall he imprisoned for debit"
With one hand they rivcted still more
strongly the shackles of the slave; with the
other they o"ened the ptison doors Of the
debtor. With one breath they declared that
the white man should never be a slave. and
with the next that the black man never
should be Il freeman. They abolished one
relic OF barbariSm and perpctuatcd another:
and in this they were working for themselves.
for while they owned the negroes they owed
the debts.
Having, as they believed, secured slavery
from the assaults of the people. who were
becoming more and more in favor of cman,
cipation, they did not waste thought upon
the Inconsistency, which they had thus re-
corded. But when, in 1860, they found that
| during the last decade the free negroes had
| Increased from II, 723 to SO, 9i2, and that
the slaves had decreased from 50. 3GS to 81.
| Sn IL Al Il
| their sway. they must either cease selling the
! increase OF their slaves to the South. or stop
all manumisSons. Once more in the his.
! tory Of slavery. humanity was tramplcd un-
! der foot by avarcc and they chose. of
course, the latter alternative. Forthwith
| they again invoked the aid of the LcgiSla-
| ture. and that assembly. ever obcdcnt
to their summons. was not slow to respond
This band of most ,kilful political prosjidig-
tatorS. after manipulating the whole body of
our statutes for months under the direction
of their master. suddenly threw down to the
people the present code. which they declared
by solemn legislative act contained the entire
revised statute law of the State: and to
make good that declaration. they repealed
all laws and ARTS of laws not contained
therein. When the people came to exam
inc this grand treasure house Of legal lore,
they found, under the he&dng Manumission,
printed in large letters. but very little of the
old law left. Two sections only rcma med
of which the first said, NO slave shall hence,
forth be manumittcd." and the second
Any free negro before the age OF eighteen
may become slave for life" This was
manuniS%!on with vengeance. This was a
piece of Legislative pleasantly that for eighty
seven thousand men. women. aud children.
converted all the future into eternal night.
But they did not stop there. They fortified
their Joke by penalties. and ,aSscd other
laws making it criminal for any owner of
slave to permit sHch slave to 90 at large, or
hire himself. or for any person to make any
contract with slave for his services. These
provisions finished the business, and CON
| d"mncd the slave and all his poSterity to in
| tcrminable bondage, or starvation. under
the penalty Of death, if seen attempting to
escape : and made every master. in spite Of
the dictates of his Judgment or the stings of
his conscience, a STAKEHOLDER, living or diving.
All this was done when slavery was ON.
nipotcnt in MARYLAND. when it broodcd over
our legislative assemblies and courts of ius.
tice like death. and with its .mace petriic''
romorselcssly smote down into political oh.
security every man who would not strangc
the better instincts OF his nature and applaud
their mercllcss code rs the perfection Of
wisdom and loving kindness. Little did
these consllrators against the human race
think that they were but Gods instruments
for ( he downfall of thnir own chrriS she'd SvS-