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libel upon the people of that great commercial
metropolis of our State.
And be it further resolved, That while we con-
demn all frauds, violence or intimidation on the
part of any portion of the community upon the
rights of any citizen, however humble he maybe,
in the exercise of his sovereign right of ballot,
we deem it our duty to hold to the strictest accoun-
tability those entrusted with the execution of the
laws for the manner in which they have executed
the trust committed to their keeping; and fulfill-
ing this duty we express our decided condemna-
tion of interposition of the Governor in the affairs
of the city of Baltimore, before and on the day of
the late election in said city; because from the in-
formation and reasons which he has communica-
ted to us; and from facts made apparent by the
documents accompanying his message, it was un-
der the circumstances, ill-advised, reckless, unne-
cessary and dangerous to the peace of the city.
And be it further resolved, That we regard the
interposition of the Executive, under the circum-
stances, as illegal, and his commands to the mili-
tary to interfere and preserve order, without the
requisition of the local, civil power, and in direct
opposition to the wish, advice and protest of the
Mayor of the city, who is invested by law with
all power necessary for the preservation of the
peace and order of the city; and who had given
evidence by his preliminary arrangements, of his
ability and determination to protect every citizen
in the exercise of his rights, as a manifest subor-
dination of the civil to the military power, an in-
vasion of the rights of a chartered city, and an
attempt to interfere by the bayonet with the free-
dom of elections, and a glaring violation of the
Constitution and Laws of the State.
And be it further resolved, That we hold, that
the command issued by the Governor in his pro-
clamation, "let no man leave the precinct of his
own ward, unless ordered to do so by competent au-
thority, thus he will promote the fairness of the
election, and avoid the just retribution that will
be dealt to those vagrant emissaries of disorder
who wander from polls to polls for the purpose of
illegal voting and to deter peaceful citizens from
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