Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1882-05-19

affairs it is not hard TO realize why the ne
cessity for several banks in Frederick city;
there must necessarily be a large amount of
capital in circulation to meet the exigencies
and emergencies of this large and growing
trade, and this continual trade must of course
produce profits which find investment in
real estate and other securities, which in the
end adds to the wealth and influence OF the
county.
Walking slowly around the Court House
Square, your correspondent could but call
to mind that he was near the spot which in
the long-ago had been the theatre where
clashed some Of the brightest legal lumina-
ries that have adorned the jurisprudence OF
this or any other country. There was Lu-
ther Martin, Acknowledgement for Maryland
during the Revolutionary war and after
wards counsel for Aaron Burr, who was
tried for conspiracy against the Government;
Thomas johnson, John Nelson, Attorney
General for the United States, Francis Scott
Key, the author of the "Star Spangled Ban
ner; Roger B. fancy, Attorney General un-
der Jackson, and afterwards Chief-Justice Of
the Supreme Court of the United States, one
Of the purest and ablest jurists who ever oc-
cupied this distinguished position, and many
others which your correspondent cannot
now name. Among the most prominent and
brilliant politicians who have figured here
are John Hanson Thomas, Francis Thomas
and Il. Louis Lowe So that if this county
is conspicuous for the fertility of its soil, the
beauty of its scenery, its wealth, enterprise,
&c, it can likewise point to the brilliant re-
cord of many of her distinguished sons.
Passing down one of the main streets
your correspondent dropped into the pi-
oneer livery stable, one of those pleasing
relics Of the days Of olden times, when the
fourth hand coaches loaded inside and out
went laundering down the mountains full
of primitive romance, and their passengers
catching freedom and buoyancy which
gave an Undesirable charm to the ride
This stable was erected by the Sim Brothers
nearly three quarters of century ago and
is now owned and run by Edward Sim,
whom great many of your readers will
remember in connection with his brother
George Sim, who run four horse line of
coaches between Frederick and Washing
ton, commencing as far back as 1842. Mr.
Sim related to your correspondent many
amusing anecdotes of persons and events
which occurred in and around your town.
Among which will repeat the following
and in his own language as near as | can {:
"You see, sir, my brother George and my
self were both politicians, was Demo-
crat, George was Whig-we drove alter
nate days; after the election of 1874, the
Polk and Clay campaign, every one wanted
TO know who was elected. There were no
telegraph then, and the news had to come
by the stage. Well as the returns came in
from the States we would catch it just as we
drove from the Postoffice Departmental
she was Democratic, would give my horn
O long blow as l came to post town. | re-
member drove up to Rockville early one
morning, a little ahead of time. Everybody
was out and wanted the latest. Frank Veirs
was at the time postmaster, and Frank was
very anxious, and as | drove up he called
me aside and said, George, tell me, is New
York all rightr Yes, Frank, all right, they
got the news just as | drove away from the
postoflice in Washington. That was enough,
sir, the news soon went all over the town.
The next thing heard the Wings had said,
Don't mind that id, lying Ed. Sim
George will come up in the morning and we
will have the truth"
Continuing my walks through the city,
your correspondent came to the building in
which the Legislature held its sittings whilst
in session in Frederick by virtue Of Gov
Hicks proclamation. What memories it
awakened and through what startling
anu NdIlcu CIdltucl Vi bHOuPuJ LHtN leu ulb
1t will be remembered that the Legislature
was convened in extra session at Frederick
in the summer of 1869, as declared by Gov
Hicks, because it was not safe for it to hold
its sessions at Annapolis in the presence of
large bodies OF Union troops. Without stop
ping flor am | sure you have no space to
spare) to speculate of the cause or circum-
stances attending the several sessions of this
memorable body called by Governor, who
afterwards not like Cromwell in dissolving
the English ParliamenD had an adjourn
ment brought about by having its members
and chief officers arrested by regiment of
United States troops and incarcerated.
may mention some one or two instances
which will not be altogether without in
terest
| have said that the Governors reason for
assembling the Legislature in Frederick was
to remove them from the presence of troops.
The Governor well knew that in making this
statement he was not combining himself to
the true facts of the case. Gov. Hicks never
had any sympathy with the South, and it
was only piece of cunning upon the part
of old Caesar, as he had been nicknamed
by Gov. Pratt. He had been informed and
labored under the opinion that the Union
sentiment in Frederick was strongly pre-
dominent. Gov Lowe, J. W. Baughman
and other prominent gentlemen had crossed
the river. Gen, Bradley T. johnson was
then mastering into service and would
shortly take with him to the South the
flower of southern sentiment, and the idea
of the Governor was to have the Legisla-
ture in session surrounded by such an in
fluence as would tend to put stop to any
steps which looked in the direction of tax
ina At q H.
Legislature opened its sessions the Union
sentiment was loud and demonstratve, and
your correspondent often heard the harshest
threats used in relation to its members. To
quiet any alarm as to the passing of an or
dinance of secession a joint resolution was
passed setting forth that the Legislature had
no authority to pass such an act--this for
time had good effect and public apprehen-
sion was and would have remained quiet
and satisfied, but for the continual adjourn
ments for two and three weeks at u time, aud
which continued until September of the
same year, when it was brought to close
in the way have mentioned.
There are many things of the secret SEES
sions of the Senate at that time of interest
which have never come TO light, but want
of space prevents me from narrating more
than one.
resolution was up before the Senate
looking to the appointment of commission
ers to wait upon President Davis, whose ex-
ecutive Office was at that time at Montgom-
cry, the capital Of Alabama. The debate
had been warm and somewhat bitter all day
the crowd swayed to and fro from the
Senate Chamber (the third story of this
bullding) to the streets, and finally the re-
port was put in circulation that the Senate
was about to pass an ordinance of secession
The excitement became by this time almost
alarming, and rumors came to the chamber
that the citizens were gathering in mob
and would soon clear the building Cole
man Yellott, then the leader, rose and offered
a resolution that the Senate sit with closed
doors. Although opposed it was carried,
the chamber cleared and the doors closed
Mr.. Yellott rose and then said, as near as
can remember: at is of the utmost import
ance that this resolution be adopted" and
then with his voice falling to low mono
tone, scarcely audible, continued: Who can
tell Mr.. President, but that the next news
which reaches us will be to the effect that
the boundaries of the Southern Confederacy
are 10 DO the Susquehanna.n' At this point
Senator Kimniell, Of Frederick, rose and in