Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-10-04
MARYLAND AFFAIRS.

MARYLAND AFFAIRS.
Interesting and important Csrrespond-
ence-The Maryland State Constitutlen
before the Judiciary Com mittee-The
New State Militia Of Maryland-Start-
ling Figures and Developments.
Correspondence of the Starl
BALTIMORE, ND, Oct. 4th, Is67.-The Sub
Committee OF the U. s. H. of r. judiciary
Committee, appointed to inves tigate and repert
whether the Maryland State Constitution, re-
Gently adopted, is or is not Republican, are 70
meet in this city next week. The Hon. Frank
Thomas. the chairman OF this Sub.Com-
mistee, l learn, designs making probing in
yestigation having prepared himseift to show
that in many spects it conflicts palpaoly
with the plainest and universally received
ideas of American nrepublicanism. Among other
points he will probably aim to make, will be to
show that it places the absolute control Of the
Legislature (and therefore Of the States public
affairs) in the hands Of. the lower and Eastern
Shore counties, which contains few more than
a fifth of the voters, not tenth OF the property
of the State, none OF its manufactores or
mining enterprise }, most OF Its voters who can
neither read nor write. and not one.hftieth
part OF MaryIand's other various industrial
enterprises. Mr.. Thaddeus Stevens, by-the-
by, has been studying this question (which
Mr.. Frank Thomas has especially in ha ,d)
ever since the end of the last session OF Con.
gress, whenever his health would permit him
TO read continuously. / learn from a gentle-
man who has been much with him of late. that
ne takes great interest in it, and intends to
labor zealousiy during the approaching ses-
sion to induce prompt Congressional action
upon it.
The subjrct of our (Marylands 81 new State
militia is almost the absorbing topic of con-
hardly be otherwise, in view of the fact that
our four or five thousand mlitiamen appear
nightly under the eyes Of the Baltimore public,
marching hither and thither in squads or COM
panE J, unlformC in rebel grey. armed to the
teeth, and reminding all most forcibly Of the
constan scenes in our thoroug hfares when the
preservation of the Union against the trea-
sonabIe and murderous acts OF so many OF
these same militia officers and men made this
c.ty's military occupation vital necessity.
l need hardly write you that the Unionfsts
here look upon the organization with great
distrust, believing that its ulterior purpose is
to inaugurale a revolution backwards by force
of arms. The UnioRlsts in it are there almost
to man, only IN order to hold it IN check in
case it be attempted to use 1t to an unlawful
end. The considerable Taxpayers, too, are
beginning to growl over it's financial aspect.
ted S25. .000 to purchase arms for it, and passed
a comm mutation law requiring all citizens OF
militia age who declined serving in to pay 50
per annum for the privilege OF declension, &c.
This tax, it was alleged, was to pay for uni
forming and equipping the force, and $4,000
was The um TO be thus raised annually ac-
cording to Governor Swanns figuring. The
twenty five thousand mentioned first above
has gone for the purchase of artillery and
Springfield muskets. Instead OF $500, ,OO0 having
been collected for combinations and militia
fines, but S27 600 have found their way from
that source into the State treasury. or that
amount, $4,000 have gone to pay for drill and
meeting room rent, &C.; leaving but q balance
OF some 7,u00 applicable in payment for the
uniforms at SISSY each. Already the State
has incurred debt for five thousand Of these
delivered to Baltimore militia men. Six hun.
dred more are now being made up, to be de.
Hvered to the members of the 10th Regiment
That regiment has been raised in ST. Mary's
Charles, Prince Georges and Carroll coun-
ties, W here secesh sentiments so universally
prevail. The total force being thus enrolled
outside of Baltimore is 5000 men. So uniform
ing our State militia is to cost our State tax
payers S1SS.7aG, the commutaton law to the
contrary Notwithstanding. Mary land is en-
titled to arms rom the General Government,
only to the value OF S25,000 Swami refused
them in small arms, demanding artillery which
Stanton first, and Grant subseq usntly refused
him. The force is now being equipped with
Springfield muskets and accoutrements at a
cost OF about &33 per man, which for the whole
10000 will amount to an aggregate of $4,000
Add to these two enormous sums-Slss $40 and
&23O, ,0OO-the allowance of "a per day tor the
hire Of each OF all the officers horses on pa.
rade days. the commissaries' expenses OF the
grand encamp pment for drill, practice. &c, al.
ready pl divided for, and your readers will see
that this mysterious Maryland military or
ganization can hardly fail to cost the States
tax PAYERS during the first year of its existence
and this, too in the face OF the formal report
Of the State Treasurer and Comptroller de.
claring the State treasury bankrupt What
the exigency req uiring this enormous increase
OF the State debt may be can only be drawn
from the pro.rebel demonstrations-in words
and jeers--of more or less of these militiamen
as they tramp our streets nightly. Col. J. G.
Mercer, late colonel of the first Mary land rebel
regiment, commands the fifth regiment of this
Mfrylard militia. He was wounded severely
at Gettysburg in his effort to destroy the
Union. This filth is the crack regiment of the
iorce-the " white kids" regiment. The story
that the new constitution provides for the
speedy disbandment OF this State military
force is aN bosh. 1t provides that the Legis-
lature may or may not amend or abolish it at
its next session-a year hence, perhaps. In
the meanwhile its work will be done, if 1t is to
have au:ht 10 do. fnot and there remains a
possibility that it may thereafter be able to
accomplish anything for the secesh cause, the
men who will compose the next Legislature
under the existing order Of things in Mary.
land, will be the last in the world to leopard
its efficiency, r.. ... .r.s
ACHAPTRR OF FSoRRow.-Michael McCarty,
@ resident OF New York, At the beginning Of
the war, enlisted in his country's ser vice and
went 10 the front Previous to leaving the
city he removed ais wife and child Mary then
ven years old, to Bordentown. New Jersey,
and provided for them during his absence to
the best Of his ability. year afterwards
news reached the father At the front that his
wife was dead, and obtaining a furIough he
returned, and making arrangements with Mrs
Mary Welsh, at Madison. New Jersey, to take
charge OF his child, he again returned to the
army. On the 7th day OF April, 1856, an
adopted daughter of Mrs. Welsh named Mary
Ann w elsh, then seventeen years OF age, and
the daughter of McCarty, disappeared. and,
although the anxious father had inq uirtes in
stituted by the police, no trace OF the wanderers
was found until Saturday last, when the girl
Mary Ann Welsh was found in q house of
prostitution. She admitted bringing the child
TO the city, both having fed from the ILL treat
m-ht OF Mrs. Welsh. On her arrival she gave