454 



MARYLAND. 



day the Union will be completely restored on the solid 

 basis of liberty, loyalty, and genuine republicanism. 



Resolved, That feeling assured that Ulysses S. Grant 

 is in full accord with the loyal people of the country 

 upon all the political issues that have sprung up 

 between a hostile Executive and a patriotic Congress : 

 regarding his splendid military record with unfeigned 

 admiration ; having full faith in his wisdom, integrity, 

 prudence, and firmness ; and believing him to be em- 

 phatically the man for the times, this convention 

 declares its preference in favor of his nomination for 

 the office of President of the United States. 



Resolved, That the delegates elected by this conven- 

 tion are authorized to fill all vacancies that may occur 

 in their numbers. And they are hereby instructed to 

 vote as a unit in the Chicago Convention, and are re- 

 quested to employ all honorable and proper means to 

 secure the nomination of General Grant and Mr. Cres- 

 well for the offices of President and Vice-President. 



Resolved, That the reverses of 1867, with the formi- 

 dable attempt now everywhere making to disseminate 

 and commend the principles of rebellion and repudi- 

 ation, admonish us that our adversaries are preparing 

 for the most vehement and desperate efforts to regain 

 the control of the Government, and virtually reverse 

 the triumph consummated at Appomattox Court- 

 House ; and we exhort our fellow-Eepublicans through- 

 out the State to organize forthwith for the systematic 

 diffusion of intelligence, ^ by journals and otherwise, 

 and for a vigorous, persistent, and efficient canvass 

 henceforth to the close of the polls in November next. 



Resolved, That Hon. John A. J. Creswell be pre- 

 sented to the National Convention by the Republi- 

 cans of Maryland as the choice of the Republicans of 

 this State for the vice-presidency. His consistent 

 identification with the cause of human freedom, his 

 patriotic services in Congress, the fidelity and sagacity 

 he has displayed, as well as his great Jprudence and 

 firmness, have endeared him to every Republican in 

 the State as one who will stand firm in the future as 

 he has been immovable in the past. 



Resolved, That the Republicans of Maryland heartily 

 sustain the course of Congress in bringing Andrew 

 Johnson to the bar of the Senate to answer for his 

 manifold transgressions against the Constitution and 

 the laws, for his degradation of his high office, and for 

 his attempt to stir up discord in the country by deny- 

 ing the constitutionality of the legislative branch of 

 the Government, and that, in case he be removed by 

 the Senate, we are satisfied that the Republicans of the 

 country can repose the utmost confidence in the pat- 

 riotism of the Hon. Benjamin F. Wade and the faith- 

 ful execution by him of the Constitution and the laws. 



In addition to these, a resolution was offered 

 by Dr. Wilmer, of Charles County, with a mo- 

 tion that it be appended to the series reported 

 by the committee. It was in these words : 



tion 



vention recommend the adoption of a platform by 

 that convention, which shall distinctly and emphat- 

 ically announce that the Republican party of the na- 

 tion adhere to impartial manhood suffrage as a car- 

 dinal principle of the party, and that they shall ad- 

 vocate it both in theory and principle throughout the 

 Union. 



This resolution was rejected, and Dr. Wil- 

 mer retired from the convention. The rejec- 

 tion of this resolution and the exclusion of col- 

 ored men from the primary meetings and cau- 

 cuses of the party produced considerable dis- 

 satisfaction, and it was determined by some of 

 the Republican leaders to repudiate the action 

 of the convention of the 6th of March, and call 

 another to meet on the 6th of May. Ex-Gov- 

 ernor Thomas declared that the first convention 



was, in his "humble judgment, a wretched 

 failure, inasmuch as the whole time of the con- 

 vention seemed to be occupied in the nomina- 

 tion of officers to positions which no well-in- 

 formed man expects any one of the nominees 

 will be elected to fill, instead of organizing a 

 party for the overthrow, by constitutional and 

 legal means, of that engine of tyranny and op- 

 pression, the anti-republican constitution of 

 Maryland." It was furthermore claimed that 

 the convention had assumed a position hostile 

 to the doctrines and principles of the party, and 

 had ignored the right of colored men to parti- 

 cipate in primary meetings. The expectation 

 that colored men, although not voters, would 

 be allowed to take part in such meetings and 

 aid in shaping the policy and course of the 

 party, seems to have been founded on the share 

 which they had taken in attempting to organ- 

 ize a movement to defeat the constitution in 

 1867. That movement having failed, it was 

 claimed by the majority of Republicans that it 

 had given the negroes no right to take part in 

 deliberations which were intended to form a 

 basis for the action of qualified voters only. 

 "The Bolters' Convention " was, however, held 

 on the 6th of May, and claimed to represent 

 those " in favor of impartial manhood suffrage." 

 Seventeen counties were represented (out of 

 twenty-three), and nearly half the delegates 

 were negroes. Judge Bond was chosen presi- 

 dent, and four vice-presidents were elected, one 

 of whom was a colored man. A full delega- 

 tion to the Chicago Convention was appointed, 

 and an electoral ticket for the State chosen. 

 An address was adopted setting forth the ob- 

 jects of the convention, and condemning the 

 course of that of the 6th of March, and the ac- 

 tion of the State Central Committee. 



A Soldiers and Sailors' Convention was held 

 on the 22d of April, for the purpose of sending 

 forty delegates to take part in the Soldiers and 

 Sailors' National Convention at Chicago, on 

 the 19th of May. The sentiments of this body 

 on the political issues of the year were ex- 

 pressed in the following resolutions : 



Whereas, A call was issued at an informal meeting 

 of the Grand Army of the Republic, held in Philadel- 

 phia in January last, requesting the soldiers and 

 sailors of the United States to assemble in convention 

 at the city of Chicago on the 19th day of May, 1868, for 

 the purpose of securing, by all honorable means, the 

 nomination of General Ulysses S. Grant as the candi- 

 date of the Union Republican party for the next Presi- 

 dent, as the only effective method of securing a rec- 

 ognition of our just claims for past service, and 

 which have been so often ignored by pretended 

 friends; and 



Whereas, This convention has assembled, in pur-- 

 suance of said call to select, delegates to said conven- 

 tion : therefore, be it 



Resolved, That we recognize in General U. S. Grant 

 a brave and tried soldier, whose services during the 

 late war demand for him the affection and respect of 

 all loyal people, and we believe him to be a wise and 

 prudent statesman, qualified for the position of Presi- 

 dent of the United States. 



Resolved, That this convention instruct the dele- 

 gates elected to the National Soldiers and Sailors' Con- 

 vention, to be held in Chicago, to express the unani- 



