444 



MARYLAND. 



ary, an irregular State Convention was held at 

 Baltimore, in which most of the counties in the 

 State were represented. Its object was to take 

 into consideration the position of Maryland in 

 reference to the national difficulties, and its 

 deliberations resulted in an address and a series 

 of resolutions. 



The action proposed was simply to wait. 

 The resolutions asserted that a full and fair ex- 

 pression of the popular will was most likely to 

 be had by a Convention called on the recom- 

 mendation of the Governor, and that, as it was 

 asserted that the Governor would, by proclama- 

 tion, authorize such a movement in the event 

 of a failure upon the part of Congress and the 

 Peace Conference, to adopt any satisfactory 

 plan of compromise, the Convention approved 

 that purpose, and adjourned until the 12th of 

 March, to await the Governor's action ; unless, 

 intermediately, the State of Virginia should se- 

 cede, when the Convention was to be immediate- 

 ly reassembled at the call of its President. If 

 the Governor declined to call a " Sovereign " 

 Convention previous to the 12th of March, then 

 the Convention would at once recommend to 

 the people to proceed to the election of dele- 

 gates to such a Convention. 



This Convention reassembled again on the 

 12th of March, in reduced numbers. The re- 

 sult of its action was simply a negation of the 

 necessity for any movement on the part of' 

 Maryland at that time. The Convention fur- 

 ther resolved that the proposition for a Con- 

 ference among the Southern Border States, by 

 delegates deriving authority from the people, 

 would meet the approval of Maryland, and ap- 

 pointed a committee to visit the Virginia Con- 

 vention and express to them that assurance. 

 Those of the delegates who desired to go farther 

 than was proposed by the report of the Com- 

 mittee on Resolutions, submitted amendments, 

 declaring that all attempts upon the part of the 

 Government to " reoccupy, repossess, or re- 

 take " any forts or any other property within 

 the limits of the seceded States, would be acts 

 of war, and that such acts would absolve Mary- 

 land and the Border States from all connection 

 with the United States. These amendments 

 were opposed, as in reality opening the way to 

 secession, and as initiating a programme that 

 would not be sanctioned by the people of Mary- 

 land. Finally the subject was postponed. 



Movements were also commenced for the or- 

 ganization of a Union party in the State. At 

 a public meeting held at Frederick, a State 

 Convention to be held on the 2d May, was 

 recommended to form a Union party. 



The assault on Fort Sumter made no changes 

 in the Governor's views. He still contended 

 that Maryland should maintain the same posi- 

 tion of devotion to the Union and the Constitu- 

 tion that she had held throughout this period 

 of national trouble. Secession was no remedy 

 for any wrongs complained of, and in the case 

 of Maryland especially would be an aggravation 

 of them all, with the accompaniment of civil 



strife among her own citizens, bringing ruin to 

 all her varied commercial and agricultural in- 

 terests. The election for members of Congress 

 would give a fair opportunity for a test of the 

 sentiment of the State on the question of seces- 

 sion, and there was no doubt that it would 

 be conducted on the issue of " Union " or 

 " Disunion." 



To the proclamation of the President and 

 the requisition for a quota of troops from Mary- 

 land, the Governor replied by stating the posi- 

 tion of affairs in the State, and issued the fol- 

 lowing proclamation : 



To the People of Maryland : 



The unfortunate state of affairs now existing in the 

 country has greatly excited the people of Maryland. 



In consequence of our peculiar position it is not to 

 be expected that the people of this State can unani- 

 mously agree upon the best mode of preserving the 

 honor and integrity of the State, and of maintaining 

 within her limits that peace so earnestly desired by ail 

 good citizens. 



The emergency is great. The consequences of a 

 rash step will be fearful. It is the imperative duty of 

 every true son of Maryland to do all that can tend to 

 arrest the threatened evil. 



I therefore counsel the people, in all earnestness, to 

 withhold their hands from whatever may tend to pre- 

 cipitate us into the gulf of discord and ruin gaping to 

 receive us. I counsel the people to abstain from all 

 heated controversy upon the subject ; to avoid all 

 things that tend to crimination and recrimination ; to 

 believe that the origin of our evil day may well be for- 

 gotten now by every patriot in the earnest desire to 

 avert from us its fruit. 



All powers vested in the Governor of the State will 

 be strenuously exerted to preserve the peace and main- 

 tain inviolate the honor and integrity of Maryland. 



I call upon the people to obey the laws, and to aid 

 the constituted authorities in their endeavors to pre- 

 serve the fair fame of our State untarnished. 



I assure the people that no troops will be sent from 

 Maryland, unless it may be for the defence of the Na- 

 tional Capital. 



It is my intention in the future, as it has been my 

 endeavor in the past, to preserve the people of Mary- 

 land from civil war; and I invoke the assistance of 

 every true and loyal citizen to aid me to this end. 



The people of this State will, in a short time, have 

 the opportunity afforded them in a special election for 

 members of the Congress of the United States to ex- 

 press their devotion to the Union or their desire to sea 

 it broken up. THOMAS H. HICKS, 



Governor of Maryland. 



BALTIMORE, April 18, 1861. 



The exciting events at Baltimore on the 19th 

 of April, produced greater impression in the 

 neighborhood of that city than elsewhere in 

 the State. (See BALTIMORE.) The object of 

 the Governor was to gain time. He had thus 

 far opposed a session of the Legislature, under 

 a conviction that a majority of the members 

 were in favor of secession, and desired to place 

 the State in antagonism to the Federal Govern- 

 ment. Under the excitement produced by the 

 events at Baltimore, the Senator from that 

 county, Coleman Gellott, after advising with 

 the Board of Police Commissioners, and being 

 instigated by the more prominent secessionists, 

 issued, without a shadow of lawful authority, 

 a proclamation for an assembling of the Legis- 

 lature at Baltimore. That would have placed 

 that body in the midst of the largest and most 



