"Proceed with your work," &c, Reg. of
Debates, page 663.
Mr. RIDGELY suggested that as this bad
already once appeared in the debates it should
not be repeated, and
The PRESIDENT accordingly instructed the
reporter to simply refer to it.
Mr. HARWOOD, I wish to say by way of
personal explanation, that the gentleman
from Baltimore city (Mr. Stockbridge) is
right in saying that I united with several
gentlemen in a memorial to Governor Hicks;
and that it may be seen whether he is right
in saying that I signed it as a Southern rights
man, I will read that memorial. I will say.
however, for myself, that when I signed it I
did apprehend and fear an aggression on
Southern rights; and I to-day realize my
fears of Massachusetts aggression on Mary-
land rights. I wish this memorial to go
upon the record, and therefore I will read it:
" To His Excellency, Thomas B. Hicks, Gov-
ernor of Maryland:
"The undersigned, citizens of Maryland,
would respectfully suggest to your Excel-
lency, that the Legislate me of the State should
be forthwith convened, to consider of the
present momentous crisis in the affairs of our
country and to provide, if practicable, some
remedy for the threatened danger. Already
South Carolina may be considered to have
severed the ties which bound her to the Fed-
eral Union, and other States are manifestly
preparing to follow the lead of South Caro-
lina, so that, without some restraining cause,
the Government framed by the wisdom of
our fathers, and to which we of Maryland
have been taught to look as the palladium of
our own and the hope of liberty to the world,
will have been destroyed belore the regular
session of the Legislature, and consequently
before Maryland can speak by her constituted
authorities upon a subject so vital to her and
to her people.
" We think that Maryland, by her geo-
graphical petition, and by her friendly rela-
tions with all her sister States, has, above all
others at this lime the right to speak. She
has the right to say to her Northern sisters—
we are upon your BORDER=0; and not withstanding
your non-observance of the guarantees of
the Constitution, and the consequent loss of
property by us, we have been faithful to the
Constitution. We could say to them that we
fully appreciate the blessings which have
flowed from the establishment of the Union,
and that we understand the evils which
would follow its dissolution. We have the
Tight to demand of them that they will each,
at once, proclaim their intention forever
hereafter to abide by the Constitution; that
they will say to their Southern brethren that
hereafter they will punish their own citizens
for any violation of the constitutional com-
pact by them; that they will hereafter com- |
pensate their fellow citizens of the other States
for all property lost by reason of the non-
observance by .their citizens of the Constitu-
tion and laws of the Federal Government.
"Whilst Maryland would have the right
thus to appeal to her Northern sisters, she
would have the right to speak still more po-
tentially to her sister States of the South—
she should say to them, that they should re-
member that Maryland stands between them
and danger; that they should not, without
consultation with Maryland and the other
slave States who have heretofore stood the
brunt of Northern aggression, precipitate a
dissolution of the Union—that they should
remember that the secession from the Union
of the extreme Southern States would place
the BORDER=0 slave States in the unenviable at-
titude of being forced lo chouse, without
consultation and beyond their control, either
to remain in political affinity with the non-
slaveholding States, without the protection
which their association with the whole South
affolds to all, or to follow in their steps and
break up the Government of the United
States.
" The people of Maryland would have the
right lo demand of .her Southern sisters that
they should pause in their proposed action
until, by a convention of all the States, or
otherwise, it can be ascertained :
" 1st. Whether all the States will guarantee
to each protection from future sectional
agitation.
" 2d. The absolute and efficient protection
of the peculiar property of the South, and all
the rights in reference there to guaranteed by
the Constitution of the United States.
" It must be apparent to your Excellency
that whilst the Legislature of Virginia, and
most of the other States are about to assem-
ble, that it is not only the right, but the duty
of Maryland, to speak by her constituted au-
thorities in this calamitous position of our
common country; and, in the opinion of the
undersigned, it would be derogatory to the
honor of our State, if she should alone permit
this momentous question to be decided, with-
out her voice being heard, and without an
effort on her part to avert the impending
danger.
" We therefore, most respectfully, but ur-
gently press upon your Excellency the pro-
priety, and, as we think, the necessity of
calling forthwith a special session of the
Legislature,
(Signed, ) '' THOMAS G. PRATT,
" SPRIGG HARWOOD,
" J. S. FRANKLIN,
" N.H. GREEK,
" LEWELLYN BOYLE,
" J. PINKNEY."
Mr. STOCKBRIDGE. I thank the gentleman
from Anne Arundel (Mr. Harwood) for pro- |
