They have in June last, when they knew, (as
well as they could know any fact of future, but
certain occurrence,) that the canal would be
completed and go into operation last autumn;
they have appointed as the directors of the canal
company, (who are in point of fact nothing more
nor less than the agents or guardians of the
rights and interests of the State,) six persons,
which number constitutes the board of directors,
two of whom reside in the cities heretofore em-
braced by the District of Columbia, neither of
which cities now own one dollar of stock in the
canal company, one in Allegany county, one in
Washington and one in Frederick county, each
of the two latter residing about six or eight miles
from the canal, and one in the city of Baltimore,
for some years engaged in the coal business, but
now, as I am informed, engaged as superintend-
ants to erect a monument at Cumberland, in Al-
legany county, to commemorate the glorious
event of the completion of the Chesapeake and
Ohio canal. Thus five-sixths of this board of
directors, if they have any interest in the places
in which they reside (which no body can doubt)
have interests of great importance, directly an-
tagonistic to those of the State; and they would
be immensely benefitted, if the State were
not to receive one dollar from the tolls of the
canal, its only source of income. Nay, the District
cities, Allegany county, and those parts of
Washington and Frederick counties, lying in the
vicinity of the canal, would derive incalculable
benefits, if the canal were a public highway, free
of all tolls. And it would not be represented
for the first time, if in the town or city of Cum-
berland, as a commentary, by a distinguished
citizen of that place, upon a remark, as to what
the State would receive from the tolls on the
canal: "why the State does not expect to receive
any thing, does it?" And this, too, from one
who ought to understand the opinions and ex-
pectations of the people of Allegany, upon the
subject. For such an appointment of directors
of the Chesapeake and Ohio canal company, if
all other reasons were wanting, I think there is
sufficient cause for withdrawing these appoint-
ments from the present State's agents. For any
act of similar indiscretion or error of judgment,
any prudent judiciary principal would discharge
his agent, however confiding he might be in the
purity of his intentions.
But there is another ground why, in his opin-
ion, the change ought to be made. Three out of
five of the State's agents from their locali-
ties are so identified with the interests of the
canal and the district cities, that he had no hope
that all election of canal directors of adifferent
character would ever be made by them. The
long intercourse, association, sympathies and
concert of action between these agents and direc-
tors, leaves no room to hope for a change in the
directors of the canal company, but by achange
of the board of appointment. In this belief he
was the more firmly convinced, by the effort of
his friend to explain the grounds of the election
complained of) in which he stated that one of the |
directors, who resided in Alexandria, had been
of immense importance to the board, and proba-
bly that the canal would never have been com-
pleted, but for his aid in suggesting the mode and
means by which money could be borrowed, where
otherwise, perhaps it could not have been ob-
tained. If directors are to be sought amongst
those only who were instrumental or useful in
the construction or completion of the canal, there
is no reason to hope, without a change in the
present State's agents, for the appointment of
such a board of directors, as the interests or the
State imperatively demand, should be invested
with the control of the destinies of the canal com-
pany, But ought any such reason, since the
completion of the canal, to influence the agents
of the State of Maryland, in the appointment of
a director ? He thought not. Living in one of
the district cities, he made no sacrifices for the
benefit of the State, or even of the company but
acting for his own advantage and that of his fellow
citizens of the district, to them he must look
for his reward, not to the State of Maryland,
It is, however, said that the legislature is the
proper tribunal to apply the corrective, it is for
them to appoint other State agents. There was
no hope of relief from that source. The agents
were elected by the concurrent vote of both
branches of the General Assembly, and if they
differed in political sentiments, as most probably
they would do, such a change was out of the
question; and even if the two branches were both
of the whig party, he should regard it as an ef-
fort of a wild and inexperienced politician, where
defeat in the House of Delegates was morally
certain. Look at the high characters and great
political influence of the State's agents, and the
directors of the, canal company, three of each of
which are now members of this Convention, and
ask yourselves if for one moment you can be in-
duced to believe that the majority of the whigs
of the House of Delegates, could be prevailed
upon to turn out office, "at a single dash," nine
of their must influential and active whig friends
backed as they would be, by such a numerous
and indefatigable band of adherents as would
rally around them. And this too, according to
the political system of the present day, must be
the act of a party caucus. He who has served
in the Legislature, and has faith enough to be-
lieve in the success of such an effort, will never
find his credulity too heavily taxed. He had
served in the General Assembly, about four
years from the city of Baltimore, and several
years from Anne Arundel, his native county,
would as soon believe that we were about to
catch larks by the sky's failing.
He wished it to be distinctly understood, that
he meant not, either in what he had said or might
hereafter say, to impute to the State's agents, or
the directors of the canal company, the slightest
intentional departure from the highest sense of
honor, morality or duty; personally and by repu-
tation he knew them all too well for a moment
to harbor such a suspicion. But he knew they
were not superhuman, or exempt from the influ-
ence of preconceived prejudices of interest, of |
