The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1866-01-19
Let us Use the Right of Petition.

A<SO eo WV shS SsA6 Az "a SpAsASh'
The Governor, in his message, objects
to any action by the Legislature upon the
registration law at this time. because the
voice of the people of the State has not
been heard !; and j! cannot, as he thinks,
be known until after the next general cleo
! tior, villa. are the wishes of the voters of
| the State in that regard Unsound as is
the objection, let the people of Maryland
NEE, aud obvlate il promptly, so that there
shall be no further preleXt for excluding
the citizen from his born heritag the
right CT suffrage. Let them meet and OBJ
viale the objection in the way familiar to
! frcemen, sanctioned by the constitution of
every State in the Union, aud snlemulv as
sured by the first amendment of the ledc-
raj constl'ution-by reltioning the Legis-
lalure for redress OF grievances. Some
persons suppose that the resort to petition
is iacit admission of a right in the body
appealed To of Withholding The demand
and Of the original awiulness of the mat
Ter petitioned against. Never was there
more erroneous idea. The consitu-
tons all speak of petitions as the peaceful
means for redressing grievances. They
all look 10 them especially as designed 10
demand rights, not to ask iavors. The
petition is the instrument by which the
freeman makes known to his representa-
tive his just demands, and points out to
his subordinate agent the manner in which
the remedy for wrongs shall be applied
II is the only formal mode in which the
wants and wishes Of the people can be laid
before their servants. By means Of the
petition the record is made OF the rights to
which fieemen are entitled, and the wrongs
which, peacefully and orderly, they re.
qure to be redressed.
In monarchial governments indeed, the
right OF petition is. denied. The aulocrat
Of Russia once established a law that no
citizen should petition him until he had
first petllioned two ministers of State
and in England, under plelercc of repress
ing public disorders, ii was granted under
the Stuarls that not more than twenty
persons should sign a petition without
some previous magisteral sanction. Bul
the boast OF the American is, that no re-
snicton can be pia' ed on the tight of pc
titl"n; it is the very right which disln.
cuisines he ms buttons of free neople
IA right which has no mark of serviIily,
no lincture of degradation, no shade OF in
terioriy-.which implies not the iemolest
admission of lawlulness in the matter pc
tilioncd against. II is the sure, swift, M
mistakable manner in which the voice of
the people can be heard, in which their
wishes and just demands can be spoken
so plainly that their servants are left
without excuse who refuse to listen and
obey.
L., the people Of the State then, forth
with, in every village and hamlet, from
every mountain and valley, from the pillow
and the workshop, a; once resort 10 this
honorcd mode Of addressing the Legisla-
ture Of Maryland Let them call upon
the representatives to remove from the
constitution and from the registry law
the odIous and oppressive ties, oath which
stands in the way of their right(uI privi-
lcges. Let the right of petition be again
hsilowed, and, if possible, be again made
molc dear to the hearts and affections of
all lovers of free Institutions, by being
now used by the whole people of the
State, as a great and solemn remonstrance
against wrong-as the peaceful, orderly,
and proper method by which true liberty
is vinGicaled.-Bahimore Sun.