The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-10-27
HART B. HoLToN's RECORD.
Memorial of the Maryland Legislature
to Have the State Placed Under
Federal Domination

Memorial of the Maryland Legislature
TO Have the State Placed Under
Federal Domination.
When Hart B. Holton, the Republican
nominee for Governor, was member of the
Maryland Senate in 1867, two years after the
war, holding a position to which he was not
elected, he signed the following memorial,
which is found in Scharf's History of Mary
land, volume 3, pages 697-9:
$40 the Honorable Senate and House Of
Representatives of the United States
''The undersigned, members of the General
Assembly of Maryland respectfully present
this memorial to your honorable body on the
condition of public affairs in this State, to
which they ask the immediate consideration
of the National Legislature. The General
Assembly of Maryland is about to adjourn,
after a session as memorable for evil and as
important to the country as that which con-
signed the Legislature of 1861 10 the case
mates of Fort Warren. Elected, in great
part, by the deliberate violation of the cleo
ton laws of the State, by the votes of men
who were in active accord with the rebellion,
and whose hatred to the Government rendered
the presence of military force during the war
necessary to prevent their active aid to the
rebels in arms, and in spite of which they did
give large aid in men and money, they have
marked this session by a series of acts to
which we desire to call your attention.
1.-The rebels of Maryland sent South during
the war some 10000 soldiers to the rebel
army These men have nearly all returned,
and large emigration from the South since
the war has largely added to the number.
BY a doubtful construction OF the clause of the
existing constitution, this General Assembly
\ Ill
no matter what treason they may have COM
mitted, and has thus added to the voting pop
ulation about $4,000 persons who have only
lately ceased an armed resistance to the gov
eminent. Not satisfied with this, they
have just passed militia bill, which, in direct
defiance of the present Constitution of the
State, has made all white rebels no matter
what their previous treason, part of the mill
tia force. They have by deliberate vote re-
fused to exclude, even from the highest office
under the law, any person, no matter what
his rank in the rebel army, and they are about
to put in force this law, the effect of which is
against our constitution and the army laws of
Congress, and which puts in the rear of the
capital an armed force, composed largely of
the same men who have just been forced to
cease armed attempts to capture the capital.
One great object of this bill is to better carry
out the scheme of revolutionizing the govern
ment of the State, abolishing the existing con-
stitution and making another, still more firmly
fastening on the necks of loyal people the
yoke of rebel control. The present Constitu-
ton of Maryland, while it does not allow
colored suffrage, does not give to the late
masters the right to represent in the Legisla-
ture their DISTINGUISHED freedmen. 1t bases
representation on white population. These
conspirators, not satisfied with controlling the
legislative and executive departments, have
passed bill calling election for consti
tutional convention on the 10th day of April,
the convention to meet on the second Monday
of May, 1867. This they have done, although
the constitution provides that the Legislature
shall pass no laws providing for change in
the existing constitution, except in the mode
therein prescribed; and although the consti-
tuition regulates the representation In any con-
vention called to make new constitution, by
fixing it the same as that of each county in
the General Assembly, they have fixed an
arbitrary basis of representation, which, while
it excludes the colored man from the ballot
box, gives to the old WORKOUT counties which
were as rebellious as South Carolina, an in
creased representation by which the oppressor
is to represent the oppressed against his will,
and by which minority of the people of the
State are to hold in their proposed convention
the same power as the majority. The State
of Maryland has at present a colored popula-
ton of at least 200, 900, and by emigration
since the war perhaps $50, 900, making a vot-
ing population of from 40, 600 to $4,000. In
most of the counties where representation has
been thus illegally increased, the colored
population is equal to or greater than the
white. The House of Representatives of the
United States has already passed a resolution
of inquiry, whether the present constitution
of this State is now republican,; and since the
colored man is now citizen, it may well be
doubtful whether State which excludes for
no crime one-fourth of its population who are
citizens is republican. This General Assem-
bly, has inaugurated, however, movement
which, from the illegal representations made
in the bill itself, actually now accomplishes
not only the exclusion of this population from
suffrage, but also gives the disloyal population
a representation for them.
1.-The present judiciary of the State is for
the most part loyal, and one object of this
movement is to legislate out all the remaining
loyal officers whom they have not already re-
moved, and place ex-rebels-perhaps briga-
diers and colonies of the rebel army-in their
places. Not satisfied with the pardon and
the charity which Union men have extended,
they have commenced a reaction against the
results of the war and determined on policy,
tuition and puts in its place one made by trail
tors and fagrantly anti-repubican, and places
an armed militia of disloyal men and mi
nority government of rebel sympathizers and
rebels in the complete possession of this State.
While the South is about to commence ca
reer of freedom and progress, these men, UNI
taught by the lessons of the past, have deter
mined by the forms of law, but in real viola
ton of both the State and Federal laws, to
put this State back into condition of dark
ness and slavery. These acts we submit are
in violation of State and national law, oppres-
sive, revolutionary and dangerous to the order
and peace of the nation. The Union men of
Maryland are groaning under this tyranny.
They are now oppressed by verdicts of dis
loyal juries in many counties. Emigration to
the State except from the South is stopped,
and many loyal men are celebrating upon
leaving the State. The most, however, are
ready by all personal means and at all per-
sonal hazards to resist this infamous attempt
at oppression. The danger of bloodshed is
imminent, and the times are perllous. We
call upon Congress not to adjourn before set
ting this grave matter, which, if not settled,
may startle them in their recess by something
more than the massacre at New Orleans, al
though not so unequal and one sided. We
earnestly ask on the part of the majority Of
the people of Maryland, deprived of legal
voice, except through us, minority of the
General Assembly, that Congress will guar
antee to us republican form of government
on the only basis of right, truth and peace
impartial suffrage without respect to race or
color, as it has already guaranteed it to the
Southern States.