compensation should be made to certain peo
ple; loyal people. Well, sir, I do not want any-
body else compensated. No one who is not a
good, loyal citizen of the United States has any
title to compensation. He has no right to
hold even what is left to him, unless be is a
loyal man—not one whit. What entitles you
to the protection of the government at all
but your loyalty to the government? What
entitles you to the protection of the govern-
ment, but the understanding that if that gov-
ernment is imperilled you will go to its side
and defend it to the death if necessary? 1:
you are not willing to do that, what business
have you to claim its protection for life, pro-
perty or anything else? I do want loyal men
compensated, and none others. For the man
who is disloyal is not a citizen of the United
States or a citizen of Maryland in the true
sense of the word. He is a denizen, and a
very dangerous one at that. He is an inhabi-
tant, but the sooner he ceases to be an inhabi-
tant the better for the State and the country. I
would have the word "loyal" in every pro-
vision that looked to compensation, either
State or federal. Loyal men have been giving
their voices, their time, their labor, their
blood and their lives for the government, and
the government is bound to protect them.
But if men have not been doing that they
have no shadow of claim against the govern-
ment for protection. I do not myself under-
take to say who are loyal and who are not
loyal. Gentlemen can answer that question
at the bar of their own consciences. I leave
every gentleman to do that for himself. But
I do say that every resolution or provision
looking to compensation by the State or the
general government, that gets my voice and
my vote in its support, must have that word
"loyal" in it.
These complaints, how they do come up to
us daily, almost hourly, from our people
along the. BORDER=0s, saving how they have
suffered. Compensation! Yes, there are
some who do need compensation Here is
one.
"Our State and county were invaded and
desolated by the wooing and earnest entreaties
of Maryland traitors. It is true that in this
county many of them were torn into shreds
but their leaders among them everywhere
were paid in greenbacks for what policy
seemed necessary they should be despoiled
That is the fact. Why, compensation to a
measure was practice by these raiders in Mary-
land a few days ago. But to whom? Just
the other side to what we propose. We say
none but loyal men shall be compensated
They acted out the doctrine that none but
disloyal men should be compensated. Now
that is not my way of thinking, and it will
not be my way of acting. In every resolution
to which I subscribe, looking to this sub-
ject of general compensation, that word |
"loyal" must stand, or I will not give it
my voice or vote. It may be a question now
that gentlemen may just as well take into
consideration, whether the general govern-
ment has not paid enough for slavery, to
make us all anti-compensationists. It has
paid $2,000,000,000 in money; and as my
friend from Kent (Mr. Chambers) has said,
oceans of precious, priceless loyal blood. The
government may think it has compensated
enough for an "institution," if you choose
so to call it, which has rebellion and civil war
and all the horrors which my friend so elo-
quently depicted. It may think it has paid
sufficient in this $2,000,000,000, and oceans
of loyal blood. With that I have nothing to
do.
I cannot say what the general government
will do, or ought to do, or is likely to do, or
what I would ask it to do. But I am saying
what it is my duty to do here in my place to-
day. And I want every gentleman to under-
stand that my vote squares wholly with my
conscience. I do it because I think it right
before God and man, and necessary to be
done. Therefore, after having voted for
emancipation, I shall vote as heartily against
State compensation, I have given a few rear
sons for my course upon this subject; there
are many others.
On motion of Mr. THOMAS,
The convention then took a recess until 8
o'clock, P. M.
EVENING SESSION.
The Convention reassembled at 8 o'clock,
P.M.
The roll was called, and the following mem-
bers answered to their names :
Messrs, Goldsborough, President; Abbott,
Annan, Audoun, Bond, Brown, Chambers,
Clarke, Cunningham, Cushing, Daniel, Davis,
of Washington, Dent, Duvall, Earle, Ecker,
Edelen, Farrow, Galloway, Hatch, Hebb,
Hoffman, Hollyday, Hopkins, Jones, of Som-
erset, Kennard, King, Lee, Markey, McComas,
Mitchell, Miller, Mullikin, Murray, Negley,
Nyman, Parker, Parran, Peter, Pugh, Pur-
nell, Russell, Sands, Schley, Smith, of Car-
roll, Stirling, Stockbridge, Swope, Sykes,
Thomas, Todd, Valliant, Wooden—53.
LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT.
The Convention resumed the consideration
of the order of the day, being the report of the
committee on the legislative department,
which was on its second reading.
COMPENSATION FOR SLAVES.
The section under consideration was the
following:
"Sec. 40, The general assembly shall pass
no law, nor make any appropriation to com-
pensate the masters or claimants of slaves
emancipated from servitude by the adoption
of this Constitution." |
