The Maryland State Colonization Society.

(a) When was it formed?

(b) What was its object?

(c) How did its members think this could best be accomplished? (d) What aid did the Society obtain?

(e) With what success did it meet?

103. The Controversy over Slavery between the North and South. Rise of the Abolitionists; their opinion about slavery.

Effect on the South.

Connection of territorial expansion with the slavery question.
Formation of the Republican party; its principles.

The election of Abraham Lincoln and its effects.

104. States' Rights; Secession of Southern States.

What differences of opinion existed about the rights of states?
What states exercised the right of secession that was claimed?
What new government was formed?

With what results?

105. The Position of Maryland.

Explain the peculiar difficulty of Maryland's position.
State the wide differences of opinion that prevailed.

Which side did Maryland take in the contest, and why?

106. The War for the Union.

Describe the beginning and general character of the Civil War.
Who were the commanding generals on each side?

How did the war result?

107. First Bloodshed of the War.

Attack on the Sixth Massachusetts regiment in Baltimore city.
Destruction of bridges.

The order of the president of the United States.

108. Maryland Occupied by Federal Troops; Acts of Oppression. The military authorities assume control.

Arrest of Mr. John Merryman and suspension of the writ of habeas
corpus.

The opinion of Chief Justice Taney of the United States Supreme
Court.

Protest of the Maryland Legislature.

Imprisonment of the commissioners of police for Baltimore city.

Arrest of the members of the Assembly from Baltimore city and county, and of the mayor of Baltimore city.

Arrest of Judge Carmichael.

The lesson that these acts teach.

109. Maryland Troops in the War; Invasions of the State.

Give an account of the services of Maryland troops on both sides in
the Civil War.

Describe the successive invasions of the state by the armies of the
Confederacy.

When and how did the war come to an end?

110. Maryland Aids the Stricken South.

The terrible condition of the South at the close of the war.

Sympathy of Maryland.

(a) The Southern Relief Society; $160,000 raised.

(b) Contribution of George Peabody.

(c) The General Assembly appropriates $100,000.

QUESTIONS FOR ORIGINAL THOUGHT AND RESEARCH

1. What invention tended strongly to promote the growth of slavery? Explain how. Was the idea of the Colonization Society about the abolition of slavery a good one? Give reasons for your answer.

2. In what way would it have been a positive disadvantage to the Confederacy if Maryland had seceded? In what way would it have been a great

advantage? Comparing the two, was it better for the Confederacy that Maryland did not secede?

3. What was the capital of the Confederacy? Why was this city difficult for a Northern army to capture?

4. What provision does the Constitution of the United States make about the writ of habeas corpus? What provision does the Constitution of Maryland make in regard to it? (See Const., Art. III, Sec. 55.) Explain how an innocent person could be imprisoned indefinitely if it were not for this writ.

REFERENCES

For a more complete account of slavery and the Civil War, see Elson's History of the United States, pp. 539-776, or any standard history of the United States. See also Latrobe's Maryland in Liberia, Fund Publication No. 21 of the Maryland Historical Society; Harris' Reminiscences of April, 1861, No. 31 of ditto; Goldsborough's Maryland Line, C.S.A.; Brackett's The Negro in Maryland, Johns Hopkins University Studies, Extra Volume. Browne's Maryland, PP. 345-362. James' revision of McSherry's History of Maryland, pp. 338–396.

CHAPTER VI

FROM THE CLOSE OF THE CIVIL WAR TO THE PRESENT

THIS period of the history of our state has been characterized by steady growth and prosperity. It began with the formation of our present system of state government, and throughout has been marked by the completion of many fine and important works of public improvement, by the increase of industry and commerce, and by the development and establishment of our present institutions and mode of life.

In 1864,

111. Formation of the Present State Government. the war not yet being over, a new state Constitution was adopted, which abolished slavery. This Constitution prescribed an oath to be taken by all voters, thus deciding who should vote on its. adoption and who should not; and it further provided that the vote of the soldiers absent in the Union armies should be taken in their camps. Even then it was believed that the Constitution was defeated, until the soldiers' vote was brought in, when it was found to have been adopted by a very small majority.

When the war was over it was natural that a strong desire for a new Constitution should exist. A convention was accordingly called in 1867 which framed the government under which we now live, and this was adopted at an election held September 18, 1867, by a majority of twenty-four thousand.

The Constitution is composed of two parts. The first, called the Declaration of Rights, consists of forty-five articles. It is, a statement of the general rights which the people of the state consider of special importance to their freedom. It is declared

that the people have the right "to alter, reform or abolish their form of government in such manner as they may deem expedient." It asserts the right of every person to worship God as he pleases, and the rights to freedom of speech, to trial by jury, and to protection of life, liberty, and property.

The second part of the Constitution is the Form of Government. The legislative power is vested in a General Assembly, composed of two Houses, the Senate and the House of Delegates. In the former each county is represented by one member, and the city of Baltimore by four; in the latter each county is represented according to its population, Baltimore sending four times as many delegates as the most populous county. The Assembly meets biennially on the first Wednesday of January. If he deems it necessary, the governor may call the legislature together in special session. The chief executive power is vested in a governor; he is elected by the people for four years and receives a salary of $4,500 a year.1 To the governor is given the appointment of many important officials, and he has the power to appoint all officials whose appointment is not otherwise provided for in the Constitution or by law. In most cases the appointments are made by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. There is a secretary of state, appointed by the governor, to keep a record of official acts and proceedings, and to have the custody of the Great Seal. An attorney-general and a comptroller of the treasury are elected by the people the former to represent and advise the state in all legal matters, and the latter to manage the money affairs of the state. A treasurer is elected by the General Assembly. For the administration of justice the state is divided into eight districts called circuits. Baltimore, which composes the eighth circuit, has a separate system of courts. In each of the

1 The legislature now grants him additional sums, amounting to several times his salary, for the cost of maintaining the executive mansion at Annapolis, and other expenses,

other circuits three judges1 are elected,

a chief and two asso

ciates. The chief judges of these circuits, together with a special judge from Baltimore city, form the Court of Appeals, the highest court of the state.

The Constitution provided that every white male citizen of twenty-one years should have the right to vote, but the word “white” was rendered of no effect by the fifteenth amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which prohibited such preference for one race.

As times change, laws need to be altered, even the higher law of constitutions. In Maryland the Constitution may be amended if the changed or new section is proposed by three-fifths of the members of each house of the legislature and approved by a majority of the voters who express their opinion in the election. In this way the state Constitution has been amended from time to time, in order to improve old methods or to deal with new problems. In 1915 two amendments of special importance were added one is a "home rule" law giving the people of Baltimore city or of a county a large amount of freedom in deciding upon the form of their local government and in the making of local laws; the other establishes the "referendum," which means that if the voters of the state are dissatisfied with a law passed by the legislature, a certain number of them, by signing a petition, can have the law passed upon at a popular election, for final approval or rejection. In 1916 another very important amendment was approved, adopting what is called the "budget system." This is a plan for spending the money of the state more wisely and economically, which is accomplished by having the governor and his official advisers, who are known to the public and are likely

1 Recently an extra judge, making four, was added in the third circuit, composed of Baltimore and Harford counties. This amendment was adopted in 1913 because there was too much work in this circuit for three judges to do.