363]           The Maryland Constitution of 1864.              17

On the evening of October 28 the Unconditional Union-
ists closed the campaign with a large and enthusiastic mass-
meeting in Monument Square, the largest held in Baltimore
for years. John Lee Chapman, Mayor of Baltimore, pre-
sided, and addresses were made by Henry Winter Davis,
Salmon P. Chase, General James A. Garfield, Brigadier-
General E. B. Tyler, and others of local or national reputa-
tion. Strong resolutions were passed favoring the prose-
cution of the war, "supporting the whole policy of the
[National] administration," and also saying "we are in
favor of emancipation in Maryland by a Constitutional
Convention," and that "the convention ought to meet
and conclude its labors that the Constitution may be rati-
fied at least by the next Presidential election." An addi-
tional clause declared that "traitors who do not acknowl-
edge the government whose authority protects the ballot-
box have no right to meddle with the elections." This
was perhaps intended as a judicious hint of what followed
during the next few days.

In spite of the great weight and importance of the ques-
tions involved, it has been stated by those in a position to
know, that there was much less strife and animosity of
party feeling than might have been expected, which can be
explained by the fact that the larger part of the contestants
were united in their loyalty to the Union. In addition,
affairs were further complicated and party lines practically
broken by a dissatisfied independent movement in Balti-
more City, which nominated several candidates of its own
for local offices and the Legislature. This did not obscure
the dominant questions, however, which were to be de-
decided on the election of a Comptroller.

Suddenly a different phase was put on the entire situation
by the interference of an exterior force—the military—
acting to some extent at least on the authority of the Na-
tional Government.

On October 26, Thomas Swann, chairman of the (Con-
ditional) Union State Central Committee, had sent the fol-
lowing letter to President Lincoln:
25