Gov. Hicks and the Maryland Legislature--the Governor Indignant.
The following communication was laid before the
Maryland House of Delegates on the 17th inst.:
Gentlemen of the House of Delegates:
From your journal of proceedings of the 12th instant, I learn that a committee has been appointed by your honorable body to examine the
Executive records, and call for such persons and papers as they may deem proper, to enable them to ascertain and report to the
House without delay the precise character of the relations established by the
Executive of this State with the
Federal Government since the commencement of our existing national troubles.
I have heretofore had the honor to inform you, in response to an order, that I have furnished your honorable body with copies of all correspondence between myself and officers of the
General Government, which I deem it necessary to lay before you. In making that response officially and in good faith, it did not occur to me that my veracity would be impugned by a coordinate branch of the
State Government, with which I have earnestly endeavored to maintain harmonious relations.
Certainly it did not occur to me that a paltry partisan spirit could so far pervade the legislative halls of
Maryland as to cause the gentlemen assembled there to forget the respect due to the Executive office, in a lanatical desire to prop up, by such support, the unholy cause of treason against the
General Government.
I have patiently foreborne to remonstrate against the bitterly malignant spirit evinced against me personally by the majority of your body.
It is a matter of no consequence what ever to me what your opinion of me may be, but when your official acts reflect upon the dignity of the office which I hold, I feel it to be my duty to protest agaist them.
In such case forbearance on my part is not only not a virtue, but it is a tacit dereliction of my duty.
I cannot find in the
Constitution any warrant for the action proposed by your body.
You have the power ‘ "to call for public or official papers and record,"’ and it will always afford me pleasure to comply with any such call from you without being requested by you.
I furnished you with all the correspondence I have had with the officers of the
General Government.
I have omitted nothing having the slightest public importance, and I am thoroughly convinced that your body is fully aware of the fact that I have kept back nothing having the least bearing upon the relations between the
General Government and the
Executive of
Maryland.
I am compefied, therefore, to look upon your order for an examination of the
Executive records as a feeble effort to offer an indignity to me. But as this is a thing of no consequence to me, I hereby tender to your committee every facility in my power in furtherance of the task imbosed upon it.
Indeed, had the examination been propesed in a proper manner, I should have been highly gratitied at the opportualty of showing to the people of
Maryland that an official examination by my onemiss of the executive records prove the utter falsity of the many malignant charges brought agains, me by partisans.
In thus tendering facilities to your committee, however, I respectfully but firmly demand that the committee shall fully and effectually discharge the duty imposed upon it, whereby the people of the
State will become convinced that although originating in partisan feeling, and in an effort to offer an indignity to me, your order could elicit nothing in the premises not already fully laid before the public.
Thomas H. Hicks.
Mr. Pitts moved its reference to the
Committee on Federal Relations.
Mr. Gordon moved to appoint a special committee to read to the
Governor that clause of the
Constitution under which the
House had acted.
The communication was referred.
