Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1868-01-14
Am ELOQUENT APPEAL.


Governor of Maryland, under the new Com
stitutitution of the ere enfranchised people of
that State" was inaugurated on the Sth of
January, at Annapolis, with all beftting GER
emony. His address on the occasion is an
admirable one, and evidences throughout the
p atriotic and practical statesman. In the
beginning, the Governor says that he abstains
from any suggestions upon State Legislation
because of the constitution providing that he
shall not enter upon the discharge of the exec
utive duties until the expiration of the term
for which the present incumbent was elected,
unless the Office becomes vacant by death,
resignation, &c. He then proceeds to avow
briefly and comprehensivcly, but with great
energy of expression, the views Of national
affairs expressed by tile people of Maryland
at the recent election, including the restora-
ton of the Southern States to the Union, the
control of suffrage by the States themselves,
white supremacy all the country over, the
cultivation of fraternal love between the
States, &.
The voice of the people in all the late cleo
the President in his issue with Congress. The
indignity to Maryland in denying admission to
| a representative of the State in the United
| States Senate is referred to in appropriate
terms, and the hope expressed that, now that
impeachment has been settled, and there will
be no need to prevent the new Senator from
sitting in judgement upon the President he
may be permitted to take his place. The adj
dress closes with most eloquent appeal in
behalf of the South, and her disfranchised
and prosecuted people. The picture he has
so graphically drawn of the degradement of
the proud old "Mother of States" to Military
District, No. l, is most beautifully expressed,
and will elicit the need of commentator
| from every true Virginian to the manor born
| He says =
The condition of the South is now such
that one would suppose. if the dictates of
craftsmanship did not change the policy of Con-
| gress, the impulses of common humanity
would stay their hands. With little left for
vengeance or malignity to wreak itself upon,
mics should be satisfied with the fullness of
their work. Can they, without emotion of
sympathy, look upou people proverbial for
all social virtues, for kindness aud hospitality,
for excessive endurance and great galantry,
discovered from the Union, and reduced to
state Of anarchy and political despair? Can
they forget the great aid of these very peo-
| pie, sbone Of our bone and flesh of our flesh"
| in the establishment of American indepen-
| dence? and that since our national existence
until the recent deplorabe civil war, which
the whole country may well ask itself if the
| South was alone responsible for, her heroes
in war and statesmen in peace have equally
with their Northern brethren exerted them
| selves that every star upon the national ensign
shall be cmblematic Of the position each State
shall be entitled to hold as free and indepen-
denl member of the National Union?
Whilst this must be the feeling of the whole
| North for the whole South, how much more
intensified must it be with us in Maryland for
our neighboring and sister State of Virginia,
united to US by all the ties of consanguinity,
of social intercourse, of business relations,
and the proud and pleasant memories of the
past? The overthrow of her white pepula-
| ton by black minority, led by men who are
disgrace to their race the loss of thousands
of her people and millions of her property;
the severance of third of her territory after,
| in her exuberant patriotism and generous
greatness, she had voluntarily given to the
| country that immense northwestern territory
out of which have been carved the States that
have become the seat of empire, and which
would have so Inundated and destroyed her
her degradement from the "Mother of States"
to "Military District No. l, are circumstan-
ces that we most kesaIy feel
We cannot cease to remember and to par
take of her pride that hers is the land of
Washington, the Father of his Country whose
birth and whose burial places our citizens
daily look upon; of Henry, who demanded
liberty for the country or death for himself;
of Jefferson, of Madison, of Marshall, of the
Lees, and host of other worthless to whom
we are SO much indebted for our national
greatness.
AS Marylanders, then we must feel a pecu-
liar sympathy for Virginia, which we could
not repress if we would, and would not if we
could As people, we will gladly contribute
out of our abundance to the wants of hers,
and as a State we will bid her take heart in
the sympathies and returning good sense of
the nation, and we will not cease to maintain
and defend her rights until they shall have
been restored uncurtailcd.
And SO with all the other States of the
South. The war, professedly waged for the
restoration of the Union, having successfully
ended must result IN tic restoration of the
Union.
In this the fiat of the American people has
Enthusiastically gone forth. Time oni y is peces-
sary to show to our sisters of the South that
our sympathies are not alone for patriotic
Poland, writhing under the iron heel of her
master-for misgoverned and chatting Ireland
for hapless and valiant Crete-or for the
struggling and oppressed everywhere except
in our own midst Justice to them, to our
selves, to the interests of the country, will
speedily assure to the Southern States all their
political and territorial rights
Let theirs be a position of mastery mac
tivity," voting down such instruments miscall-
ed constitutions as may be submitted to them
by their mongrel conventions of negroes and
adventures, and their proper status will ere
long be restored to them by wise and just