Year: 1864

General Assembly, congratulate you
that the first legal step has been taken
in the redemption of the State.


The bill to take the sense of the peO-
pie on the call of Constitutional Con
vention and to provide for its assem-
bling, has become a law.


In its essential features it embraces
all that was struggled for duringthe
campaign of last fall. The vote Of the
people to be taken on the sixth of
April, and the Convention, if the peo-
pie vote to call one, is to assemble on
the twenty-seventh of the same month.


If the people now do their duty,
Maryland may stand in few months
as one of the Free States of the Union


The Importance of the issues of the
election of the sixth of April-the dan
ger that the will of the people may be
defeated-the wiles of pretended and
the weakness of lukewarm friends, and
the now apparent organization of open
enemies-lead us to address you few
words of warning and advice.


We are in favor Of Emancipation,
immediate, final, unconditional, unfet-
tered by negro serfdon, unaccompanied
by any oppressive burdens on people
whose dearest interests have been sac
rificed, who blood has been shed, whose
fields have been laid waste in war,
selfshly waged by armed traitors in the
interest and on behalf of Slavery


We call on you to see to it that such
Emancipation shall be the result Of the
Convention.


We exhort you at once to organize
and work, to bring out every vote for
Convention, and for candidates who are
in principle and feeling hearty support
ers of immediate Emancipation.


You are aware, fellow citizens, that
the representation in that Convention,
on the present Constitutional basis gives
to the small counties a vote vastly out
of proportion to their population


1t is necessary that a solid vote
should be sent up from the Loyal and
Emancipation parts of the State in ia
vOr of decided action.


The opponents of the Convention
have determined to rally their votes
against the call They hope that the
idea that the Convention will certainly
assemble may cause the friends of a
Convention carelessly to be absent from
the polls.


1t is only necessary for the friends of
the call to vote, to carry it by such q
majority as shall make it overwhelming
in its moral effect.


You must not forget, felloW-citizens,
that the triumphant marchi of the ar
mics of the Republic, lifting its banner
in every State of the Rebel Confederacy,
has modified the utterances and profes-
siOns, at least. even of the SeeessiOnists
of Maryland. Those among them who
aspire 10 public position, who will seek
seats in the Convention, will not come
before the people as Rebels They pro-
fess now to be StateTights Democrats,
and are endeavoring to put themselves
side by side with the Woods and Val
landighams Of the North


Some part of our people may need to
be warned even against them w
have seen them in this General As
sembly, occupying high positions by
their admitted abilities, and studiOusly
denying the charge of being Rebels;
yet on every question that could test
opinion, whether it has been to offer
bounties to our patriotic volunteers, TO
relieve their families by the appropri-
alton of money, to return the thanks
Of the State for their gallant conduct to
our soldiers and sailors, to present the
Stars and Stripes, in the name of tho
State, to the soldiers of Maryland-they
have voted solidly and squarely against
every loyal and patriotic measure.


Again, they are two classes of Eman-
cipationists in Maryland Il has been
said frequently that everybody is in
favor of Emancipation. If this means
merely that most men believe that
Slavery is either dead or near to death
in Maryland, and that Emancipation
may be a necessity, it may, perhaps, be
true Many people, loyal and disloyal,
are beginning to think that Emancipa-
ton is the most profitable way 70 sell
their slaves. They regret that Slavery
has been brought so low they would do
all in their power now to raise it from
the dead, or stimulate its sickly body to
new vigor


II must be parted with, they want
seats in the Convention to sell it out on
the best terms, t. save as much Of il as

possible They yield merely to ne
cessity which they cannot control. If
when the Convention meets, slavery Is
evidently dead, they viii make the best
bargain for the sale Of the corpse. If
circumstances should change, if the IA
vorite institution can stil! be saved,
they viii try 70 save il Some Of these
men are loyal, but they disapproVe the
policy of the administration they re-
gret that the war has affected slavery,
and believe that its abOlishment can
have no effect to restore the Union on a
permanent basis Tkey prefer the
Union with slavery to the Union with
out slavery.


iRe and you, feIlow-citizens, are for the
Union, with or without slavery, under
all circumstances and in every contin-
gency, but we prefer the Union without
slavery to the Union with slavery We
believe that there can be no permanent