Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 28.djvu/152

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interview I had with the Governor, and I regret to say that I found him not only opposed to the secession of Maryland from the Fed- eral Union, but that if she should withdraw from the Union he ad- vised and would urge her to confederate with the Middle States in the formation of a central confederacy. He almost informed me that he had already, in his official character, entered into correspond- ence with the governors of those States, including New York, Penn- sylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, Missiouri and Ohio, with a view, in the event of an ultimate disruption of the Federal Union, to the establishment of such central confederacy.

"He thought our action hasty and ill-advised, and not justified by the action of which we complain, and that we were attempting to coerce Maryland to follow our example; but he had great confi- dence in the Peace Conference then in session in Washington, and had assurances that that body would agree upon a plan of adjust- ment that would be entirely acceptable to Maryland; that the prop- osition before the conference known as the Guthrie plan was a fair and proper basis of compromise and settlement. He also informed me, in the course of our interview, and in answer to a direct inquiry from me on that point, that in the event of the Federal government's attempting to coerce the seceding States he would interpose no ob- jection to the marching or transporting of troops through his State, and their embarkation at Baltimore by the Federal government for that purpose; that, as chief magistrate of the State, he had no power to prevent it, as it would not be an invasion of the State, and that he would not convene the Legislature under such circumstances, that they might take action in the premises.

' ' These opinions and views of the Governor I have reasons to believe are not entertained by a majority of the people of Maryland. Indeed,' I have no doubt that the people there would spontaneously rise en masse and resist the invaders, though it crimsoned their soil with the best blood of the State. The people, then, in my humble judgment are true to the memories of the past. They are a gallant, patriotic and brave people, whose feelings and sympathies are warmly enlisted in our cause, and although some of them do entertain the opinion that we have, perhaps, acted precipitately, they acknowl- edge that our action is fully justified by the events of the past, and declare their determination to assist us, if need be, in sustaining our independence. It is greatly to be regretted that such a gallant peo- ple should be prevented by their own officials, however high they may be, from giving an authoritative expression of their conviction,