26 JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS May 2,

and its commercial metropolis. On the other hand, in the face of
the dangers which would seem inevitable, if facilities for invasion
were offered to I he fanatical and excited multitudes of the North-
ern cities—whose animosity to Baltimore and Maryland, is meas-
ured by no standard known to Christian civilization, and who pub-
licly threaten our destruction, without subordination even to the
Federal authority—it would hardly be consistent with the com-
monest prudence, to re-open the avenues which would bring them
to our very doors. Indeed, if it were the pleasure of the General
Assembly to provide for such a measure, no security would cer-
tainly exist for its permanent enforcement, during the continuance
of the natural excitement which now disturbs our people.

The instinct of self-preservation is far more powerful than any
sense of obedience to law, and coupled as it is, in the present
case, with every prompting of resistance to violence and wrong,
it would be sure to over-ride all the ordinary restraints to which
a free government is capable of imposing. It would be of small
avail for your committee to discuss this state of facts, further than
to say that it exists, and must be dealt with, carefully and wisely.
The channels of intercourse with the Northern States cannot be
effectively re-established, without a guaranty, from some quarter,
of the salety and peace of Maryland. Your committee are not
able to perceive how this result can be attained, without some
communication with the Federal Authorities at Washington; and,
in their judgment, it is due to the people of this State, whose
lives and properly are involved so deeply in the contingencies of
the unhappy strife which has sundered the Republic, that some
such communications should be forthwith opened by the General
Assembly.

There are other and independent reasons which render such a
course indispensable at this time, to the dignity and interests of
the State. Two \vorks of internal improvement, in which she is
largely interested, have been seized, in whole or in part, by the
General Government for military purposes, to the exclusion of the
rights of the State and her citizens. Upon one of those works
(the Washington Branch of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad,)
the share of the passage moneys belonging specifically to the
State, and constituting an important portion of her revenue, has
been diverted from its legitimate channels by the strong hand. A
part of the soil of the State has been appropriated to the erection
of fortifications, without even the form of asking her consent Her
seat of government has been converted into a military depot, to
the exclusion of the representatives of her people. Martial law
has been proclaimed, and the jurisdiction of her courts ousted,
along the whole line of the road which has been dedicated to Fed-
eral purposes through her territory. So far as this Committed are
tdirittd $he has been, dealt with, in these regards, a$ a conquer*