8

when they would seem to regard and treat it as a con-
troversy between the Governor and themselves, in which he
is the accuser, and they, as members of the Legislature, the
accused. The Governor has accused no one in particular,
much less the Legislature, or any member of it. He has
spoken in his regular message, and again in his response to
the Select Committee, of what he considers a great public
evil and danger to those people over whose interests and
general welfare he has been appointed by themselves to hold
"watch and word." To the Legislature, as their more im-
mediate representatives, and possessed of far more ample
powers, he, as in duty bound, communicated his appre-
hensions of the dangers and evils which he believed to be
threatening them. His duty done, it devolved upon the
Legislature, if they thought the public safety or the public in-
terest required it, (not otherwise,) to take the subject up, pur-
sue it, and use the higher powers they possess for correction
and remedy. They did take it up, they therefore must have
thought the public good required them to pursue it, for none
can suspect this Legislature of a disposition to trifle, or
make sport with the high powers intrusted to them by the
people. How, then, can they stop short, and not pursue the
subject, till the alarm be proved false, or the danger re-
moved ?                                                                             

This minority have said the Governor accused no one—
certainly not the Legislature, nor the majority, nor the mi-
nority of either branch of it. He spoke of secret political so-
cieties, inculcating dangerous doctrines, and having danger-
ous tendencies. He designated no individuals, or class, or
description of officials, legislators, or others, as belonging to
those societies. If by possibility there should be any mem-
bers in the Maryland Legislature, who are also members of
secret political societies of dangerous principles, purposes
and tendencies, it would be a most melancholy fact, the dis-
closure of which would be painfully afflicting to their fellow-
members, and to the whole people. The Governor has said
no such thing. He has spoken of parties and political so-
cieties, the principles, purposes, and practices of which
should be always open to the animadversion of all, without
just cause of offence to any; and material facts concerning
them should be authoritatively made known whenever pos-
sible.

The public good requires this*. Every man may not
know, and many, far too many, do not know thoroughly
the principles, purposes, or tendencies of the society or
party with which they may be associated, or of which