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ARREST OF THE MARYLAND LEGISLATURE. 441
sufferings which she was causelessly made to endure were of themselves sufficient to foster a spirit of disaffection, and to change her patient forbearance
into one of determined hostility. While acknowledged to be a member of
the Union—while still yielding obedience to her constitutional obligations
and performing all the* duties incumbent upon her in that relation,
it was somewhat remarkable, on the theory of her " loyalty," that she should
experience at the hands of the authorities at Washington nothing but insolence and outrage. Every act which they perpetrated against her at this
time were in clear violation of the laws of the land, while the evils which she
was ruthlessly made to experience were as unwarranted as they were atrocious and tyrannical. She was, confessedly, no more in insurrection against
the Federal government than Massachusetts, or New York, or Pennsylvania;
she formed no lawless " combinations" which it was necessary to repress by
an army of invasion; she respected the Federal judiciary, and offered no
obstruction to the service of process by the Federal marshal; and yet,
although her fealty to the cause of the Union continued to be vehemently
asserted, she was virtually reduced to the condition of a subjugated province.
One desperate step remained for the Administration and its adherents to
crush out all opposition to their policy in Maryland. They had some hesitation about adopting so bold and unparalleled a measure, because they feared
the outcry with which it would probably be hailed throughout the country,
and they therefore delayed to act until they could familiarize the people with
the aggressions of the Executive, and teach them to acquiesce in any
outrage that a "military necessity" might seem to dictate. But the
temper of the Northern people had now been sufficiently tested, and they
were apparently ready to accept the will of their masters as the law of the
land in lieu of its written statutes. The administration, therefore, seeing no
reason why it should not proceed to declare its dictatorship in Maryland,
proceeded on the 13th of September to arrest the legal authorities of the
State, and to suppress the liberty of free speech.
Accordingly, on the 12th of September, Major General Dix, commanding
in Baltimore, issued the following order :
" Fort McHenry, 12th September, 1861.
■" George R. Dodge, Esq., Provost Marshal:
" Arrest without an hour's delay George William Brown, Coleman Yellott, Stephen
P. Dennis, Charles H. Pitts, Andrew A. Lynch, Lawrence Sangston, H. M. Morfit, Ross
Winans, J. Hanson Thomas, Wm. G. Harrison, John C. Brune, Robert M. Denison,
Leonard D. Quinlan, and Thomas W. Renshaw."
In compliance therewith, the military police of Baltimore, on the 12th
and 13th of September, arrested George William Brown, Mayor of Baltimore;
Ross Winans, Severn Teackle Wallis, Henry M. Warfield, Dr. J. Hanson
Thomas, T. Parkin Scott, Henry M. Morfit, Charles H. Pitts, William G.
Harrison and Lawrence Sangston, members of the House of Delegates from
Baltimore City; Henry May, member of Congress from the Fourth Congres-
| 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 | 00000472 |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Transcript | ARREST OF THE MARYLAND LEGISLATURE. 441 sufferings which she was causelessly made to endure were of themselves sufficient to foster a spirit of disaffection, and to change her patient forbearance into one of determined hostility. While acknowledged to be a member of the Union—while still yielding obedience to her constitutional obligations and performing all the* duties incumbent upon her in that relation, it was somewhat remarkable, on the theory of her " loyalty," that she should experience at the hands of the authorities at Washington nothing but insolence and outrage. Every act which they perpetrated against her at this time were in clear violation of the laws of the land, while the evils which she was ruthlessly made to experience were as unwarranted as they were atrocious and tyrannical. She was, confessedly, no more in insurrection against the Federal government than Massachusetts, or New York, or Pennsylvania; she formed no lawless " combinations" which it was necessary to repress by an army of invasion; she respected the Federal judiciary, and offered no obstruction to the service of process by the Federal marshal; and yet, although her fealty to the cause of the Union continued to be vehemently asserted, she was virtually reduced to the condition of a subjugated province. One desperate step remained for the Administration and its adherents to crush out all opposition to their policy in Maryland. They had some hesitation about adopting so bold and unparalleled a measure, because they feared the outcry with which it would probably be hailed throughout the country, and they therefore delayed to act until they could familiarize the people with the aggressions of the Executive, and teach them to acquiesce in any outrage that a "military necessity" might seem to dictate. But the temper of the Northern people had now been sufficiently tested, and they were apparently ready to accept the will of their masters as the law of the land in lieu of its written statutes. The administration, therefore, seeing no reason why it should not proceed to declare its dictatorship in Maryland, proceeded on the 13th of September to arrest the legal authorities of the State, and to suppress the liberty of free speech. Accordingly, on the 12th of September, Major General Dix, commanding in Baltimore, issued the following order : " Fort McHenry, 12th September, 1861. ■" George R. Dodge, Esq., Provost Marshal: " Arrest without an hour's delay George William Brown, Coleman Yellott, Stephen P. Dennis, Charles H. Pitts, Andrew A. Lynch, Lawrence Sangston, H. M. Morfit, Ross Winans, J. Hanson Thomas, Wm. G. Harrison, John C. Brune, Robert M. Denison, Leonard D. Quinlan, and Thomas W. Renshaw." In compliance therewith, the military police of Baltimore, on the 12th and 13th of September, arrested George William Brown, Mayor of Baltimore; Ross Winans, Severn Teackle Wallis, Henry M. Warfield, Dr. J. Hanson Thomas, T. Parkin Scott, Henry M. Morfit, Charles H. Pitts, William G. Harrison and Lawrence Sangston, members of the House of Delegates from Baltimore City; Henry May, member of Congress from the Fourth Congres- |
