The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1866-02-23
From the Sunday TeLegram,
Adjournment of the Legislature.

3 T0mWe o"'ldy IeEfgran'.
Adjournment Of the Legislature.
The extra session Of the Maryland
Legislature has ended by constitutional
limit, and sigh Of relief comes up from
every constituency in the State, Never
did deliheratiye body assemble clothed
with greater responsibilities or blessed
with more opportunities for good, How
they have met those responsibilities and
perverted those opportunities, the record
of heirproceedings will show. We speak
more in sorrow than in anger, as VIC ven
ture the assertion that there is net an in
dependent earnest and patriotic citizen
in the State who docs not blush with in
-dignation and shame for the discredit as
we'll as injury. inflicted upon the proud
old commonwealth. 1t is u sad and SOL
emn scene to contemplate, at a time when
animosities should be buried 10 oblivion,
and partisan vindiotiyeness tempered with
concession, that men in legislative posi-
tons should cling tenaciously to the pre-
jujices. engendered in commissions, and
hold to the vul gar batreds conceived in
the fretfulness Of faction and ensanguined
by the terrors of war. Yet such drama
has been enacted before the people of
Maryland, which, were it rot for the
harm inflicted, the power exercised aud
the reality of import offending it, would
have dwindled to ludicrous farce or a
second rate burlcsque. An epidemic in
the shape of a malignant infatuation seems
to have invaded the Gcneral Assembly,
and led them blindly and stubbornly to
the very excess of madness and folly. In
the long record of exceptional legislation,
few chapters can be found in which is
grouped SO much Of hurtful error, or
shameless unscrupulouauess. 1t is a sad
and humiliating thought, that even revo-
luton should have brought to the surface
Of political power in this intelligent State
n class 70 ignorant, demcnted or dcpra
we'd.
Two months ago TIE late Governor of
Maryland issued q proclamation convcn-
ing tho General Assembly in extra ses-
sion, A hearty response of approval
came from every quarter Of the State, for
the evils of former legislation had been
attributed tofthc excitemcnts and dangers
that environed The first session Of the bcdy
just. dispersed. Their assembling, there
fore, was hailed with satisfaction under
tue honest delusion that their first step
would be to remedy the evils hitherto in-
flicted, and atone, by the calmer counsels
Of the hour, for the disgraceful steps into
which their REPEATED timidity had betrayed
Them. How sadly our good people have
been deceived, let the universal murmur
Of an indignant and outraged common
wealth and the jeers and mockery of de-
lighted fanatics outside affirm. 1t will be
remembered that We ourselves, in spirit
Of generous judgment, attributed, in
former article in this paper, The harsh ac-
lions of the past more to the Peculiar cir
surrounding their enactment
than to the spirit of malevoleuce which
We. with all good and charitable men,
wcro willing and anxious for the States
credit to conceal. We admit our disap-
pointment. We had hoped that the ex-
ample Of an honorable, intelligent, high
minded minority in that body would, with
he well known sentiment of the State at
argc, bring them from very shame to
measures Of reason, and wisdom, aud
right. We had trusted that the low or
lcr of mental calibre, with which the ma
iority were afflicted, would be some pallia.
lion for their offence, and we strovc to
draw over them the disguise of the hons
skin; but the donkey would bray in spite
Of our humane endeavors. We would be
willing to urge even this humilating apol.
ogy for them, and contend for the GORGE
acd fact that 'bayonets and Federal patron
age did not make that nice discrimination
in the selection of representatives that an
people would have used if left
to free and untrammelled choice, or our
halls of legislation, once entitled to and
the generation and respect Of
our people, would not now be filed
with the refuse of rutGan factions, the
the supple tools of party patrons, or
designing minions Of foreign sentiment.
We believed that the well known wishes
of an almost unanimous people would
have awed these rapacious ond insolcnt
aspirants to. oligarchial rule into at least
a respectful show in the exercise of i'll
gotten power. Bnt whether their igno-
rance permitted their insolent hardihood,
or their cupidity outweighed their fanati-
cal judgments, We leave to critical and
outraged public to decide. We have no
further excuses or apologies to offer for the
body which has invoked disgrace upon
themselves and the State, and courted the
displeasure and contempt Of an injured
and villlfed people. ~
Il becomes our painful duty, however,
to lay before the public concise allusion
to the features Of that extraordinary ses-
4 Al III