Maryland free press., 1866-05-24

best men, and heaviest tax payers, were
driven from the polls, and all power
placed in the hands Of those who thought
the President was the Government. -
Some of our citizens were sent to forts on
suspicion, and horrid oaths were put to
others, until reign of terror ruled in our
county and State. '...,-s)
1t was under such circumstances, when
might made right, and honest men were
almost afraid to draw their breath, that it
was determined to call convention in this
State to revise or make a new constitution.
We all know how that high handed outrage
was carried through in this State, under
the auspices of Gen. Lew. Wallace. In
famous test oaths were enforced, and few,
but Republicans allowed to vote. The
sword did the work. When talent and re-
spectability were scarce in the abolition
ranks, it was not surprising that the pres
ent editor of the Herald" should be .'se-
lected" to be one of five from this county,
to offieiate in that s'so-called" constitution
al Convention. A convention was framed,
which the vote on its adoption showed
would have been defeated by 40, 900 major
ity, if the people had been allowed to exer-
else the elective franchise. We believe it
got 5000 votes out of35, 900 in Baltimore.
But what did this sapient editor do in
that Convention? One thing we do know;
he promised several gentlemen, who called
upon him in Hagerstown, if elected he
would GO for compensated emancipation"
in the State. No one was fool enough to
suppose he would have been chosen if a
fair election could have been held. But
he was elected" or rather selected. -
When he did get seat in that Convention
he s9lemnly swore to support the Constitu-
ton of the United States, which declares
that ''n: man shall be deprived of his
property without due process of law; and
if private property is taken for public use
just compensation shall be given" Ifany
man wishes to know what is meant by educ
process of law" and ''just compensation
we refer him to the noble speech of the
venerated Crittenden, made on the propo-
sition to abolish slavery, in the District of
Columbia. At the very time that Mr.. Lin
coin was paying three hundred dollars for
negro, as property, for the army, this man,
this paragon of loyalty,-in the face of
his solemn oath, and the imperious COM
mand of the Constitution:-just compensa-
tion shall be given cooley and deliberately
voted to rob the citizens of loyal, Union
owing tax-ridden Maryland, of thirty
millions of dollars worth ofproperty with
out paying them one cent and all this in def
ance of his oath and promises. How he can
make his oath and his actions tally, VIC ev-
er could conceive. 1t is a matter of in
difference to us how he justfes his course,
but we do know how the people look upon
it, and there is nothing more certain
than the fact, that, when the purity of
the ballot box is restored, and that is not
far off, there is political damnation in
store for him and his SO brethren, who voted
for that measure and others, which will
consign them to an infamy, as deep and un-
fathonable, as the "bottomless pit" itself.
Their deeds are not forgotten. Their pun
ishment remains for the the future. 1t is
not surprising that he and his colleagues
wish the Registry law preserved to protect
them from an indignant and outraged peo-
pie. The blot, the stigma, the infamy,
which surround the names of those 54 Con-
stitutional law-brakers, will never be for
gotten or effaced. They held Office then
and now, not legaHy-for there is not
really one legal ofice-holder in the State,
under the new Constitution, this being a
dopted through fraud:-but when will they
be honored again? But We must stop for
the present. JUSTICE.
BooNsBoRo', MD., MAY 4, 1866.
M'. Editor-We had hoped, now that
the war is at an end, that the season of
raids had passed, but, alas! we have been
disappointed. One of the most disastrous
incursions that has ever been made upon
any community, since the commencement,
of the war, has been inflicted upon our
already scourged county, involving the
most serious and widespread loss to many
of our most loyal citizens. But singular
to narrate, on the occasion referred to, the
raid was not headed by Rebels. but came
in no other direction than from our loyal
sister and neighbor, Pennsylvania. ..
A formidable force well equipped, and
with deep laid plans, under the comm and
of one Col. Alexander X. Mcclure, of
Chambersburg, came down upon the quiet
and unsuspecting people of our county