Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1885-02-20
Shall we Ask Pay for Our Slaves?

emancipation Of any slares: but all such debts.
obligations or claims shall be held Illegal and
void."-Article XIV, section Amendments TO
ConSt tuition I. =.
Thus is the law written: the organic law of
the land. In view OF this fact il seems that
the discussion initiated by our esteemed coutem-
porary the Poit Tobacco Times as TO the advis:l-
bilty for or duty OF the next Legislature to pass
n law asking Congress to pay citizens of Mary
land for slaves set free by the emancipation pro-
clamation had better be deferred at least until
it is decided that the above section OF the It'll
amendment does not mean what il says.
1t may be true that Maryland was not number
ed amongst the ''disloyal' States; that she had
loyal, Union Flowing citizens who. through no
fault of theirs, had nearlyal their substance rc-
presented by slave property; that this property
was taken from them for no fault committed by
them. without asking their consent and without
compensation; ii may he that they We're thus
reduced III "a moment from Independence 10
poverty: that this was not done by the state
OF Maryland but by the policy ami authority
| of the United States, and that property thus
taken by the might of the sovereign power
should i'll fairness and equity be mp"li>atad
lit may be that all these things are true :;
true as the source of all truth and rght-hut en-
are bound oobey the law. Ii may be hardship
upon many innocent and loyal people; but in
the cause which produced the law many hard
ships We're endured; not only property but life
was taken by the Government from lis citizens
and as no compensation is possible i'll the latter
case, possibly il has not been deemed eXpedeut
TO bestow il i'll the former
| 1t is hardly necessary to consider the Times
proposition from partisan standpoint. 1t may
be that the Times is right in its expectation that
the most opposition to paying for the emancIpat-
ed slaves Will not come from the North, and that
at the next presidential election there will be
no campaign documents flooding the country
with an account, in startling headlines, OF this
| GILMAN OF THE REBtLLIoN.' "IOIAl.
NORTH To BE TANED To PAY FOR TIL +,
SLAVES OF THETRAITORSo OF THE SOUTH =
| 'lNSCL LIT TO THE UNION DEAD" &c, &C., and
it may be that there will be no blood and thunder
cartoons i'll the Judge" and other republican
pictorials, representing the .'ghoul-li>e desecra-
ton of the graves of Union heroes by the "rcbel
LIDO rl,i,,
would not be able TO find the Political Accident
| insurance Company that would underwrite a
policy to provide against such contingencies
| We do not wish to he understood not e>ti-
mating at their due weight the strong and cogeut
arguments made by our able contemporary on
The contrary, we recognize that the case has been
presented with force and persua.iveneSs that few
| believed ii capable Of-bnt We believe it i UNI
| tenable both in a legal light and in that of tx-
pediency. In one word We rCgaru the question
rs res ddj,dicaiG, and until an apparently hnal
decision in the case IS reversed. and section !, of
| the 18th Amendent repealed. argument on the
question may make an interesting entertain
ment for a debating society, hut will hardly he
Wees Sslro ''''e ~ '''s mans '' '''
We are glad to observe that the more
prominent papers of the different sections
Of the State begin now to give this I'M
portant question the attention that 1t de
serves. We note with pleasure that our
neighbors of the Southern Mary land pre- IS
are unanimous in their indorsemenl of the
proposition that the Legislature should
take action in the matter, and that promi-
nent citizens, like the Hon. B. G. Harris,
have also put themselves on record on
in strong endorsement of the measure.
1t is with regret We notice the adverse
opinions of our esteemed contemporaries,
the HAgerstown Netcs, above quoted, and
the Anne Arundel Adrertiser, while at he
same time we thank these and other Jour
TOR the kindly complimentary manner in
which they have have been pleased To
speak of the discussion Of the question as
conducted by the Times.
| The Nstrs and the Alrertiser discuss The
question from thsir standpoint with their
usual ability and characteristic courtesy ::
but with all Difference we do not believe
that the objections raised by either of our
contemporaries are tenable. or shou ex
ert the east influence upon the Legislature
In regard to the constitutional question
| aised by the Neus, that we discussed a,
some length in the last issue OF the TINES
Instead OF the question that the wrong i,
without remedy being res adjIdicat1. as
our contemporary intimates, the highest
tribunal in this State-the people il their
sovereign copaci'y-and the highes; tri
bunal of the Federal Govern ncnt-the Su-
prems Court-have-the one expressly and
the other imp iedly -adjudicated that the
14th amendment Of the Federal constitu-
ton has no bearing upon claims for com
pensa.ion for slaves in he loyal State Of
Maryland
We feel sure that our fir and intel igent
con temporary will not allow Itself to over
look the fact thai the 14th amendment of
the Federal constitution, which it quotes,
had been adopted tire years prior t, the atop
ton Of the HaryLand constitution II / s67. and
must have been fully known TO the many
able lawyers who were in the constitution
al convention Of that year, which coaven-
ton solemnly declared in that constitution
that slavery had been abolished 10y the
policy and authority OF the United States"
and that compensation in consideration
thereof was due from the United States -"
We believe, too, that, if our contemporary
will direct its legal mind to the .'SIaugh-
ter House Case" which We cited last week,
in which the Supreme Court construed the
first section of the 14th amendment, that
it will see there clear recognition of the
principle that the h section must be so
construed as not to do unnecessary vio-
lence to the sovereignty of the loyal Safe
of Maryland We may here add that we
have personal knowledge of the TACT that
able constitutional lawyers, of national re-
putation, entertain the opinion that the
14th amendment has no bearing upon the
claims of the State of Maryland, as set
forth in the constitution of 1867.
1t may be proper here to remark that
the MUGS is in error in stating that slaves
of Maryland were set free by the 'emanci-
patton proc amation." This was not the
case, it was done at subsequent period
through The instrumentality of revou-
tionarv measure in this State commonly
known as the constitution of 1864" 10
which revolutionary measure the Federal
government participated through its mi j.
tary forces.
Both of our esteemed contemporaries
the Neos and the Adoertiser, express an
apprehension of disaster to the Dem ocracv
of the Union to result from a recognition
of this claim by the Democratic admins