MARYLAND. 



447 



could not participate in such proceedings." 

 The Mayor of Baltimore stated that the I 

 of the Governor was unequivocal ; to this is 

 added certificates of the Marshal and Police 

 Commissioners. 



The House passed, by vote of ayes 43, noes 

 -cries of strong resolutions, condemning 

 the war and the military occupation of the 

 State. 



On the 14th both Houses adjourned, to meet 

 again in the city of Frederick, on the 4th pf June. 

 They previously adopted, as a compromise, a 

 resolution providing for a committee of eight 

 members, (four from each House,) to visit the 

 President of the United States and the Presi- 

 dent of the Southern Confederacy, and to lay 

 before them the report of resolutions of the 

 Committee of the Legislature on Federal Rela- 

 tions. The manner in which this committee 

 discharged their duties was reported at the 

 next session. On the 5th of June, the four 

 members of the committee on the part of the 

 House, submitted their report, in which they 

 say: 



" The manifest purpose of those resolutions 

 was, in the opinion of your committee, to se- 

 cure, if possible, through the instrumentality of 

 Maryland, peace to our disturbed country ; and if 

 failing in that, then a cessation of hostilities on 

 the part of the armies of the Federal and Con- 

 federate troops until Congress should express 

 its opinion on the subjects which now agitate 

 the people. The purposes being defeated by 

 the movement of Federal troops in Virginia, 

 and an actual commencement of hostilities, we 

 have considered our mission as ended, and 

 therefore have not felt authorized, on the part 

 of the sovereign State of 'Maryland, to present 

 a request which has in advance been repudiated. 

 The dignity of the State as well as self-respect 

 seemed to demand this of ns." 



The Commissioners appointed to visit Presi- 

 dent Davis, received from bun a letter. (See 

 CONFEDERATE STATES.) 



Nothing was done to make any change in 

 the state of affairs at this session. The move- 

 ment of Virginia State troops to Harper's Ferry 

 and upon the Maryland side of the river, led to 

 the concentration of Union forces in their neigh- 

 borhood. A kind of border warfare took place, 

 which, although not marked by any large or 

 vigorous skirmishes, was, nevertheless, for 

 months destructive to the peace and prosperity 

 of the inhabitants. Forces moved from Cham- 

 bersburg. in Pennsylvania, to the neighborhood 

 of Harper's Ferry. Western troops, under Gen. 

 McClellan, with many brilliant skirmishes, ad- 

 vanced to Cumberland. The transportation of 

 the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was entirely 

 suspended, and great destruction was made of 

 their property. This state of affairs continued 

 throughout the year. 



When the destruction of the railroad and of 

 the Chesapeake canal property commenced, the 

 principal officer of the latter corporation visited 

 the Confederate camp at Harper's Ferry, to en- 



deavor to stop it. He reached Dam No. 4, 

 near Williamsport, while a skirmish was going 

 on between the Mary landers and the Virginians 

 the latter endeavoring to destroy the dam, 

 and the former to defend it. lie crossed the 

 river under a flag of truce, and demanded to be 

 taken to Harper's Ferry. An escort of twelve 

 men was furnished, who conducted him to Gen. 

 Johnston, the commander of the Confederate 

 forces. He remonstrated against the destruc- 

 tion of the dams, boats, and other property of 

 the company, claiming that they were the prop- 

 erty of Mary landers, and should" be exempt from 

 seizure and destruction. Gen. Johnston replied 

 that his orders were positive to destroy all prop- 

 erty that could in any way be made to benefit 

 the United States forces, and that it was use- 

 less to talk of the property belonging to Mary- 

 land. He should therefore obey his instruc- 

 tions, and destroy every thing that he could 

 reach. 



The election for members of Congress, early 

 in June, was a complete triumph for the friends 

 of the Union. Not an advocate of the South- 

 ern Confederacy was elected throughout the 

 State. 



The movement of troops, as already stated, 

 from Chambersburg, in Pennsylvania, towards 

 Harper's Ferry, took place early in June, and 

 on the 18th, the force arrived at Hagerstown 

 and Williamsport, comprising the Pennsylvania 

 First, Second, Third, Seventh, Eleventh, Thir- 

 teenth, and Twency-fourth Regiments, together 

 with the First Rhode Island, two regiments of 

 TJ. S. Regulars, and seven hundred U. S. Cav- 

 alry. The next day, a division of the troops 

 under Gen. Cadwallader was ordered across 

 the Potomac, and pressed forward towards 

 Martinsburg. 



The Legislature continued to hold short ses- 

 sions, adjourning from time to time. At the 

 session ending June 25, an effort had been 

 made to pass an act of amnesty for the benefit 

 of those who participated in the riot'of April 

 19th. The following is a section of this act : 



SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of 

 Maryland, That all the courts, public officers, and 

 Grand Jury, are hereby forbidden to prosecute or punish 

 any person concerned in the aforesaid affray with the 

 somiers in the City of Baltimore on the H<th of April 

 last, or for any offence arising from or growing out of 

 said affray, or in any way connected therewith. 



It failed to pass. A joint resolution was, 

 however, passed, directing the Governor to re- 

 turn the State arms to the companies that he 

 had disarmed, also a bill to suspend proceedings 

 on the bonds of officers of companies for the 

 return of arms. 



The Legislature again assembled, after adjourn- 

 ment, on" the 31st of July. In the Senate a pre- 

 amble and resolution was offered setting forth 

 that, in view of the almost unanimous declara- 

 tion of Congress, that the present war was not 

 being waged to subjugate the South, but only 

 to assert the supremacy of the Constitution, the 

 people of Maryland ought not to heed the in- 



