and behold the gentleman is the only member of
the body who rises, at & most unusual and un-
timely moment, to assail the principle of repre-
senting the slave population. These remarks are
the "first fruits, "of this glowing sentiment of
singular attachment to our peculiar condition '.
Why this "hot haste"? Cannot the gentleman
restrain his hostility, till the report comes up for
discussion ? Then is the appropriate period for
his denunciation. But why should this principle
of representation of the aggregate population be
denounced There was great propriety in adopting
federal numbers in the Constitution of the
United States, because there was some of the
States having no slaves. But as far as relates to
internal regulation, there was no motive or con-
sistency in adopting the principle of federal num-
bers, nor did he fear any sound reason upon
which the gentleman could successfully sustain
his enmity to this feature of the report. He
would be prepared to demonstrate this at the pro-
per period.
Mr. PRESSTMAN said that he took occasion
to remark, preliminarily to the observations
he was about to offer, in reply to the gentleman
from Kent, [Mr. Chambers,] that he had sought
' to evince, at all times, towards that gentleman,
and to every member of that body, the most re-
spectful and courteous consideration. He had.
however, observed, and was compelled so to de-
clare, that he had not always been met in the
same spirit, by the gentleman who had just ad-
dressed the Convention. In answer, sir, to a
plain and simple inquiry, calculated in no degree
to offend the nicest sensibility, he had had a re-
tort made upon him, certainly not very parlia-
mentary ill style or manner.
Mr. CHAMBERS interposing, declared it was
foreign to his wish, to say any thing personal in
its character to the gentleman from Baltimore
city; on the contrary, he was among the last gen-
tlemen, to whom he would evince any unkind-
ness of feeling.
Mr. PRESSTMAN. He did not suppose that the
gentleman had designed to give him personal of-
fence, or to attack his motives. There could not
possibly be such an issue between them. In that
Convention, composed of Maryland gentlemen,
he would be slow to believe that any such inten-
tion would be manifested. But he did mean
to complain and avow that the gentleman from
Kent, both in the manner and matter of his re-
marks, had not extended to him the same frank-
ness and courtesy, which he had invariably mani-
fested, in discussion, with that gentleman, whose
great ability he had so often acknowledged and
whose friendship he highly prized. But enough
of that, sir. He could not say less in justice to
his own sense of propriety.
He had been charged with inconsistency in the
position he had assumed, in reference to the re-
port, and the ground he had occupied when he
submitted a proposition, intended as a full and
complete guaranty to the rights of the slavehold-
ers of Maryland to be secured in their slave-pro-
perty against the possibility of legislative emanci-
pation. Sprung, sir, from a race of slave-hold-

ers, he had been impelled alike by a sense of
feeling and the dictate of stern duty, to offer big
humble aid to guard the institution as it now ex-
ist. But, sir, that course has been looked upon
with suspicion, and forsooth, his independent ac-
tion on that subject has been met, not as it
should have been, as a token of willingness to
dispel ill doubt upon this question, vital as some
seemed to regard it, but strangely converted into
a cause of reproach and mistrust. He could not
say that had he anticipated that an effort so en-
tirely free from selfishness, or the expectation of
personal advantage on his part, would have been
60 misconceived by those who represent the
slave interest upon this floor, he would have
withheld his sentiments and his vote upon that
question, but he would say, that if the gentleman
from Kent, (Mr. Chambers,) was to be regarded
as speaking for that class of delegates, (which,
however, he would not assume,) the unanimous
vote of this body, to sustain the rights of slave
holders, had been most illy deserved.
What, sir, is it inconsistent in a gentleman
upon this floor, to seek to guard the property
of slave holders, as a chattel interest, if, at the
same time, he should refuse to recognize each
and every negro as entitled to be ranked with a
freeman, in establishing the basis of representa-
tion.
Verily, sir, with great deference he would ask,
when will wonders cease, if gentlemen will argue
such a proposition? In the language of Junius,
their "imagination may conceive such a thing,
but where shall we find credulity enough to be-
lieve it."
As he had often said, he now reiterated, that
he had offered that proposition in good faith and
for two reasons—first, because, he thought it was
right in itself, and would be the means of obtain-
ing the confidence of the slave interest; and sec-
ondly, to silence the misrepresentations and
slanders, which had been industriously circulated
to the prejudice of his constituency. Should the
propositions contained in the report of the gen-
tleman from Kent, (Mr. Chambers,) be sustain-
ed, what gentleman could doubt, that the new
Constitution would be indignantly rejected by
more than two-thirds of the freemen of Mary-
land. Our work would then have been in vain,
and the cherished hopes of the people would van-
ish, and a deep gloom would fasten upon their
minds.
Remember, gentlemen in coming to this Con-
vention, composed upon the basis that it is, all
our confidence was placed, not in the power to
demand and enfore our rights, but in the magna-
nimity and sense of common justice, which as
freemen, and above all, as Marylanders, you
would mete out to your common brethren. Sure-
ly you will be able to discard in part, if not alto-
gether, the local prejudices which are said to in-
fluence, more or leaf, each and every man in his
modes of thinking and acting; and if you are pre-
pared to deny the equality of rights and privil-
eges to each citizen of Maryland, which are now
enjoyed in almost every State in the republic,
you will honor yourselves by extending the olive