Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-01

northern cations between WASH
ro,,.o+;o,. ington and the north,
eo'Ao'' a single line between
here and Baltimore being the only direct
means of transport with the large sea-
board cities. In The Star of September
%, 1861, is printed a letter from a reader
urging the construction of a double-track
road between Washington and Annapolis
on Il straight line, thus cutting short the
rectangular route then followed, and still
the only means of communication be-
tween the capital and Annapolis. The
Importance of this suggestion lay in the
fact that at that time. with Baltimore
considerably beset by secession senti-
ment. the government did not feel wholly
confident of the. integrity of it's communi-
cations through that city, and had early
occupied Annapolis as a port, shipping
large quantities of supplies from the
north by sea and up the Chesapeake bay,
the Potomac being not altogether safe in
consequence of the presence of Confed-
crate forces on both sides of the river
below Washington. Notwithstanding the
direct route to Annapolis, nothing was
ever undertaken along this line.
Notwithstanding the efforts of the high
er military authorities to maintain disci-
pline and to lessen the pass
Loose evil in Washington, there was
xr considerable confusion and in
"oih' subordinate behavior in this
neighborhood in the early stages of
the war In The Star of September
% is a paragraph dealing with one
were issued by commanding officers:
Although the military authorities here
are exercising more caution in the grant
ing of passes, instances of gross care
lessness. if not something worse, are oc-
casionally brought to our notice. The
abuses we speak of are not chargeable to
those who grant passes. but to the In
efficiency of sentinels who are stationed
at important points. These men, meaning
well, often subject persons of undoubted
loyalty to delay and inconvenience, while
they pass without question others known
to our citizens to be inimical to the gov
eminent. This may be owing to the
plausible tales told by these 'would-be
secessionists IL they dared; but 1t is
nevertheless culpable in a high degree.
Union men would cheerfully bear the an
noyance of a rigid scrutiny IL while under
going it they were saved the modification
Of seeing southern rights men. on the
plea of business or something else, elbow
past them with unblushing effrontery on
their way within the lines. Only last
week, we are informed on good authority.
while workmen on the Notifications on
the Virginia side were stopped by the
guard at the Alexandria aqueduct until
their foreman could go to Gen. McClel-
lan's office in Washington to get passes,
and We're thus kept waiting until 10
o'clock, they saw we'll known sympathiz-
ers with the cause of the south pass the
sentries unchallenged. Whilst we would
oppose making martyrs of even avowed
secessionists In our midst, who talk only
and have not the power to damage the
cause of the Union, and while We would
accord the same exemption to those pru-
dent souls who hold their tongue and
await their time, We would at the same
time allow no man to hold office or pass
within the lines of the army unless his
loyalty was above suspicion"
Shortly after the arrest Of Mayor Ber-
ret. Richard Wallach was elected mayor
of Washington by the
Mayor councils to serve during the
formers disability The
"diidCh' resignation of Mayor Ber-
ret, dated at Fort Hamilton September
IA, 1861, followed Mayor Wallachs cleo
ton by several days, and the question OF
the regularity of the proceedings was dis
cussed at a meeting of the councils held
September %, 1881, and reported in full
in The Star of the following day. In the
board of aldermen a lengthy report from
the corporations attorney, Joseph Ii.
Bradley, was read, holding that Mr.. Wal
lachs election was In every respect valid.
He had been elected pro tempore to sup
ply an existing disability on the part of
the municipal executive. and was to con-
tinue in office under that election until
the disability was removed. Mr.. Berret
having, by his own action, pending the
disability. rendered it impossible to re-
move it, it was incumbent upon Mr.. Wal
ZACH to fill the office for the remainder of
the term as though he had been spe-
officially elected to do SO. The corporation
attorney therefore held that no further
election was necessary and that Mr.. Wal
ZACH should continue to serve as mayor
without additional procedure. This view
prevailed. and Mr.. Wallach was thereby
confirmed in the Office of mayor. which
he held continuously until June. 1868.
AS time went on it became apparent
that the United States had narrowly es-
capped disaster in Maryland
Maryland at the hands of those who
would have carried that
ooAoIuo' state out of the Union and
thus isolated Washington in the midst of
hostile territory. In The Star of Septem-
Der p 1861, is the following:
Every day brings something to light
serving to prove the great Importance to
the Union cause of the late wholesale
state arrests in Maryland. 1t is certain
beyond question that a plan had been
arranged for the adoption of a secession
ordinance by the traitor legislature OF
the state on the day after the session
commenced and the simultaneous trans
fer of Johnson's army over to the north
bank of the Potomac. with a rising OF
Maryland secessionists in arms through
out the state wherever there might not
be Union troops present. How seriously
the execution of the conspiracy would
have added to the complications of the
situation can easily be imagined by the
loyal public. The act Of the government
in summarily and Unexpectedly defeating
the Maryland portion of the scheme de-
feated the balance also. as Johnson did
not dare to attempt to cross the river
without the backing of the Maryland
eecessoniSts in arms under their leaders.
Of whom the latter were deprived by the
arrests According to papers secured
when the arrests were made the actual
force of the enemy under Beauregard
and Johnson on the day the scheme was
to have been attempted was 10000 ef-