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252 HISTORY OF MARYLAND.
disfranchised, and thousands of even native-born voters were intimidated from
voting. In the City of Baltimore, Fillmore received 16,900 votes; Buchanan,
9,870; Fremont, 214. Thus giving Messrs. Fillmore and Donelson a clear
majority over Buchanan and Fremont together of 6,816. In the State, J.
D. Roman, James Wallace, R. Goldsborough. E. H. Webster, C. L. L. Leary,
Thomas Swann, F. A. Schle}^, and A. R. Sollers, the "American" electors,
were elected by a majority of 8,337 votes. In the general result, James
Buchanan was elected President, receiving 173 electoral votes. Fremont
received 114 electoral votes, and Fillmore received 8—the vote of Maryland.
The candidates for vice-president on each ticket received the same number of
yotes. At this election, in Baltimore city, eight men were killed or mortally
wounded and over two hundred and fifty wounded.
Governor Ligon, in his message to the Legislature, thus alludes to
this event:
" On the eve of the Presidential ejection I proceeded to Baltimore and sought an
interview with the Mayor of the city in the vain hope of such a co-operation of influences,
and moral and material power, as would ensure the peace of the city, prevent bloodshed,
and secure to every citizen, without respect to party, the exercise of his political rights.
My overtures were repulsed with cold civility. I was thrown upon my personal and
official responsibility, before an important and respectable community, for the initiative
in a measure which the exigency of the time demanded, and the executive of the city
was indisposed to adopt. The day of election was then too near at hand for me to
mature, under my official authority and by my independent act, a force adequate to the
probable necessity which menaced the occasion. I accordingly left the full measure of
accountability with the Mayor and his subordinates. How fearful that accountability
was, the sanguinary deeds of that election day have sufficiently proved. Again party
animosity ran riot throughout the city; the most desperate encounters took place, in
which hundreds of infuriated partisans were engaged; arms of all kinds were employed,
and bloodshed, wounds and death, stained the record of the day; and added another page
•of dishonor to the annals of the distracted city. I retired from the scene convinced that
all this might have been prevented; and not without a painful sense of duty unfulfilled."
A year passed away, and with the Fall of 1857, the political elements of
Baltimore were again stirred for the election contests of the season. "In
the meantime the civil condition of the city had become more sensibly
•demoralized. The press, without distinction of party, was teemed with
every day's report of wrong, outrage, violent encounters of partisans, desperate
assaults and homicides."
At last, the day of the municipal election, October 19th, came, and the
city was again made the theatre of the general prolonged and desperate
rioting. Although the bloody scenes of the preceding year were not
re-enacted, yet the election was a mere mockery of the elective franchise,
accompanied throughout the city by riot and bloodshed. In some of the
wards the democrats, both native-born and naturalized, were virtually
disfranchised. Finding that the municipal authorities were wholly inadequate to cope with the fierce organization which held absolute control of the
| Title | History of Maryland - 3 |
| Creator | Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas) |
| Publisher | J. B. Piet |
| Place of Publication | Baltimore |
| Date | 1879 |
| Language | eng |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Title | 00000283 |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Transcript | 252 HISTORY OF MARYLAND. disfranchised, and thousands of even native-born voters were intimidated from voting. In the City of Baltimore, Fillmore received 16,900 votes; Buchanan, 9,870; Fremont, 214. Thus giving Messrs. Fillmore and Donelson a clear majority over Buchanan and Fremont together of 6,816. In the State, J. D. Roman, James Wallace, R. Goldsborough. E. H. Webster, C. L. L. Leary, Thomas Swann, F. A. Schle}^, and A. R. Sollers, the "American" electors, were elected by a majority of 8,337 votes. In the general result, James Buchanan was elected President, receiving 173 electoral votes. Fremont received 114 electoral votes, and Fillmore received 8—the vote of Maryland. The candidates for vice-president on each ticket received the same number of yotes. At this election, in Baltimore city, eight men were killed or mortally wounded and over two hundred and fifty wounded. Governor Ligon, in his message to the Legislature, thus alludes to this event: " On the eve of the Presidential ejection I proceeded to Baltimore and sought an interview with the Mayor of the city in the vain hope of such a co-operation of influences, and moral and material power, as would ensure the peace of the city, prevent bloodshed, and secure to every citizen, without respect to party, the exercise of his political rights. My overtures were repulsed with cold civility. I was thrown upon my personal and official responsibility, before an important and respectable community, for the initiative in a measure which the exigency of the time demanded, and the executive of the city was indisposed to adopt. The day of election was then too near at hand for me to mature, under my official authority and by my independent act, a force adequate to the probable necessity which menaced the occasion. I accordingly left the full measure of accountability with the Mayor and his subordinates. How fearful that accountability was, the sanguinary deeds of that election day have sufficiently proved. Again party animosity ran riot throughout the city; the most desperate encounters took place, in which hundreds of infuriated partisans were engaged; arms of all kinds were employed, and bloodshed, wounds and death, stained the record of the day; and added another page •of dishonor to the annals of the distracted city. I retired from the scene convinced that all this might have been prevented; and not without a painful sense of duty unfulfilled." A year passed away, and with the Fall of 1857, the political elements of Baltimore were again stirred for the election contests of the season. "In the meantime the civil condition of the city had become more sensibly •demoralized. The press, without distinction of party, was teemed with every day's report of wrong, outrage, violent encounters of partisans, desperate assaults and homicides." At last, the day of the municipal election, October 19th, came, and the city was again made the theatre of the general prolonged and desperate rioting. Although the bloody scenes of the preceding year were not re-enacted, yet the election was a mere mockery of the elective franchise, accompanied throughout the city by riot and bloodshed. In some of the wards the democrats, both native-born and naturalized, were virtually disfranchised. Finding that the municipal authorities were wholly inadequate to cope with the fierce organization which held absolute control of the |
