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timore is to unite with their brethren of the counties to pre-
serve the ancient landmarks of the fathers, to ensure equal
laws and justice to all, and by moderate counsels and pru-
dent legislation to lay anew the foundations of prosperity
for our good old State.
It is for you to say what shall be done under the act of
the Legislature for calling a Constitutional Convention,
and in so doing you should be firm and confident. The
right is clear and undoubted, and no consequences need
be considered but such as concern a change in the form of
your State organization.
No intention exists to engraft any but well-tried and
wise provisions upon your organic law, and the able rep-
resentatives you will select, should you decide to call a
convention, will doubtless watch well the rights and in-
terests of the citizen. Standing, as we do, upon the plat-
form of the wise and great, the lovers and fathers of the
government, we shall seek to follow them hi the safe paths
pointed out by the charter of our common liberties. You
cannot be too firm—you cannot be too bold—you cannot
be too prudent; consider well the questions before you
choose the right, and wherever that may lead you, follow
with confidence. The union of Democrats and Conserva-
tives should be fostered by considerations of a common in-
terest and a common object. Nothing now divides them,
but each day adds new strength to the cords that unite all
good men in the struggle against wrong and oppression.
It cannot be long until returning justice will turn the
hearts of the people to each other, and an era of good
feeling shall freshly cement the sacred bonds of union
and fraternity.
To the hands of the people of Maryland, irrespective of
party, this delightful duty has been largely confided; it
is no ordinary undertaking and its responsibilities cannot
be overrated. To free the community from the pressure
of political despotism, the taint of partisan proscription
and the vortex of anarchy are the duties of the hour. The
circle of States are spectators of our courage and patriot-
ism, ready to wheel into line to achieve the common aim
of popular government. We should therefore approach
this grave and momentous subject with no narrow spirit of
the partisan, but should at once eschew all lines of political
demarcation and frown down all schemes of mere personal
aggrandisement. It is the people's cause, the people's re-
ward—to them it is entrusted, and to them belongs the re-
sponsibility. The Conservatives and Democrats, therefore,
fully alive to the magnitude of the issue, have come to the
rescue—no longer two parties, but one—and thus united
merge themselves into the great body of the people, and
earnestly invite, entreat and conjure all good citizens, of
whatsoever creed, to rally for the State and the Union.
We invoke all such by the memory of the immortal dead,
by the inborn reverence of Americans for the federal con-
stitution, by the heroic and stainless history of our gal-
lant State, to join with us in ignoring all platforms save
the regeneration of our ancient commonwealth, that the
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