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POLITICAL
STATEMENTS IN A COURT FILE
CHANCERY COURT (Chancery
Papers), 1834/05/29, 8903: William Inloes vs. Joseph Ashpaw, John Ashpaw,
Thomas Stallings, and Catherine Stallings. AA. Petition to sell Gosnells
Chance, Mill Farm, Crouches Forrest. Plat. Recorded (Chancery Record) 153,
p. 517. Accession No: 17,898-8903 [MSA S512-8844]. Located in this
court case file is an undated letter that has no relevance to the matter
under consideration by the judge. In addition, neither the sender or recipient
is given. Based on the
comments about the Know
Nothing Party, the letter was probably written after Baltimore City elections
in October 1856 or the gubernatorial election in November 1857.
"The Political contest to
be decided in November next should be considered as an honourable antagonism,
in obedience to law, for the ascendancy of our respective parties. It is
an election recognized by the constitution, & regulated by law. No
question can arise as to the time, mode, right, & manner of voting,
which is provided for by law, and the constitution. The question is as
plain as it can be made, & we believe no man is at a loss, or need
be at a loss, in the ascertainment of his just rights as an elector. There
can be no excuse for those who interrupt, or break up the peace which should
ever surround, the sacred precincts of the ballot box. The late election
riots cannot be the result of misguided zeal, or sudden elation, or ignorance.
We know that in the Know-Nothing American Councils they have been deliberately
discussed, & explained, in many cases as before an election, - the
Dramatis Personae arranged, and a particular part assigned to each
man, or sets of men.
"Thus one man is to stand
at the polls, & challenge every man he thinks to be an alien, though
he knows him to be naturalized, & has often voted |
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Another
set of men surround the Polls, and shut out Democrats from the ballot box,
while another set[,] the sooner to get rid of them, pierce them with awls.
Again another set will take the same men, and vote them in half a dozen
wards, & toast of their tact in so doing, & in all these sets,
not strange to say, no respectable man, for any one quality that becomes
a good citizen is to be found. We judge the future of the Know-Nothing
American Party, by its career in the past, & in this connection would
call the attention of the people to the significant cry issued from the
late convention of the Party - 'Victory or death.' This war
cry, ominous as it is, issued from a man who would be Governor. We will
do him the honor to give the remark some significance. Without confidence
in his party, and in despair of sober reason he appeals to arms, to the
appetite for the 'Flesh Pots' under the traitorous resolve to draw
the sword upon the heart of the nation - 'The Ballot box.' The appeal
must be designedly intended (as otherwise it is imbecile) to inflame passion,
to produce undue excitement, & make the Polls the rallying point for
a battle field.
"It is an appeal to all that
is base and perverse in human nature - t[w]o ignoble and brutal passions
- an appeal to the mob, - ignoring lofty, intellectual qualities, they
themselves ignoble, ignobly, appeal to the men of Maryland to quit their
useful vocations, and conquer a victory by a resort to arms.
"The Democrats[,] standing
upon the Ramparts of the Constitution, respond, 'take us if you can.'
We will have victory - victory by honourable and constitutional means,
victory by vigilance, activity, and fortitude, victory sanctioned and upheld
by the laws, with respect to all rights, and condemnation of all wrongs.
Such a victory makes the Conqueror victorious. The anticipated victory
of life over death at the Ballot box, would be more calamitous
than many defeats. Yet this is their scheme." |
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