|
|
|
bringing forward everything which they thought could
reflect credit on them. They claimed things which were
not true. A lady had sent him a book which was used
in the public schools of this State, in which it is stated
that Rhode Island was the first State where religious tol-
eration prevailed. This was a lie. Every one knew that
Maryland was settled three years before Rhode Island,
and that religious -toleration was established here, but
they had no means of correcting it. Charles Sumner had
said that a slave had never been born on the soil of Mas-
sachusetts, and this was a miserable lie. He would read
from a history of the settlement of Massachusetts, giving
an account of proceedings on the bench in that State rela-
tive to slaves born there.
Mr. Brown agreed with the gentleman who had last
spoken that the records of the early history of the State
should be collected and preserved, but thought with the
gentleman from Prince George's, (Mr. Lee, ) that the
State should not go into the matter; it should be left to
individual effort. He thought the researches of the Mary-
land Historical Society would accomplish all that could be
expected.
Mr. Carter explained, the reasons which had induced
the committee to report this provision. There were many
records which were of more importance than in a historical
point of view, relating to the boundaries of counties, &c.,
and many of the old documents here were being constant-
ly mutilated and carried off by antiquaries for the want
of some proper person to preserve them. The compensa-
tion of the commissioner was not to be increased, but this
was only added to his duties.
Mr. Jones thought the Maryland Historical Society
would be able to do all that was necessary in this matter,
and he hoped that every Marylander would feel it his
duty to send every scrap of paper bearing on our early
history which he had in his possession. His friend from
Allegany, (Mr. McKaig, ) had referred to the record of the
council of safety in Washington county during the revo-
lutionary war. He (Mr. J. ) had never heard of this paper,
but he wondered that Mr. McMahon, in his History of
Maryland, had not mentioned it, or that it had not been
brought to his attention. He (Mr. J. ) had read a letter
376
|
|
|
|
 |
