The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1866-01-18

treat with the Government on the sub
.jact. He recommends the appointment
Of Commission to revise the laws re-
lating to the former status Of the negro.
lie Is opposed to a change of the regis
tration law, any modification of which
he would leave to the decision, a year
hence, of the small minority which now
controls the political affairs Of the State
and whose retention of place and power
1 is wholly dependent upon the exclusion
from the ballot.box Of all those who are
opposed to them.
We will here insert all thatthe Gov
ernor says in relation to this important
subject:
| The act passed for the registration Gf
voters, IN furtherance, of the require
ments of the Constitution, has been
threatened, regret to say, with resist
ance in some parts Of the State, chiefly
among those who, in face of the decision
of our highest judicial tribunal, persist
in denying its oonstitutionality, and OBJ
| ject TO the oath ofallegiance which il
imposes. | trust and believe that such
threats are confined to very small class
Of our citizens The intention Of both
the Constitution and the Registry law
was simply to protect the State against
treason and to show distrust of those
who had been connected with it. Com
plants have been made that abuses
have arisen Ia the execution Of this law,
and that qualified voters as well rs 9th
ers have been arbitrarily DISTINGUISHED
upon frivolous and irrelevant issues,
4 growing out of mistaken views Of the
purpose aud meaning Of that act am
sure that the Legislature designed no
more th9n that the provisions of the
! Constitution should be strictly complied
with, without the rcmotest intention Of
interfering with any loyal citizen cnti-
4 tied TO the right Of suffrage. The law
would have been less liable TO abuse bad
it embodied the feature Of appeal TO
some competent tribunal. The Regis.
trution act was passed as is vel known,
at time when the rayages of civil war
were dosolafing our State Large mum
bcrs Of our citizens, yariously estimated
at com ten to fifteen Thousand, had lcit
their homes, taken up arms against thcir
State and subscribed % the most strin.
gent oath Of allegiance 10 the socalicd
Confederate States. ] do not propose
nj this time TO discuss events that have
passed farther than 10 refer TO the acts
Of tho Union men Of that day ii their
lpraisewor,hy efforts 20 rave their State
from the threatened ruin which lowered
over IT, ] would rather forget the past
than open affesh those fruitful sources
Of irriiaiion. which should now be per.
mitted 10 sleep IF these acts were rad
ical and ultra, much more 70 was the
at,cmp, TO reyolniioDiso the Saait and
break up the Union. Maryland surely
could not have disregsrded the first duly
Of self preservation II has been NJ
legged that the dominant party who nov
control the State represents minority
Of her aggregate population. II il b.
so, il is more 10 be regretted that so
large n number Of our ritizens should
have identified themselves With The re.
bcllion rs 10 suffer The power which This
majority controlled to pass into other
hands, Small, however, az the minori.
Is may be, Il cannot be denied that It is
the fair and Legitimate Representative Of
whatever there is Of loyalty among our
people. They nro the mcn 60 whom
you are indebted for the safety Of Your
State aud the property ah!eh yeu now
enjoy, and without Whose uncpmpgumls.
ing devotion 70 the Union Maryland
would have been handed over to iudis.
crimiuate destruction
The elective franchise IL function of
the State. To confer or withhold il is
the province of those who are entrusted
With the formation Of your organic hw
Our citizens engaged Ia this rebellion
have breu received with kindness and
federation they come back howcyer, %
be dealt with as the people. in lhcir
wisdom, may deem most cxpciient --
Threats Of resistance "a the Constitu.
ton aud laws could hardly be expected
10 facilitate them IN rcsumiug the priv
ileges Of citizenship which they have
deliberately abandoned III the mean
time they have no just right IN any fair
view of their existing relations, TO com.
plain qc the bardshps Of law which
they have themselves deliberately pro.
voked, aud which intended no more
than 10 place the government Of the
State, at a time Of imminent danger, in
the hands Of its loyal defenders, Are
they not the legitimate guardians aud
depositaries of It's power
The repeal Of the Registration act, in
my judgment, will not materially benefit
any class of voters who have been here.
tofore distranchised under its provisions
The oath of allegiance prescribed BY the
Constitution makes it incumbent upon
the Judges Of election 10 do substantial.
" what the Registers are required 10 do
under fair and proper Interpretation
Of their powers. As the Executive of
the State, do not feel authorized 10
recommend reputation, by the Legis-
lature, of the organic law Of your State
by any radical modification Of the terms
Of the Registration Act. To alter or
amend tho Constitution, upon which
this Act rests, would require the sane
ton of the qualified voters Of the Suite.
The regular stated meeting of the tien.
eral Assembly, under the Constitution,
takes place in January next The deler
gates who will compose that body may