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under the auspices of the federal government, guarded
by bayonets, and actuated by nothing but hatred towards
the slaveholder.
He was willing to vote with the committee "that slavery
shall not be permitted, " because that was a dead issue;
but when it comes to this it was no dead issue, but one of
living, vital importance, which the people of the State
would examine carefully. He denied that it was an in-
alienable right, and insisted that it had no place in this
Bill of Rights. If it is an inalienable right, why not say
that every woman may testify? He begged that they
would not, from a subservient spirit, sacrifice the rights
of the people of this State to conciliate that mad party
which will scorn the conciliation.
Mr. Kennedy was disposed to let the question pass upon
this Bill of Rights without regard to its legal effect here-
after, but when they were here to form a constitution for
the people of the State of Maryland, they had to be gov-
erned by some considerations of statesmanship, and look
to the great results to be accomplished. We have found
ourselves in the midst of a mighty revolution, upheaving
the foundations of society. The old landmarks of this
government have been swept away. When this revolu-
tion came, he had, in the public position in which he had
been honored by this State, predicted this result, and the
prediction had become fearful reality. We are not now
living under the protecting aegis of that flag. There is
but a little remnant of American constitutional liberty
left us. This revolution was not yet ended, and he feared
that we may yet go through scenes of horror of which
the days of the French revolution can furnish no coun-
terpart. It becomes us, then, as representatives of a sov-
ereign State of this Union to declare anew those princi-
ples of constitutional liberty upon which rest the founda-
tions of our government. We have a duty to perform to
maintain what we believe to be the true principles of free
government. We are surrounded by circumstances over
which we have no control, and he regarded it to be the
duty of statesmanship to rise equal to the occasion.
He believed that, in view of the circumstances which
surround us, we should adapt ourselves to them, and
adopt such laws as will protect us; and under this view,
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