The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1867-04-06
COnVentiOm-Say Your
Money.

either for or against q Convention, the Oh.
ject of said Convention being to form a new
Constitution for the State of Maryland. -
Without respect to party-for constitutional
conventions are not party questions
the fundamental law Of a State is to be alter.
ed amended, or entirely superseded by
another law, changing perhaps the existing
form of government, ii becomes every man
to consider calmly what such change may
lead to; hence, constitutional conventions
are not party questions, and the mind of
every man is left free to act without the re.
straints of party bias.
Without discussing the revolutionary mca-
sures of the Legislature in calling this pro.
posed Convention, or stopping TO review the
unequal, illegal and unjust representation it
has set up in the bill authorisng the election
for delegates to Constitutional Convention.
we will content ourselves with inquiring what
good can possibly come of IL Convention to
go through the ceremony, and incur the cX.
pense of forming new Constitution for
Maryland, that can never be put into opera,
ton. What do these men, who advocate a
Convention, propose to do that can possibly
benefit the people Of Cecil one iota? 1t has
been alleged that the present Constitution
DISTINGUISHES large number Of persons who
formerly voted, but this complaint is effect
ually slenccd by the enfranchising law which
admits pretty nearly every white man in the
State to the right Of suffrage.
One hundred and twenty-five thousand
dollars have been appropriated by the Icgs.
ature 10 dclray the expenses ofthc projected
Convention! II the Convention is held that
much of the States treasure is sure to be
expended, and how much more we can't
tell. Does this commend the proposed Con.
vention to the taxpayers Of This county
and when they further consider that the APP.
preparations Of the recent Lcaislaturc-
thrown away, IN great measure, upon PR
vate and pet projects to as much
as the entire revenues Of the State in two
years? Are You, property. willing
to toll, ana mol, and sweat, to pay for such
reckless extravaganza The same class Of
men, it must be remembered, who threw
away the public money with such prod
gal hands, last winter, have been SC.
lcctcd az delegates for this new Constitu.
tional Convention. Having trusted them
once to put their hands in the public Golfers,
and bcheld with amazcmcnt their prodgal.
ity-are you simple enough to trust them II
second time.
Another object is the turning out OIL Judges,
Registers, and County Clerks, that their
places may be filled with other office hunt.
ers, who, most likely, would conduct the
business of those Offices in the same form
and manner that it IS performed by the pres.
ent incumbents, there being rules and rcgu.
latons by which the routine of all such
offices is managed. What gain, then. will
the public, who pay the taxes and foot the
bills receive from this measure? Nothing
in the world.
There is one other object which Is para.
mount to all yet noticed, which over.rides
and oyertops all others and this is the pay.
ment for slaves emancipated. The members
from the slave counties declared this TO he
the grand object Of the present OK. slave.
holding party, now i'll power, aud some of,
the most honest censurcd their brethren for
attempting to deny this fact in order to de.
ceive the noh.slayery districts Of the State.
They declared they were Justly entitled to
be paid for their slaves, and they wished to
bazcn the fact as a principal plank in their
platform. This, although attempted to be.
hidden, will appear clearly, if the rcprescn.
tation whicL is increased fourteen in the
slave counties, while all other psrts of the
State are to appear in the Convention, if it
is called, on their present legislative rep.
resentation. With an increase so dispropor.
toned, and thirty millions Of money to be
divided among those counties, what will pre-.
vent them from controlling the Legislature
in future, If their schemes are not frustrated
on Wednesday next? Suppose the Western
counties and Baltimore city are opposed to
paying for slaves. How many Of such del.
egates and senators as they sent to the last
Legislature would one or two millions of the
thirty millions buy? Enough to carry the
measure, and pledge the credit of the State
by issuing bonds TO those ex-slaveholders
for the whole amount claimed by them
They have made all their preliminary prcpar.
atoms for this measure. The Legislature
that has just adjourned appointed a commits.
sioner in every county of the State to ascer.
tain the number and value of the slaves
emancipated by the Constitution Of 1884,
Why make such record if it is not to be
used in future When the favorable moment
arrives? twill be seen that the slave power
has laid its plans to have everything ready
when the favorable moment comes, issue
bonds and bind the State to a debt of thirty
additional millions, Cecil county's share of
which would be at least one million.
These are the facts which the present
Convention scheme will bring forth il it is
not checked, just as surely as The sun shines
but they will be frustrated. In denyiS@ the
right of suffrage to one.fourth the citizens Of
the State on account Of race and color, in
attempting by revolution to form new or.
ganic law, is bound to bring the State under
the control of the Federal Government
Already it is given out that at the next ses.
sion of Congress, the Fourteenth, or new
article to the Constitution Of the United
States, will be declare dadorted and the