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section which was interested in this matter? Was the
man who owned one slave less to be considered than the
man who lost a hundred? The gentleman from Charles,
(, Mr. Stoddert, ) had told them that the people voted down
the constitution of 1864, and it was fastened upon them
by the will of one man. Why, then, should the people of
Maryland be called on to pay for this property ? Because
he had lost some slaves was he to demand payment from
his neighbor who had none?
The gentleman from Prince George's who had first
spoken (Mr. Lee) based his figment of an argument
upon the fact that the Governor had proclaimed the con-
stitution adopted, when it was defeated; that the procla-
mation was not true, and therefore the provision taking
this property was not lawful. But because the Governor
was recreant to his trust, recreant to the constitution of
the State, recreant to the constitution of the United
States, that was no reason for this claim. Why were
they powerless to resist the wrong? Because they had
to yield to the law of force, and they had to yield now
the same as then. There had been no contract by the
State of Maryland to make restitution for the despoil-
ment. He (Mr. C. ) had suffered much personally by the
agents of the government, regular and irregular, but he
claimed no redress from his neighbor.
Mr. Marbury replied to the arguments of Mr. Car-
michael, and maintained that as the State promised to
protect and defend the rights and property of her citizens,
it was a contract to compensate them for the robbery
which had been committed upon them by the rump con-
vention of 1864. To go into the matter of dollars and
cents, it would not cost the State of Maryland one dollar
to pay for the slaves.
How was it now ? The hammer of the sheriff was now
heard in every nook and corner of Southern Maryland;
their houses were dilapidated, their barns tumbling down,
their dear old churches going to pieces, and even their
graveyards were left open to the herds. Those people
looked with streaming eyes to this Convention for relief.
But he was met with the cry that it will cost too much
money, that the men who are worth millions will not be
able to pay it. If the money which was now sent to New
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