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by the Common Council, ordered the
National flag to be humbled for thirty days, by forbidding its display during that time, under the pretense that it would cause “a disturbance of the public peace.”
The old flag suddenly disappeared, and on the day when the order went forth, only a single banner was seen in the harbor of
Baltimore, and that was a secession ensign floating over the steamer
Logan.
For a few days, it seemed as if all patriotism, all national feeling had suddenly died out in
Maryland, and the exasperation felt toward the city of
Baltimore in the Free-labor States was intense and universal.
The stand taken by its authorities was perilous to its very existence.
That action was considered a national insult; and, so long as that gate stood barred across the great highway to the
Capital against the passage of troops summoned for its protection, the nation was dishonored.
The people could hardly be restrained from banding in thousands and tens of thousands, for the purpose of opening that way. “Turn upon it the guns of
Fort McHenry!”
cried one.--“Lay it in ashes!”
cried another.--“Fifty thousand men may be raised in an hour,” exclaimed a third, “to march through
Baltimore.”
Bow down in haste thy guilty head!
God's wrath is swift and sore:
The sky with gathering bolts is red--
Cleanse from thy skirts the slaughter shed,
Or make thyself an ashen bed,
O Baltimore!
wrote
Bayard Taylor.
And an active citizen of New York (George Law), in a letter to the
President, in which he declared that the people of the Free-labor States demanded of the
Government measures to open and establish lines of direct communication with the
Capital, said: “Unless this is done, they will be compelled to take the matter into their own hands, let the consequences be what they may, and let them fall where they will.”
The same sentiment animated the
Government as soon as
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Railway Battery. |
it felt assured of its own safety by the presence of many troops, and measures were speedily adopted for taking military possession of
Baltimore.
Preparations were made to repair the burnt bridges between Havre
