The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1866-01-26
REPEAL OF THE REG IsTRY LAW.

NEE TING OF THE COUNTY CONVENTION.
The County Convention called to send
delegates to Baltimore city to attend
State Convention, whose object was to
obtain modification of the Registry Laws
Of this State, ass, mbed at Be. Air, On
Monday last, and organized By electing
the following officers:
President Nicholas II Nelson.
Vice PreSidcnts-Dr. John Evans, S.
S. Johns.
Secretarics--P. II. Rusledge, John
Moores.
The Convention was we'll attended by
delegates from the various districts ofthe
county.
H. w. Archer, Esq, offered the follow
ing resolutions:
Resolutions adopted by the District
Meeting in Bel Air, goth January, 1866:
Resolced, That we deplore with deep
and unfeigned regret the present political
condition OF our State-which we look
upon as one Of the most disastrous results
of the civil war in which the country has
recently been involved. Under the plea
OF military necessity, and at a time when
the State was under martial law and her
people under military duress, when the
press was muzzled and freedom of discus
sion was denied, a small minority of her
people have been enabled by violence and
fraud 10 destroy the Constitution and dis
franchise large majority of the loyal vo-
tiers and best citizens of the State.
I'd. ReSolred, That in devotion to
the State and to Constitutional liberty, in
obedience to The law, in intelligence, and
IN all the attributes Of good citizens, we
challenge comparison between those who
have been thus DISTINGUISHED and those by
whom this great wrong has been perpetra-
ted.
Sd. Resolced, That we regard the
$50 called" Constitution of MARYLAND.
(Which in 1864 was submitted to and
adopted by small minority OF her loyal
voters) as fragrant usurpation and an
outrage upon the people of the State
And although in times of great civil COM
motion, like those through which we have
passed, the preparation of such great
wrongs may temporarily be permitted
now when peace is restored, the time has
come Tor us to assert our rights, and we
earnestly and resolutely claim, that as free
born citizens Of the State of MARYLAND, we
are justly and lawfully entitled to the
right of suffrage, of which we can never
be rightfully deprived, except by the will
OF the people of the State, constiiu,ionally
and freely expressed.
4th. Resolved, That it is the inaljena.
BILE right of the people of the State of Ma.
ryland TO remodel and revise their Con-
slitut'on, and re. establish their State gov
eminent upon republican principles, and
to that end we demand that those public
servants who are now de facto in posses
sion of power, shall forthwith provide by
law for the call of State Convention
or themselves expunge from the Constitu-
ton its obnoxious clauses. And if they
neglect or refuse to do so, we have right
to expect that the President of the United
States will render such aid as may be ne
cessary to enable US TO test the right of
the oligarchy which now misrules The
State, and restore our franchises in legal
and Constitutional manner.
9th. RESOLVED, Tha. the delegates from
lhls District be and they are hereby in
structed to present the aforegoing resolu-
tons to the County Convention, and re-
quest their careful consideration and an
proval.
Stevenson Archer then offered the fol-
lowing resolution as substitute for those
offered by Fl. w. Archer:
Resolred, That now that the civil
war has terminated it is advisable and
desirable that the laws now OH our Stat
ute Books be modified so as to allow
every white citizen, who will take the
constitutional oath, to vote.
The substitute was rejected, aud the
original resolution was then adopted, after
an animated debate:
The following gentlemen wcro then
elected as delegates to the State Conyep-
ton: |
H. w. Archer, Dr. John Evans, Henry
ID. Farnandis, S. S. Johns, John r.