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447] The Constitution. 69
Of the one hundred and three members of the conven-
tion, only fifty-five favored the adoption of the constitu-
tion.3 The president of the body, himself, the Hon. John G.
Chapman, a few moments before he declared the conven-
tion adjourned sine die, said, that he had witnessed with
profound regret many of the features embodied in the con-
stitution. That the salutary changes were so few and light
when weighed in the balance against graver and more ob-
jectionable features, that he had no other alternative than
to vote, at the ballot-box, against its ratification.4
While the constitution was before the people for their
consideration, the general tone of public discussion in re-
gard to the work wTas free from strict party spirit. Two of
the leading Whig papers: the Frederick Herald and the
Hagerstown Torchlight declared in favor of the new consti-
tution. The Democratic papers generally throughout the
State urged its adoption, as well as several of the neutral
county presses. The Cambridge Democrat, the Centerville
Sentinel and the Easton Star were also in favor of adopting
the constitution. These papers, while not entirely satisfied
with the instrument, considered it an improvement on the
old one. Other papers, as the Rockville Journal and the
Port Tobacco Times, urged the rejection of the constitution.5
The Baltimore American was very strong in its opposition
to the constitution, while the Baltimore Sun strongly urged
its adoption.
While the discussion on the constitution was free from
party spirit, it was not free from the appeals of the dema-
gogues, who sought to array the poor and the rich in an-
tagonistic positions.6 The provisions of the constitution
relating to the homestead exemption,7 and to the abolish-
ment of imprisonment for debt,8 gave rise to these unjusti-
fiable attacks.
3 Baltimore Sun, May 14, 1851. 4 Debates, vol. ii, p. 890.
5 Baltimore Sun, May 23, 1851.
6 Baltimore American, June 2, 1851.
7 See page 78. 8 See page 78.
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