The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1867-05-04
The Republican Party of Mary.
land.

ing of the proper course to be pursued by
the Republican party Of the State, in order
to rescue it from the hands Of the traitors
is considerable diversity of opinion among
leading Republicans, as to the proper course
TO pursue in the present condition of affairs
Some advocate the holding an election and
Convention. which shall assemble in the city
of Baltimore. or some other point agreed
upon, and proceed to frame Constitution
and form of government for the State, based
shall be submitted to Congress who shall be
the arbicr between the two Constitutions
the one formed by the present Rebel Con
vention which assemblies at Annapolis on
the sth inst. and the one formed by the
proposed Convention of Republicans.
We conceive this mode al dealing with
the difficulty, however, cntircly' impractical
blef The reasons are 80 numerous and OBJ
yious that those presenting the greatest oh.
staclc to this plaza OF reconstruction, will
readily suggest themselves 10 every rejecting
mind, First. all such enterprises require a
large amount Of money to detray necessary
and unavoidable expenses, both in the mat
ter of conducting elections and the conyen.
ing of Il Convention, which, as a deliberative
body would require days to organize and ap,
point committees in order TO get properly to
work In the slave counties, where the Re
publican party without the colored vote Is
generally in the minority, it would be ,mpos'
sible to hold elections with no protection
from lawlesS mobS, the officers Of the law
acting as the Monroe police of New Orleans,
if they acted at all, on the side Of the mob
The colored people would be inundated from
appearing at the places Of election, and
those attempting to hold the elections,
would, in lime cases out of ten, in the slave
counties, be interfered with, mobbed, and
the polls broken up. 1t is very clear that
an attempt at an informal election, OF the
kind advocated BY some, would fail from
the very nature of things, to bring out the
Republican vote of the Statc-even the
white vote Of the party, much less the col
orcd vote. An abortivc attempt of this
kind, it is evident, would do the party vastly
more harm than good, with the Republican
party Of the country The golden moment
was allowed TO pass. by the evil councils
that prevailed at the time of the election to
decide the question Of n Convention on the
lOl: Of last month. The Republican party
having fool,shly failed TO do its whole duty
on that important occasion, which, not being
understood outside of the State, has done
US more harm with the Republican party OF
the country, than ten victories of the Rebel
party at well contested elections.
This has given the rebel party of Mary
land heart and new courage, wherein, had
their Convention project been defeated, they
would have dwarfed and become insignih-
cant in even their own eyes. Let US not
attempt utopian and impracticable projects,
and thus further assist them and injure our.
selves with the party abroad by i'll directed
efforts, but rather take the earliest oppor
tunity to strike the enemy in Il vulnerable
place by ralying our whole strength against
the Constitution which will be framed by
the unadultetated rebel Convention which
will be in session at Annapolis few days.
The Republican party Of Maryland will. ere
long. gain the State out Of the hands Of its
present rulers, or rather misrulers, if they
act wisely and firmly. They can thoroughly
organize which they should do at once.
In the mean time the States north and
south are working for us. The question of
universal suffrage is no longer discussed as a
theory in those States, but ii iv being put
into practice. and when the next Congress
assemblies it is very clear that ii will at once
lift the governments Of the whole country,
State and National. into that higher eleya
ton and purer atmosphere of republicanism,
which will abolish forever the last relic Of
Slavery--caste Legislation by declaring that
no State has republican form of govern
ment, as required by the constitution of the
United States, that denies the right Of suf
fragc to any considerable portion of its cti
zens This is clearly the road to the solu'
ton of our difficulties, and dissolution of
rebel rule in Maryland, and will prove the
finishing blow to the slave democratic party
of the country. A Gordon is being formed
round that party in Delaware and Maryland
by the South and North that must speedily
strangle it with all its etIete policies, the
growth and teaching Of slave institutions,
which now may fairly be considered as be-
longing to an antediluvan age.
The Republican party of Maryland, puri'
fed by reverses, now rises to clearer con.
ception Of its grand mission, and, no longer
as in the past, cropping among the rubbish
of expediency and policy for a foot hold,
plants itself upon the base of justice and
pure Republican principles, which IS impair
tial suffrage, and thus thrice armed because
its cause is just, it prepares to battle not
only for victory, but conquest which shall
destroy ths last ysstige Of tbs TEACHINGS sf