Chapter XIII: Appendix: IV

On the 12th of July, 1861, I sent a message to the First and Second Branches of the City Council referring to the events of the 19th of April and those which followed. The first paragraph and the concluding paragraphs of this document are here inserted:

"THE MAYOR'S MESSAGE.

"TO THE HONORABLE THE MEMBERS OF THE
FIRST AND SECOND BRANCHES OF THE CITY COUNCIL.

"_Gentlemen_:--A great object of the reform movement was to
separate municipal affairs entirely from national politics, and
in accordance with this principle I have heretofore, in all my
communications to the city council, carefully refrained from any
allusion to national affairs. I shall not now depart from this
rule further than is rendered absolutely necessary by the
unprecedented condition of things at present existing in this
city....

"After the board of police had been superseded, and its members
arrested by the order of General Banks, I proposed, in order to
relieve the serious complication which had arisen, to proceed, as
the only member left free to act, to exercise the power of the
board as far as an individual member could do so. Marshal Kane,
while he objected to the propriety of this course, was prepared
to place his resignation in my hands whenever I should request
it, and the majority of the board interposed no objection to my
pursuing such course as I might deem it right and proper to
adopt in view of the existing circumstances, and upon my own
responsibility, until the board should be enabled to resume the
exercise of its functions.

"If this arrangement could have been effected, it would have
continued in the exercise of their duties the police force which
is lawfully enrolled, and which has won the confidence and
applause of all good citizens by its fidelity and impartiality at
all times and under all circumstances. But the arrangement was
not satisfactory to the Federal authorities.

"As the men of the police force, through no fault of theirs, are
now prevented from discharging their duty, their pay constitutes
a legal claim on the city from which, in my opinion, it cannot be
relieved.

"The force which has been enrolled is in direct violation of the
law of the State, and no money can be appropriated by the city
for its support without incurring the heavy penalties provided by
the Act of Assembly.

"Officers in the Fire Alarm and Police Telegraph Department who
are appointed by the mayor and city council, and not by the board
of police, have been discharged and others have been substituted
in their place.

"I mention these facts with profound sorrow, and with no purpose
whatever of increasing the difficulties unfortunately existing in
this city, but because it is your right to be acquainted with the
true condition of affairs, and because I cannot help entertaining
the hope that redress will yet be afforded by the authorities of
the United States upon a proper representation made by you. I am
entirely satisfied that the suspicion entertained of any
meditated hostility on the part of the city authorities against
the General Government is wholly unfounded, and with the best
means of knowledge express the confident belief and conviction
that there is no organization of any kind among the people for
such a purpose. I have no doubt that the officers of the United
States have acted on information which they deemed reliable,
obtained from our own citizens, some of whom may be deluded by
their fears, while others are actuated by baser motives; but
suspicions thus derived can, in my judgment, form no sufficient
justification for what I deem to be grave and alarming violations
of the rights of individual citizens of the city of Baltimore and
of the State of Maryland.

"Very respectfully,
"GEO. WM. BROWN, _Mayor_."