trifle. The Republic is on its trial for its life ;
and I say, black is the heart of the man who
cannot say vincit amor patriae—the man who
will stand afar off and tremble amid the
storm of war, or find fault with the govern-
ment under whose broad and ample protec-
tion he stands. I cannot conceive what
would be our circumstances were the Ameri-
can Republic to be once blotted out. I know
no other nation as mine. I feel no squeam-
ish feelings with regard to Maryland. De-
stroy the Government of the United States
and I have no government. I would then
be a wanderer in the land, and must
wait until anarchy resolves itself into some
substantial form in which I can make my
selection, if I have such a privilege af-
forded me. Once blot out the American Re-
public, and destroy this great central life
which now pervades the people of all these
States; blot out this great central sun, and
no one can imagine the consequences, from
the tremendous forces left to act unrestrained
by legitimate channels. Once let loose, col-
liding and running in fierce encounter, and it
will crush and destroy all that was once
beautiful and sublime. The heart sinks in
contemplating such a scene.
Then, sir, I would say here, in an ex-
tremity like this, and it is especially ap-
plicable to the people of Maryland: Tem-
pora mutantur et nos mutamur in illis. To the
Union men of Maryland I would say that
our liberties, and all the best interests of our
children depend upon the success of the
American Republic. We are determined in
the State of Maryland to adhere to it, and to
say that Maryland is fixed and firm within
the bounds of fidelity to the Government of
the United States.
I shall vote for the article now before us,
because I have no sqeamishness with reference
to this word " paramount." The fact that it
has been used before, that it originated in
feudal times or any other times, with refer-
ence to allegiance, amounts to nothing, so
far as I am concerned. All words had their
origin in some peculiarities at the time of
their formation. We use the term to signify
obedience, faith, obligation, fealty to the
supreme government , rendered necessary by
the condition of things as they are; and I
shall vote for it for Maryland.
I shall now refer to the same thing that was
referred to in the introductory part of this
debate, in comparing the United States with
the solar system, Maryland is the nearest
planet to the great central orb. She revolves
the nearest to the great heart of the Republic.
It becomes her therefore to have her shield
brilliant and bright, and to have her gar-
ments pure and beautiful while she revolves
around that centre, that she may he in this
hour of peril the first brilliant example to her
sister States in the Union. I shall vote for
the article, that she may be enhanced in bril- |
liancy, and that the report may go abroad
that Maryland, the nearest the heart of the
Republic, has get an example worthy of the
imitation of her sister States.
[Demonstrations of applause promptly
checked by the President.]
Mr. BERRY, of Prince George's. When I
cane here to take my seat in this body, I came
with great reluctance, not only on account of
my own private affairs at home, but because
I knew that the party with which I should
act in this body, was so far in the minority
that we could not hope for an instant to ac-
complish any good for our people. Ever
since I took my seat in this Convention I
have been gratified with the course of gentle-
men upon the other side. I came here not
to instruct but to be instructed, and I think
there has not been a more attentive listener
than myself to the proceedings of this Con-
vention, I acknowledge in the majority of
this body that courtesy which should always
characterize majorities of deliberative bodies
in their treatment of minorities. I have been
gratified, as must have been every member of
this Convention, at the proper observance of
the rules of courtesy from one member to-
wards another.
I have not only been gratified in that, hot
as I have said, I have been instructed since I
have been here. I came here almost a novice
in governmental affairs. I came here to be
instructed; that instruction I have received,
and I shall return home perhaps a wiser man.
A great deal has been said about the time
that has been occupied in discussing this
question. If gentlemen would recollect the
importance of the subject, time would be no
consideration. They would gladly spend
weeks, nay, months, in elucidating a question
go important to the preservation of the insti-
tutions under which we live. Time should
not be taken into consideration when we are
debaling upon questions so vitally affecting
the interests of the people. I appreciate time
as much as any man. I know full well the
value of a day. As a great English poet
said;
"I've lost a day, the man that nobly said,
Had been anemperor, wothout a crown."
But, sir, in discussing a question of this
vital importance, it is due to the question,
and it is due to the body which has it under
consideration, that we should give it a full,
free and fair hearing; without that, we shall
not have discharged our duty, either to the
State or to the immediate constituency whom
we represent upon this floor.
I had hoped that the chairman of this
committee, (Mr. Stirling,) who, I am sorry
to see, is not now in his seat, would have
opened this debate, that we might bear from
him why it was necessary to make so import-
ant a change in our organic law as this arti-
cle of the bill of rights proposes. I supposed |
