12

above suspicion in their principles, to which this minority
cannot, and it is hoped even the majority would not, under
other circumstances, bring their minds to consent; for they
cannot admit the purity, nor the rectitude of the principles,
purposes, nor objects of the "Black Republicans," or Aboli-
tion party, who unquestionably now have a large and re-
spectable representation in the Congress of the United States;
elected by the people of the several States of the Union, " in
the majesty of their power!!"

By the second of these resolutions, the majority of the Com-
mittee declare the performance of the duties with which they
were charged, namely, the summoning of witnesses before
them to give testimony "an insult to the intelligence of a
large majority of the people of Maryland, through their rep-
resentatives." In this declaration, the undersigned could
not, and cannot, concur, because they cannot believe for a
moment, that this House would have ordered any thing to be
done which could be construed into an insult to the people
of Maryland, and also because from some acquaintance with
the- people of Maryland, they think themselves well war-
ranted in saying those people have both an instinctive
and an habitual love of truth, and therefore far from feeling
insulted by any proceeding calculated or intended to evisce-
rate the truth, particularly in matters involving their rights
and interests; nothing, it is believed, could give them higher
gratification than such proceedings as would with greater
certainty lead to its full development. True, they are a
proud and high-spirited people—proud of their own purity of
character, and proud of the glory which encircles the
character of their State; proud also of the characters of many
of their public men, as reflected upon and adding to the ele-
vated position always heretofore maintained by their State,
as one of the family of Republican Sisters; but in proportion
to the intensity with which they feel this just pride, is and
must be the restlessness with which they will hear of impu-
tations, or suspicions supposed to be cast upon any portion of
those public men, which are suffered to rest there, or to pass
without full and thorough investigation being had in the
most solemn manner, and the truth made to shine forth con-
spicuously before the eyes of all. This minority thought it
was in obedience to the spontaneous impulse of the Maryland
heart that this investigation was ordered by the House—they
know the announcement of it was received with evident sat-
isfaction by large numbers, and they believe by a great ma-
jority of the people. Bitter, therefore, it is to be feared, will
be their mortification when they shall learn that the at-