The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1884-06-28
COL. WEBSTER AND "THE DAY."

The Baltimore Day having lately published
several articles intended to place Col. Edwin H.
Webster in a false light before the public, that
gentleman took the trouble to reply to its mis-
representations, and the following letter from him
appeared in the columns of The Day last Saturday:
editor Of The Day:-My attention has to-day
been called to an article in your paper of Thurs
day last, headed "Colonel Webster's LOYALTY"
which am not willing should pass unnoticed.-
You say among other things that Colonel Webster
makes sweeping and very positive denial that
he was at one time Sin correspondence with Gov.
Hicks the subject Of securing arms for his COM
pany, the object being to repel Northern troops
and then proceed to reprint the old letter of Gov.
Hicks to me, which has so often done service in
the public prints whenever it was thought neces-
sary to impugn the Governors fidelity to the
Union.
GIN the first place, I have never made any
statement or denial to The Day or any of its re-
porters or employees on the subject referred to-
I learn, however, that one of my friends, during
my absence from the city, has done so, and that
his remarks to the reporter of The Day have fur
nished the occasion for the article in the issue of
Thursday last My friend was entirely correct in
saying that never applied to Gov. Hicks for
arms to repel Northern invaders, as had been
few days before charged in your paper. 1t is
only necessary to state the facts which are undis-
Us
alluded to in Gov. Hicks letter, to show this. A
voluntary infantry company was raised and or
ganized in Beair during the summer of 1860, long
before Northern invaders had made their APP
pearance, or were expected. 1t COM
posed of gentlemen of both political parties,
majority of them, however, being friends of the
Bell and Everett ticket Think all of the officers
were Bell and Everett men, Herman Stump being
the captain. 1t is proper to add in this connec-
ton that later, when the war had broken out, the
company was disbanded, and that some of its
members went into the Union army and some
into the Southern, but more into the former than
into the latter.
"The company, after its organization, made ap-
plicatiou to the State authorities for arms. Con-
siderable to-. .i-r--1 ~-1 the had not heen
received. Capt. Stump, knowing of my intimate
acquaintance with Gov. Hicks-I had been pres.
ident Of the Senate of Mary, land during the first
part of his Gubernatorial term-asked me to write
to the Governor and request him to hurry up the
delivery of the arms, as the company was becom-
ing impatient at the delay and could not be kept
together without arms. 1 wrote requested
few days before the Presidential election. The
printed letter of Gov. Hicks was the reply, and
was written just after the election of Mr.. Lincoln.
The remarks in the letter about shooting Lincoln
and his men were not intended to be serious, but
merely ocuar, and, in this respect, characteristic
of Gov. Hicks, and were so considered BY me when
received. But whatever his meaning or feelings,
Icertainly cannot be held responsible for them,
or the language in which he expressed them. I'm
partial history, in my judgment, has already
made up its verdict that Gov. Hicks was true
and faithful friend of the Union, and that he ex-
ercised all the power of his high office, according
to his best judgment, for its preservation and per-
petuation. Be that as it may, however, if ever
have harbored a disloyal thought, or expressed
disloyal word, or committed disloyal act, l am
utterly unconscious of it, and hereby invite The
Day, if it has proofs to the contrary, to produce
them.
at is proper to add, by way of conclusion, that
was never a member of the military company
above mentioned; that was in no manner re-
sponsibe for its existence or organization that
1 was at that time member of Congress from the
Second district of Maryland, James Buchanan be-
ing President of the United States, and that con-
sequently 1 was not, as stated in said article,
Securing arms for his (my) company or sent to
Congress by power exerted from Washington
Respectfully, EDWIN H. WEBSTER"