The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1900-03-10

under his own name such vigorous defense
of the attack on Zachariah Hood that prudent
Jonas Green, in publishing it in handbill
| form, took precaution TO inform the public
that the card was no part of the Gazette.
But, by this act of prudence, it must not be
understood that this editor of the one newspa-
per then published in Maryland faltered in his
defense of American liberties. On the con-
trary, from the beginning to the end of the
| Revolutionary struggle Jonas Green, while
using his profession as means of livelihood,
| then, as he had always done, conducted his
| Journal under the profound conviction that
the press has high and honoraby duty to
| perform for the public that ought not be
marred by the fear of loss or hope of gain.
| The lawyers of the times, members of the
most brilliant and talented bar in all the col
onies, almost TO man rallied to the support
of the patriot cause and when the sound Of
arms was heard many of them rendered as
valiant service in the field as they had in the
| forum. Indeed, had it not been for the law
yers of Maryland in the Revolution the people
of this province would have been without in
telhgent, educated leadership in the contest.
| 1t was October 10, IVA, that Major War
field, of Anne Arundel, at the head of his
troops rode up to the door of the Peggy Stew
art House, on Hanover street, and from his
| saddle told Anthony Stewart, "Burn or hang"
and its hateful chests of tea. Nor was this
the only burnt offering ON the altar of liberty
made by the citizens of this county before the
Declaration of Independence was promul-
gated. On July Is, 1775, the ship Totness,
| Captain Harding, owned in England, ran
aground near Herring Bay. The citizens dis
! covered that it had on board an interdicted
cargo, and they, highly resenting so daring an
infringement of their continental association,
u number of the people met, went on board
| the ship and set her on fire.
When Boston was blockaded, May 20, IVA,
the people of Annapolis assembled and re-
solved that "the town of Boston is now suffer-
| ing in the common cause of America, and
| that it is incumbent on every colony in Amer
| lea to unite in effectual measures to obtain
repeal of the late act of Parliament block
aiding the harbor of Boston," They then
resolved further to stop all dealings with Eng
land until the act was repealed, and with any
other colony that would not enter into simi-
lar agreement of non-exportation.
| MARYLAND IN THE REVOLUTION.
| Maryland had long forseen the inevitable.
| The people assembled in convention in 1774,
and it is interesting to note that the resolu-
tions that they passed began with fervent ex-
pressions of loyalty TO the mother country and
ended with plans to buy guns and ammunition
and to create an army.
Two paragraphs we're furnished by the City
! of Annapolis to the Declaration Of Indepen
dence-the count charging the quartering of
| troops on the citizens of the Colonies, and the
paragraph accusing the King of protecting his
| armed troops by mocktrials from punishment
for murders committed upon the citizens of
the Colonies Both of these events occurred
at Annapolis.
When that day came, June 10, l775, to
| s.l,.,, .oc g
| tinental ARMY, it was Maryland member of
Congress, Thomas johnson, who rose in his
| place and nominated George Washington to
| be that Commander Chief.
| When the struggle was on, Maryland, in
proportion to its inhabitants, contributed more
men to the Continental Army than any other
| of the 13 Colonies. They were good soldiers
and more than once saved the day. 1t was
at Cowpens, when the army was under a mis-
| take of orders, retiring before the victorious
British Army, that John Eager Howard gave
his order, and said, "Right about Charge
bayoneis r. and the old Maryland line swept
back into the face of the advancing redcoats,
and snatched triumphant victory from threat
ened defeat After this General Greene or
| dered that the Marylanders should use the
bayouet in every battle. 1t was at Monmouth,
the only time when the Father of His Country
| is recorded to have taken a high oath before
still higher Heaven, as he saw the retreat that
| Lee had ordered, that Washington said to an
officer: ''If you can hold the British Army
for ten minutes, until can reform my lines,
you will save the army" II will do it or
fall r. was the reply, and he held the enemy
three times ten, and saved the American
| Army from destruction. That officer was
Col. Nathaniel Ramsay, and his soldiers We're
| Smallwood's Battalion of Maryanders. At
| 7 T,1a xuba tha oh
to death and glory, it was again that the men
| of MARYLAND stayed disaster. Behind them
was the fugitive American Army, dashing into
morass and river to sink and die; beyond the
| devoted battalion of Marylanders were the
victorious redcoats in pursuit of the flying
| Americans. Once, twice, thrice, the -Four
Hundred, with Gist at their head, charged
the foe with such vigor and success that Corn
| wallis, for Il moment, contemplated retreat
with his overwhelmingly superior force. As
| the -Four Hundred fell for the lives of others
and sAved the army from destruction, there
was but one command heard in their ranks
| that rose above the roar of this maestrom of
| death. 1t was 'sClose up the ranks Close
| up the ranks n as they marched to death and
| eternal fame. We tell it TO our children with
pride, that it was for them, as he watched
| their magnificent charges from the hilltop,
| that Washington wept and cried out bitterly,
ssMy God, what brave men | have TO lose to-
| day -
A few days after the surrender of Corn
wallis General Washington wrote these words
in his own hand to Governor Lee, OF Mary
| land
YORKTOWN, October %, 1881.
"My present engagements will not allow
me TO add more than my congratulations on
this happy event, and to express the high
sense | have of the powerful aid | have re-.
ceived from the State of Maryland in compli-
| ance with my every request to the Executive
MARTIAL FAMILIES.
1t is suggestive TO note that the names that
made MARYLAND illustrious in the Revolution
ary War have recurred with almost every
passing conflict. Some of these are the
Bowies, the Gathers, the Smiths, Goldsbor-
oughs, Warfelds, Stewards, Halls, Earles,
Grifiiths, Ridgelys, Hammonds, Dorseys, and,
hidden under the paternal names, scores of
others who from their womanly and patriotic
mothers still transmit TO the generations the
blood of those who built this Commonwealth
and contributed phenomenal share in the
construction of the Federal Union.
Apropos of this hereditary martial spirit,
we must not forget that the Maryland National
Guard was the first volunteer organization in
camp after the President had issued his call
for volunteers for the Spanish American War,
and when Secretary Long asked Emerson how
soon he could report for duty with his naval
battalion, and was told that very evening, he
did not believe what he read, and telegraphed
back for confirmation. The battalion reported
for duty within few hours of the order to
report
Nor were our Maryland forefathers' services
eminent alone in the field in the Revolutionary
struggle. For refusing, until she had accom-
plis6ed her purpose, amid vituperation and
misconstruction, to sign the Articles Of Con-
federation, and the larger States had given up
their claims 10 the shack lands,' she has re-
ceived the perpetual gratitude Of the people,
and, in the language of Mr. John Eiske,
.Maryland, by leading the way toward the
creation of national domain, laid the corner
stone of our Federal Union"
THE STATESMEN OF MARYLAND.
After the formation of the Union, when
radicals North and South threatened by their
dssensions to disrupt the federation, the
statas,,an NJ The TInion always looked to the