Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1885-02-12

state of affairs in this border State
and the Federal troops in the State,
and their illegal voting outside OF
it, and in anticipation of the treaty
for emancipation with compensation
which must inevitably have followed
between the Federal government and
that of the State of Maryland, peace
able revolution had been forced upon
the people of this State, still true to
their allegiance to the Federal govern
ment, whereby this element of proper
ty, guaranteed to them by the Federal
constitution and that Of the State, had
been taken away. Nor did the people
of the State, speaking through their
Constitution Of 1867, rest with this
simple declaration Of a principle and a
right. but they went further and, in Sec
81 of Art. 3 Of that constitution, made
the following mandatory declaration
regarding the duty Of the Legislature
in this respect:
"Sec. 81. The General Assembly
shall pass no Law providing for pay
ment, by this State, for Slaves eman-
cipated from ssryitude in this State !;
bat they shall adopt auch measures,
as they may deem expedient, to OBJ
tain from the United States, compen-
sation for such Slaves, and to receive.
and distribute the same, equitab]y, to
| the persons entitled.
AS we promised before, the observ-
err who looks at the question at the
present day will be- apt to be sur
plised at the fact that no step has
ever been taken by the Legislature
toward complying with that require
ment of the Constitution, and, as far
as we are aware, the question has
never even been mooted in the Cen
eral Assembly.
Now, after the lapse of twenty
years since that wrongful revolution,
the question propounds itself to the
people of the State, and more especi-
ally in these peninsular counties which
look upon the ruin it worked here,
"Is the Wrong without Remedy"
And, if there be remedy, where will
it be found and whence will it be
received? Will the Federal gov
eminent recognize the Judgment of
the people of the loyal State of Mary
land, that this element of property in
the State was destroyed, not by the
will of the people of the State, but
against it, and by the policy and
authority" Of the Federal government
and that compensation in considera-
tion thereof is due from the United
States" Or will the people of the
State, when they again meet in con-
stitutional convention in 1887, if their
decision in 1867 should in the mean
time upon proper application to the
Federal government have been denied
and, disregarded, assume the legiti-
mate responsibility of their erroneous
judgment and recognizing the great
moral obligation incumbent upon
them, award some compensation, par
tial and imperfect though it be-, 10
those of her citizens who were most
wrongfully impoverished by the revo-
luton of twenty years ago?
| 1t is safe to say that no remedy will
be derived from either source. unless
A the question lbs in the neantimS pre-
sented for the consideration Of the
Federal government in the manner
contemplated by the Constitution
Only one Legislature will intervene
between this time and the calling Of
the constitution in 1887, and thai
will be the Legislature to be elected
this fall. 1t is eminently proper that
this important question should now
be fully discussed by the press of thu
State, in order that tho public mine
may be directed to it and action by
the next Legislature certainly secured
1t may be that the Democratic admin
istration, which will soon take tn,
reins of the Federal government, will
regard itself as so much on dress pa
rade, during the next four years as t.
, be unwilling to consider a question
! Ct this sort, however great its merit
but that is hardly fair presumption
But however this may be, while it i
y certainly unfortunate that was neve
8 presented earlier to Republican ad
ministration with its large surplus,
a the duty and necessity of the mex
n Legislature taking this step seems I
: be too manifest to require any arg
g ment,