618 



MARYLAND. 



by side with colored troops, nor to Andrew Jackson, 

 who commanded and complimented the colored mil- 

 it ia who fought with him at New Orleans. We be- 

 lieve it is the bouuden duty of the President to use 

 all force and every weapon which God has put with- 

 in his grasp, and the laws of the United States have 

 authonzed him to wield, in defence of the nation. 



Traitors have no choice as to the weapons which 

 are to be used in their destruction, and loyal men 

 only ask that they be speedy and sure. 



Nevertheless, while we yield the right of the Gov- 

 ernment to summon to the field every person capable 

 of bearing arms, we hold that it is right, and shall 

 invoke the assistance of the Government to recom- 

 pense loyal masters who are thus deprived of services 

 to which they are entitled by the laws of the State. 



The committee then proceed to discuss the 

 entire question of emancipation as it relates to 

 the welfare of Maryland. 



The contest for State officers was between 

 these two divisions of the Union party. In the 

 Fifth Congressional District was a party op- 

 posed to the measures of the Administration, 

 of such strength as to elect their candidate for 

 Congress. Their views on the questions at is- 

 sue in the State election are thus expressed by 

 one of the county conventions in the district : 



Resolved, That as Union men, we are not only op- 

 posed to emancipation in this State, but even to all 

 agitation of the question at this time as premature 

 and unwise, and likely to cause division where there 

 should be union, and permanent discords where there 

 should be abiding harmony. 



Resolved, That we support the Union for the sake 

 of the Constitution, and are opposed to the exercise 

 by the General Government of all unauthorized 

 powers, deeming it of little consequence if the Con- 

 stitution is to be sacrificed, whether it is effected by 

 usurpation or rebellion. 



Resolved, That our devotion for the Union increases 

 with its perils ; and regarding it as the palladium of 

 our liberties, the ark of true republicanism, and the 

 hope and asylum of the oppressed of all nations, we 

 yield it our heartfelt allegiance, and will ever sup- 

 port it by legal and constitutional means. 



The day of election was Tuesday, the 3d of 

 November. As the time approached the fol- 

 lowing correspondence took place, and was 

 published : 



OFFICE OF UNION STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE, ) 



BALTIMORE, October 26JA, 1868. 

 To the President : 



SIR: A suspicion having taken possession of the 

 minds of many loyal Union voters of the State of 

 Maryland, that the election about to take place on 

 the 8d of November will be attended with undue 

 interference on the part of persons claiming to rep- 

 resent the wishes of the Government, I am induced, 

 by what I know to be the desire of a large number 

 of _ our people, and in furtherance of applications 

 daily made to me, to ask most respectfully that you 

 would place me, as chairman of the Union State 

 Central _ Committee, in possession of your views 

 upon this subject, in order that they may be com- 

 municated to loyal voters throughout this State. 



I will beg you to believe, Mr. President, that it is 

 with no doubt or distrust on my part, as to what will 

 be your response to this letter, that I ask this favor 

 at your hands ; but simply to satisfy a large class of 

 persons who believe that an expression of opinion 

 on your part would not be without its benefit to the 

 people of the State in promoting what we all desire, 

 a fair expression of the public voice. 



I am, with great respect, vour obedient servant. 

 ?HOMAS SWANN, 



Chairman of the Union State Central Committee. 



EXECUTIVE MANSION, } 

 WASHINGTON, October 21th, 1363. j 

 Hon. Thomas Swann: 



DEAR SIB : Your letter, a copy of which is on the 

 other half of this sheet, is received. I trust there is 

 no just ground for the suspicion you mention ; and 

 I am somewhat mortified that there could_ be a doubt 

 of my views upon this point of your inquiry. I wish 

 all loyal qualified voters in Maryland and elsewhere 

 to have the undisturbed privilege of voting at elec- 

 tions ; and neither my authority nor my name can be 

 properly used to the contrary. 



Your obedient servant, A. LINCOLN. 



On the 31st of October, Governor Bradford ad- 

 dressed the following letter to President Lincoln: 



EXECUTIVE OFFICE, J 

 1 ANNAPOLIS, October Slst, 1863. J 

 To hit Excellency President Lincoln : 



SIR : Humors are to-day current, and they reach 

 me in such a shape that I am bound to believe them, 

 that detachments of soldiers are to be despatched 

 on Monday next to several of the counties of the 

 State, with a view of being present at the.ir polls on 

 Tuesday next, the day of our State election. 

 These troops are not residents of the State, and 

 consequently are not sent for the purpose of voting, 

 and as there is no reason, in my opinion, to apprehend 

 any riotous or violent proceedings at this election, the 

 inference is unavoidable that these military detach- 

 ments, if sent, are expected to exert some control or 

 influence in that election. I am also informed that 

 orders are to be issued from this Military Depart- 

 ment, on Monday, presenting certain restrictions or 

 qualifications on the right of suffrage of what pre- 

 cise character I am not apprised which the Judges 

 of Election will be expected to observe. From my 

 knowledge of your sentiments on these subjects, as 

 expressed to Hon. R. Johnson, in my presence, on 

 the twenty-second instant, as also disclosed in your 

 letter of instructions to Gen. Schofield, since pub- 

 lished, in reference to the Missouri lection, I cannot 

 but think that the orders above referred to are with- 

 out your personal knowledge ; and I take the liberty 

 of calling the subject to your attention, and invoking 

 your interposition to countermand them. I cannot 

 but feel that to suffer any military interference in 

 the matter of our elections, or to prescribe any test 

 of oath to voters when all the candidates in the State 

 with the exception, perhaps, of two or three in one 

 Congressional District are all loyal men, would be 

 justly obnoxious to the public sentiment of the 

 State. There are other reasons why such proceed- 

 ings would appear as an offensive discrimination 

 against our State. Our citizens are aware that highly 

 important elections have recently taken place in other 

 States, without, as it is believed, any such interfer- 

 ence by the Government authorities ; and if votes by 

 hundreds of thousands have been allowed to be cast 

 there without objection, and with no limit upon the 

 elective franchise other than the State laws prescribe, 

 and where one, at least, of the candidates so supported 

 was considered so hostile to the Government that for 

 months past he has been banished from the country, 

 certainly any such interference as between the loyal 

 men now candidates in this State would, under such 

 comparisons, be more justly objectionable, and finds 

 nothing in the present condition of things here to 

 justify it. I rely, therefore, upon your Excellency 

 for such an order as will prevent it. 



I have the honor to be, with great respect, 

 Your Excellency's obedient servant, 



A. W. BRADFORD. 



To this letter the President, on the 2d of 

 November, made the following reply : 



WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, November Zd, 1S63. 

 To his Excellency A. W. Bradford, 



Governor of Maryland : 



SIR : Yours 6f the 81st ult. was received yesterday 

 about noon, and since then I have been giving most 



