The evening times., 1896-03-26
MARYLAND'S PART.

MARY LAND ARI-
That the newly made State of Maryland
played a creditabIe part in reconciling the
conflicting claims OF the various States to
this Northwest territory after the revo-l-
tion had ended, by being the first TO urge
that this domain be turned over to the gem
eral governmental step that was uiti-
matcly taken.
Maryland has never been given the credit
that she deserves for her part in the public
land question:" said Mr.. Knott, although
the facts have been clearly pointed out by
Prof Herbert b. Adams and Mr.. John Fiske.
1t was as early as October, 1TI1, that Mary
land suggested to the Continental Congress
that these lands should be given TO the
united government, to be laid out ulti-
mately yintoseparate eandindependent States.
The landed States, those which had claims
to this territory, defeated the motion in
alarm, but Maryland's proposition involved
two new and startling ideas of the utmost
significance for the future of our country.
then broacbed for the first time. These
were:
The idea of permanent national SOW
creign power residing and enduring in
the United States in Congress assembled.
The idea that these lands constituted
national domain aud were to become the
common property Of that sovereign power
for the benefit of all the States, to be
laid out and governed by Congress, and
ultimately to be admitted into the con.
federation as separate and sovereign
States.''
CAUSES OF THE REVOLUTION.
OF the causes of the Revolutionary war
Mr.. Knott spoke in part as follows: His
torians tell US we went into the struggle
on the principle of no taxation without
representation but there are two other
80 T.~xr2
which have not attracted the attention they
have deserved. In one OF these King
George is accused Of raising the conditions
of new appropriations of lands,' and in an.
other he is overwhelmed for establishing
an arbitrary government in Canada, and
for extending it's boundaries so as to
take In most of the territory in the North.
west.
"There can be no doubt that the jealousy
Of the British government had been alarmed
by the maany signs sofindependence of of spirit
evinced by the cOlonists after the conquest
of Canada had relieved them from all appre-
tensions of French aud Indian warfare on
their borders and that 1t had etdermined to
place an effectual barrier to their further
growth and extension west ward by theiuter-
position of vast territory under its exclu-
sive control and jurisdiction. The colonists
were equally determined to have a share in
the substantial results of the victory, by
which 80 vast and magnificent territory
passed to the dominion of the English crown.
"virginia had never abandoned her claims
to this territory, and her citizens prepared to
settle and develop it. Influential citizens Of
Maryland, Pennsylvania and other colonies
were also interested in these undertakings.
But their further progress was arrested and
their schemes Of appropriation and settle
ment broken up by the Quebec act, which
1oIfl fl,a In vi inp a Hu n
the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Wrestling
this territory from the colonies aroused a
spirit OF deep hostility toward the British
government. That the sentiment thus pro-
voked was one of the causes OF the Revolu-
ton no one can doubt"