Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. Formation Of The " Democratic-conservative " Party And Defeat Of The " Radicals." On January 1o, 1866, Thomas Swann, inaugurated the year before, entered upon the active discharge of the duties of governor. The Baltimore American of the next morning said of Governor Swann:— " There is no public man in Maryland who seems to be so popular with the masses,—so popular with the ' bone and sinew ' of the great Union party that has kept Maryland true to her position as ' The Heart of the Union' throughout the late rebellion." On January 1o the General Assembly met at the call of the governor in a special session, which lasted thirty days by constitutional provision, in order to pass needed legislation designed to ease the financial burden on the State. A long message1 was received from Governor Swann, in which he not only stated the objects of the session, but also brought to the notice of the law-making body " other and perhaps not less important measures of domestic policy." He desired the encouragement of immigration, a new ship channel to the harbor of Baltimore, a reorganization of the militia, provision for the maintenance and support of maimed and disabled Union soldiers, a complete revision of the laws concerning the status of the colored population, and the grant to the negro of the privilege of testifying in the courts. Perhaps the most important part of Governor Swann's message, in view of his future position in state politics, is that dealing with the agitation for the repeal of the registry law, and giving his views on national affairs. It is well worthy of careful notice. Said the governor:— 1 House Jour, and Docs., Doc. A. " The Act passed for the registration of voters . . . has been threatened, I regret to say, with resistance, in som...