Later, in our second and present capital, Annapolis, at the time of the
French and Indian War, our Assembly again defended the principle of
self-government. The Governor, appointed by a lord proprietor living in
England, wanted special powers over the war chest funds. The Assembly
replied that it would contend against the enemies of the mother country,
as was its duty, but that it would not surrender its own rights and powers
in so doing. Now here was recorded another milestone in the history of
Maryland.

Then we come to the Revolution, when the 140-year old colonial
government was abolished. A new American government had to be
set up. The people recognized the need, they themselves swept the
colonial system away. But always let us remember they kept their elected
General Assembly. They even called it by the same name. And it is
noteworthy here, I think, that after the people had disowned the
colonial system, but still before they had set up their own, in an interim
that lasted months, they lived with that respect for law that is only to be
found in democratic societies, where law is an expression of the people's
temperament, not a force imposed. They had no crimes or lawlessness.
There were no enforcement agencies—and there was perfect order. Such
was the appreciation of government that had developed in our State. It
has been said that there is nothing like that period in the history of
modern times.

When the new American General Assembly met, it added, in its
very first session, a glory to be set beside the record of the old colonial
body, for it passed a resolution in defense of the free press, a milestone
in human progress like the defense of religious freedom. Our Maryland
General Assembly did this, I would remind you, ten years before the
federal Congress adopted the Bill of Rights. It was in 1777. And then,
with our national independence won, and our federal union begun,
Maryland played the conscientious member of the family of states by
contributing greatly to the general welfare. In 1789 it advanced a loan of
$72, 000 to the President of the United States, to be used for national
purposes. In 1791 it received a plea from President Washington for
$100, 000 to be used in constructing the first public buildings the nation
was to possess. There was no money in the treasury for the purpose,
Washington confessed, and the credit of the United States was so low
that no one would make a loan. The Maryland General Assembly
voted the money. Having given the land for the new national capital, it
proceeded to finance the new national buildings. Such has been the
record.

And so the road leads on to Frederick, where the time-tried loyalty of

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