Report of the Committee on Federal Relations in Regard to the Calling of a Sovereign Convention

Report Of The Committee On Federal Relations In Regard To The Calling Of A Sovereign Convention This document is the 1861 report from Maryland’s General Assembly, Committee on Federal Relations, responding to the Governor’s message and the call for a Sovereign Convention. It frames the Lincoln Proclamation and the militia mobilization as unconstitutional and inappropriate for a free government, arguing that war powers reside with Congress and that the Constitution forbids coercing states by military force. The text portrays the Civil War as a Northern effort to subordinate the South and emphasizes Maryland’s duty to preserve self-government, while rejecting participation in offensive actions against Southern states. It traces legal arguments from Madison and Hamilton to reject the President’s authority to deploy troops across state lines, and it cautions that invoking “military necessity” would erode civil liberties. The Committee recommends postponing a Sovereign Convention and delaying militia reorganization or arming, while acknowledging Maryland remains a Union member. The document closes with resolutions protesting the war and urging peace and eventual reconciliation.