The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1866-08-02
MINISTER MD. THURSDAY AUGUST ?, 1866

to receive il, sue him, indict him, lap
plause, aud then goand offer your votes
to the judges of the election, and if
they refuse to take and record your vote
as qualified voter, sue them aud indict
them too. [Applause.l
Ny fellow citizens, there is provision
in this oath which must have been over
looked by tho shrcwd and designing men
who made this registry-act and this con-
stitution. 1t is one which requires the
registrar to record the votes Of those
who have taken the oath and whom they
have refused to register | have no
doubt that it was done with an idea Of
of dotcrring men from offering their
votes for registration and from taking
the oath; that it would be made \ matter
of record, aud that record would stand
against them as evidence in the trial
which threatens them for perjury. That
is what it was put in there for; but ras-
c1lity often oycrreachcs itself Nobody
cares a snap Of the finger for amy indict-
ment In this State, The public opinion
Of this State is against this oath and
against indictment under this oath, and
no law ever could be executed in thisor
any other country that is against public
sentiment. But | viii tell yon, that
while they could disfrauchisc you with
this record which these officers are com
PEELED to keep, and which also the judges
Of tbo election are compelled 70 keep
il will give you a complete record Of the
rejected votes, which rejected yote9 will
be BIZ the decision Of the Supreme Court
Of the United States, which will come
in December next. lcgalizcd. You will
then have q complete and perfect record
IL the law is carried out. But as We
cannot hope that il will he carried out
by mca who had been placed there to
defeat il, you must in every county and
in every precinct have a committee 20
stand by the polls aud keep the record
Of these yotcs, in order that you may be
able to contest the election OF every mAn
who il declared to be elected at the polls
where your votes are thus rejected, adj
dcd to the votes received, giving You %
majority. By that means you must be
prepared to contest this election, relying
upon the decision Of the Supreme Court
10 lcgali1e these votes aud give you the
election in all counties where your votes
overcome the Radicals | advise you
to adhere to the law and even thc sem
llanco Of law You can accomplish
nothing BY any attempt to violate law.
The very instant you violate law, or
resort 10 violence, you put yourselves 10
the wrong. No matter hos sacredyouF
cause is sou hayc no right to resort 70
violence until you haze exhausted every
resource Of law The mau whoplunges
community Into war heelicssly aud
rccklc,sly, as long as there is hope
lcii that by law bis rights may be rc.
gained aud his wrong rcdre-cd-i tel
you that man who cmblrks a commuut.
Is IN war without cShm ting every lc.
gal resource Is guilty Of the greatest
crimc that a man can commit lie Is
Guilty Of al the deaths Of al the men
that d;c 10 that war, and Of all the men
who ruay be- MANNED in that wag lie
ia guilty Of iuGictipg upon them that
injury which mas lgGal them, aud no
man can justify himself aud h.s cou-
science before the bar OF God, who has
boon on instrument, in however slight
degree, Of throwing a community into
war. as long as there Is any hope lctt
that by the resort TO the law existing
or that Is lolt 10 him. lac can redress bis
wrongs and the wrongs Of the conma
uty IN which ho lives, aud obtain his
rights. II. at the cud Of such o strug-
ela as that, b; the law, aud under the
law. he finds himself thwarted. and moth
ina but despotism aud slavery leit to
him, thcu il is for high-hearted aud
proud people to choose between war aud
slavery --aud then wheu they make their
decision they will have right and jus.
tice on their side. aud they will have
success also. My fellow citizens and
members Of the Convention, | hope that
You will prepare yourselves by obscry-
ing the requirements Of the law which
these men have imposed upon you. ]
am not one Of those who believe that
this constitution, or any Of the provisions
made uudor ,t--this registry law--that
they are really audactually tlclaw otour
hand, but they have the scmblancc and
form Of law, aud | advise aequicscencc
in them until We can make use Of le-
gal remedy. ! advise you to observe
the forms Of law, aud when We shall
have exhausted every one Of them, aud
have prepared our cases for contest in
the election, legally, aud according to
the forms Of their own law, the decision
of Il supreme court ratiiying and lcga-
LIKING those votes, who is it, | say, IN
this country that viii oppose himself to
the execution of the decision of the Su.
prome Court Who is it that will defy
and violate the exposition the lawand
the Constitution madeby the paramount
court ia our land Whoever does it Is
rebel against the Government of the
United States, the laws aud the consti-
tuition.
Fellow.citzens, it is not my intention
to detaiu You any great length of time.
| had thought, because ! myself feel a
much deeper interest in these questions
which concern us here at home, and
which are of such vital Importance, to
direct my attention to them in the open
ing remarks which | have made here,
but there are also other great questions
involved in the controversy now pend
ing between the presidentof the United
States and the Radical majority in Con-
gress. This Radical minority at the
hoc,;nn;,,,, oc th;s eauainu IF Con,croee