Newsletter of
The Maryland State Archives
November 8, 1999
Vol. 13, No. 21
www.mdsa.net

Page 2
The Archivists' Bulldog
POLITICAL STATEMENTS IN A COURT FILE 

CHANCERY COURT (Chancery Papers), 1834/05/29, 8903: William Inloes vs. Joseph Ashpaw, John Ashpaw, Thomas Stallings, and Catherine Stallings. AA. Petition to sell Gosnells Chance, Mill Farm, Crouches Forrest. Plat. Recorded (Chancery Record) 153, p. 517.  Accession No: 17,898-8903 [MSA S512-8844]. Located in this court case file is an undated letter that has no relevance to the matter under consideration by the judge. In addition, neither the sender or recipient is given. Based on the
comments about the Know Nothing Party, the letter was probably written after Baltimore City elections in October 1856 or the gubernatorial election in November 1857.

"The Political contest to be decided in November next should be considered as an honourable antagonism, in obedience to law, for the ascendancy of our respective parties. It is an election recognized by the constitution, & regulated by law. No question can arise as to the time, mode, right, & manner of voting, which is provided for by law, and the constitution. The question is as plain as it can be made, & we believe no man is at a loss, or need be at a loss, in the ascertainment of his just rights as an elector. There can be no excuse for those who interrupt, or break up the peace which should ever surround, the sacred precincts of the ballot box. The late election riots cannot be the result of misguided zeal, or sudden elation, or ignorance. We know that in the Know-Nothing American Councils they have been deliberately discussed, & explained, in many cases as before an election, - the Dramatis Personae arranged, and a particular part assigned to each man, or sets of men. 

"Thus one man is to stand at the polls, & challenge every man he thinks to be an alien, though he knows him to be naturalized, & has often voted

Another set of men surround the Polls, and shut out Democrats from the ballot box, while another set[,] the sooner to get rid of them, pierce them with awls. Again another set will take the same men, and vote them in half a dozen wards, & toast of their tact in so doing, & in all these sets, not strange to say, no respectable man, for any one quality that becomes a good citizen is to be found. We judge the future of the Know-Nothing American Party, by its career in the past, & in this connection would call the attention of the people to the significant cry issued from the late convention of the Party - 'Victory or death.' This war cry, ominous as it is, issued from a man who would be Governor. We will do him the honor to give the remark some significance. Without confidence in his party, and in despair of sober reason he appeals to arms, to the appetite for the 'Flesh Pots' under the traitorous resolve to draw the sword upon the heart of the nation - 'The Ballot box.' The appeal must be designedly intended (as otherwise it is imbecile) to inflame passion, to produce undue excitement, & make the Polls the rallying point for a battle field. 

"It is an appeal to all that is base and perverse in human nature - t[w]o ignoble and brutal passions - an appeal to the mob, - ignoring lofty, intellectual qualities, they themselves ignoble, ignobly, appeal to the men of Maryland to quit their useful vocations, and conquer a victory by a resort to arms. 

"The Democrats[,] standing upon the Ramparts of the Constitution, respond, 'take us if you can.' We will have victory - victory by honourable and constitutional means, victory by vigilance, activity, and fortitude, victory sanctioned and upheld by the laws, with respect to all rights, and condemnation of all wrongs. Such a victory makes the Conqueror victorious. The anticipated victory of life over death at the Ballot box, would be more calamitous than many defeats. Yet this is their scheme."


The Archivists' Bulldog 
Page 3
SCHOOL RECORDS FOR TALBOT COUNTY, 1835-1849 
by Pat Melville 

For the years prior to 1865 the Archives has few records concerning schools in Talbot County despite the amount of legislative activity. Talbot was one of the earliest jurisdictions to obtain the authority to levy taxes for education purposes, through an act passed in 1817. The levy court was supposed to appoint seven trustees for the education of poor children in each election district and a county treasurer for school funds. The trustees would divide their district into seven sub districts, allotting one to each trustee. Each trustee would conduct a census of poor children over the age of eight whose parents could not pay tuition and report the results to the levy court which would set the annual levy on the basis $12.00 per child in the census, plus $50.00. Properties assessed for under $200.00 were excluded from the school tax. The levy court would cease this tax when sufficient funds were available from the tax on banks. A student could not be educated from the school fund for more than three years. 

In 1831 the newly created board of county commissioners took over all duties of the levy court. In 1833 the General Assembly amended the law concerning education in Talbot County. The county commissioners would appoint three district school commissioners for each election district. The district commissioners would divide their election district into school districts and arrange for election of trustees where none existed. The passage of another law the next year implies a lack of compliance with existing statutes. If taxable inhabitants of a school district failed to levy a tax or raise money for building or maintaining a school, the county commissioners could impose a tax and appoint trustees to manage the district. Citizens to be taxed were limited to those having children between the ages of six and fourteen and having an annual income of at least $100.00.


RECORD TRANSFERS (continued)

BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS 
    (Proceedings, Tape Recordings) 1997-1998 
        [MSA T1925] 

COMPTROLLER OF THE TREASURY 
    (Accounting Records) 1979-1994 [MSA T226] 
    (Speeches) 1958-1998 [MSA T3132] 

COURT OF APPEALS 
    (BV Opinions) 1994 [MSA T1209] 
    (BV Papers) 1994 [MSA T1218] 
    (Bar Applications)  n.d. [MSA T227] 
    (Miscellaneous Papers) 1992-1995 [MSA T1216] 
    (Miscellaneous Papers, Miscellaneous Docket) 1995
        [MSA T1215] 
    (Name Changes, Attorneys) 1932-1994 [MSA T3130] 
    (Opinions) 1995 [MSA T1217] 
    (Opinions, Miscellaneous Docket) 1995 [MSA T1219] 
    (Out of State Attorneys) 1997 [MSA T228] 
    (Writs of Certiorari) 1997 [MSA T1214]