The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1866-10-19
The Radical Mass Meeting.


The Radical meeting which took place here on
Saturday last, was rather slim affair for n
county meeting. True, the day was not pro-
pitious in the morning, but about IL o clock,
NJ, it cleared away, and the balance of the
day was fine; and from the general notice given
of the meeting we expected TO have seen three or
four times as many persons here as were present.
The meeting, we feel sure, did not comprise more
than one hundred and twenty-five men of all
parties, and great portion of these were citi-
zens of the town. Hamilton Lafevre was chosen
President, Samuel r. Wallis dEsq. Vice
President, and Charles D. Bouldn and Joseph
Gorrell, ESqs., appointed Secretaries.
After the organization, Mr.. Joseph J. Stewart
of Baltimore city, was introduced and made
quite long and labored effort, in which he
travelled Europe pretty much over, for what
purpose we did not understand, unless it was to
convince his hearers that Capitalization of power
was right, and that inasmuch as Europe is tray
cling in that direction, it would be well for us
to initiate her example. Mr.. Stewart was very
severe on the President, and talked much about
the fate of Louis the XVI, and how Mr.. John
son might lose his head in the same way.
1t strikes one as singular, that it is reasonable
and disloyal for all persons, except Radicals, to
speak harshly of the President or it would per-
haps be more correct 10 say-about any Presi-
dent whom the Radicals admired. We suppose
that Mr.. Stewart would not even object to Cop
perheads INDUCING in little moderate abuse
of his Excellency, for we feel quite sure, from
Mr.. Stewards manner, that he does not like Mr.
johnson. He seemed TO be quite out of temper,
too, with the condition of society in the South,
particularly the class part of it. He said there
was master class and serf class, and that the ne
groes were the serf class; and we understood from
the course of his argument that he was opposed
to this state of things, and thought they ought
not to exist; but he favored us with no remedy
for this supposed evil, that we heard, and there
fore left us to guess at one, which we suppose
must be the equality Of races for we know no
other means of getting rid of it entirely
Most of the time allotted to the speakers hay
ing been taken up by Mr.. Stewart, Mr. Thomas
the Radical candidate for Congress in this dis
trict, did not make regular speech, but prom
Used one on the 23d day OF October next The
most that he did, was TO defend himself against
the charge of being in favor of negro suffrage
which he said had been charged against him by
"Copperhead" papers, and asserted that he was
the father of the provision of the State Constitu-
ton which prohibits the negroes from exercising
the right of suffrage and that he spoke and
voted against negro suffrage in the District of
Columbia. We remember well, that Mr. Thorn
as did both speak and vote against the bill cloth
ing the negroes of the District with the privileges
of the ballot and we felt some satisfaction
at the time, from that fact, and have ever since
entertained some respect for him on account of
it. But although Mr.. Thomas is himself op-
posed to the measure, he will not deny that the
leaders of the party to which he belongs are in
favor of it, and if clothed with the power to en-
force it, they will do SO. What matters it, wheth-
er l favor o particular measure or not, if use
all my power and influence for the success of the
friends of that measure, and they are thereby
placed in condition to pass it or adopt over my
head. We understood Mr.. Thomas as favoring
the Constitutional amendment more for the pur-
pose of reducing the repr esentaton of the South
ern States, than Tor any other purpose but be
must know, at the same time, that its passage was
intended also punishment of the people of the
former slave holding States should they fail to
grant the negro the privileges of the ballot-box.
This is precisely the view taken of the amend
ment by Hamilton and the committee appointed
by the Loyaists Convention at Philadelphia. -
This Convention well knew the sentiments of the
men appointed for they had not been silent
members Of the Convention and thus knowing
their views, made these appointments, notwith-
standing there were men IN the convention of
Mr.. Thomas stamp, whom all would have sur
posed would have been better suited to the MIR.
poses of this committee.
From these proceedings, what are we to under
stand were the true sentiments of that convention
on the subject of negro suffrage2 There is, we
think, but one conclusion to como to, and that is
that the men who met in Philadelphia, as body,
favored the extreme radical doctrine of Judge
Bond, rather than the milder and less bold no.
tions of Mr.. Thomas. Of what consequence is it
that the northern members OF that convention
hSio "'ooi holn ~, iatucr tuau iutrouuce preu
Douglass as a delegate He was there pre-
cisely as were the rest of the Northern dele
gates, taking an outside interest in all its
dongs, and with Brownlow and others address
ed the convention while in session, and was
thereby acknowledged as the equal of the men,
bers there assembled, otherwise he would not
have been allowed to take part in the proceedings
of convention of which Mr.. Thomas was himself
a member. /.
Anxious as we are for the election of Mr.. !
Archer, we would not knowingly do Mr.. !
Thomas wrong, to bring about that result nor