The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1866-01-13
The Cecil Wing.
ELKTON, JANUARY ID, 1866.
The Registry Law.

The Legislature of Maryland assembled in
Extra Session on the 10TH There is diver
sity Of opinion amongst the most intelligent
men of the State asto the policy of calling a
session Of the Legislature at this time Extra
sessions are to be avoided at all times, if
possible. They add to the public expense
very materially, and unless under peculiar
and pressing circumstances, without cores
ponding benefit.
But the session has been called, and the
members assembled on Wednesday last
The main object the CopperheadS hope to
obtain by this extra call of the General As
sembly is repeal or material modification
of the Registry Law. This Registry Law is
attempted to mcte to the true and loyal cti-
zens of the State has been, in part, measured
to them. The whole soul Of that degenerate
party was wrapped up in the success Of the
Rebel cause. They threw all manner of
obstacles in the way Of the Government, and
groaned audibly when the rebel caused re-
ceived stunning blow. The whole policy
of that party was, through the civil war. to
co operate with the rebellion. Scarcely Il
member Of it that did not encourage the
rebels to pcrscverc in their efforts to destroy
the Government, considqting their success
as triumph to the Comprehend party which
stood ready to administer the government of
Maryland, in the event of the success of the
Confederacy, in conformity to the orders and
wishes Of the Southern conspirators. Many
of that party gave actual aid in the way of
war material, and information, to the enemy,
and all Of those who left the State to Join the
armies of JEFF. Davis, and after being beaten,
returned, range themselves on the side of
our Copperheads, knowing well their friends.
The Registry Law marks those men. It
sets the brand of Cain upon them, and points
them out to the world as those whose feet
were swift to shed blood. 1t DISTINGUISHES
this class, and that other class who are scarce
less guilty, but who were caeeful not to COM
promise themselves so far, but secretly gave
all the aid and comfort it were possible under
the circumstances for them to do. And still
another class the law bears hard upon, and
partially deals out justice to them. This lat
ter is that unenviable class of individuals
who went about in the darkest hours of the
nations trials, and spoke discouragingly of
the cause of the Union. and in terms of the
highest praise of the rebellion and its heroes
This latter class have mainly escaped that
justice which the law was intended to visit
upon them, on account of the difficulty
under which the registering officers labored
IN finding the necessary proof to convict
them. The law is here faulty, and if modi
fled should make it obligatory on every man
to prove his loyalty to the government. The
man who could remain so entirely neutral
during the late dreadful conflict for the pres
ervatior of Republican government, is so
utterly a cipher-tcll so entirely short of
every attribute that should go to make and
fit man for an American citizen, that it is
a farce that such political nothing should
be accorded the privilege of the elective
franchise.
1t is no slight punishment to deprive man
of the privilege of voting: but does that even
fill the measure of justice, where the ofense
was the resolve and the effort to overthrow
republican liberty and supersede it by the
ariStocracy of slavery? Nay far from it,
The magnitude of the crime mc,ltated by
this Maryland Coppcrhead organization is
not realized in its enormity and villainods
purpose, without careful examination of its
history during the four years Of war.
The Constitution makes it obligatory on
the Legislature Of the State to enact Regis
try Law, pointing out some of the most i'm
portant provisions which shall be incorpora-
ted in such Il law, and the only modification
that can or should be made in the present
law is broader distinction between those
who were truly loyal and those whose dis
loyalty was somewhat hidden from the public
gaze. Let them feast on those apples of
Sodom which they cultivated in season of
civil strife, and whose growth was watcred by
the blood of our nearest and dearest friends.