Evening journal., 1904-04-19
BY lanes B. Scott.

DJ JdNitS -. oColl.
The morning Of Friday, April 10, 1861,
broke over Baltimore with heavy
leaden sky, that enveloped the city un-
til toward noon in driving mist. At
8 a. ~. the Sixth Massachusetts and
Colonel Smalrs Philadelphia Regiment,
the latter not uniformed, reached the
city over the p, b. g. w railroad in
a train Of two sections, en- route for
Washington. Just as soon as Colonel
Smalls men learned there was going
to be trouble in the transfer from the
President street station to the Cam
den station, they scattered and ming
ling with the crowd, escaped molesta-
tion.
In those days the transfer across the
city was made by horses attached to
each car, the road being along Pratt
street to either station. Previous to
the arrival Of these troops, nightly har-
angues were made before Barnum's
Hotel, or to speak more correctly. in
Battle Monument Square. by Southern
orators, the most prominent being Will
liam L. Yancey, whose fiery eloquence
pictured the seeming wrongs Of the
South with telling effect upon large au-
diences.
The utmost effort was being made to
get Maryland, Ly an upheavaI Of the
people Of Baltimore, to cast her lot
with the Confederacy.
What was called the Missouri or Crit
tenden Compromise was at the time
being signed by such large numbers Of
Baltimoreans as to indicate at least
that Maryland hesitated about seeding.
Another check was given, more potent.
perhaps, than anything else that coula
have been done at the time. An as
sociation of young men organized sim
liar to our East Side Republican As
sociation. under the title Of Minute
Men," upheld the watchword THE I'm
ion, the Constitution and the enforce
ment of the laws" as against the SOW
ereignty OF each State and it's right to
secede, by the emnire States OF the
South.
Meanwhile there was no mlstaking
the mischief that was brewing nightly
in Battle Square as immense throngs
Of citizens heard the government de-
nounced and the stars and Stripes al
iuded to as the hated rag"
One night as the eloquence ran riot
and cheer upon cheer rent the air for
the proposed new Confederacy, this
club Of minute men, numbering per-
haps not over $50 men, left their quar-
ters and forming for parade with torch
es and black eapes and Old Glory at
their head, marched through Battle
Square amid the groans and Kisses Of
the assembled crowds, that is, of the
riotous portion.
But il was otherwise with the greater
majority as a few days afterward
proved. Following this demonstration
the Minute Men issued a call for all the
Union men Of the city to enroll them
selves with them and show by a mon
ster parade the extent of the Union
feeling in Baltimore. The call was re-
sponded to promptly and upward OF
10000 men marched through the streets
of the city on the evening OF February
Is, and so completely discounted the
Southern orators that they ceased har-
anguing the people and left the city,
and Maryland was saved to the Union
and avoided becoming the battle-ground
Of the war TO follow.
Still the unrest formerly existing in
the city was still prevailing. The fail
ure to elect Henry Clay to the Presi-
dency was now resulting in an attempt
to disrupt the Union. Right under the
guns of Fort Sumter batteries were be-
ing placed to take the fort when the
time arrived.