Maryland, My Maryland

While Lincoln's call for 75,000 volunteers to invade the 7 Southern states that had seceded was received enthusiastically by many Northern states, the border states viewed it as as an act of tyranny.  Governor Magaffin of Kentucky replied to the order saying :" I say emphatically Kentucky will furnish no troops for the wicked purpose  of subduing her sister Southern states" and Governor Jackson of Missouri was even stronger in his reply to Lincoln :" Your requisition is illegal, unconstitutional, revolutionary, inhuman, diabolical,  and cannot be complied with".  As a result of Lincoln's order the border states of Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina and Arkansas seceded and secession efforts were in progress in Missouri and Kentucky.  Maryland was also against the order.  one of Lincoln's first steps was to secure the
Northern Capitol and in order to accomplish this the mustered Union regiments had to march through Baltimore.  On the 19th of April the 6th Massachusetts chose to march through Baltimore fully armed and in military formation and consequently were jeered by unsympathetic bystanders.  To make matters worse the troops fired on the crowd killing 12 civilians.  The fire was returned by the crowd and 4 soldiers were killed.  These 16 were the first casualties in a long bloody struggle that would claim more than 620,000 lives.  By May, Lincoln was closing dissenting newspapers form New York to Chicago and he also suspended the writ of Habeas Corpus, a Constitutional guarantee of the Bill of Rights.(Habeas Corpus is a fundamental liberty which prevents the arbitrary arrest and imprisonment indefinitely without defined charges, trial, or means of release.  Habeas Corpus can only be suspended temporarily under conditions of civil disorder but the suspension must be authorized by congress within 30 days.  Lincoln did not comply with these rules of government.) After the arrest of Baltimore resident, John Merryman, (without charges or trial) and the subsequent order of arrest of U.S. Chief justice Robert B.Taney, for defending Mr.Merryman and for speaking out against the injustice perpetrated by the government, Maryland began to seriously consider seceding.  However, Northern informants made this known to the government, and Secretary of War Simon Cameron issued an order that "all or any part of the legislative members must be arrested to prevent secession" and so Lincoln took over Maryland (as well as Missouri and Kentucky) to prevent them from seceding.  As Maryland's state song (which was directed against Lincoln, his cabinet and his generals) says:

The despots heel is on thy shore

Maryland, My Maryland!

His torch is at thy temples door

Maryland, My Maryland!

Avenge the patriots gore,

That flecked the streets of Baltimore,

And be the battle queen of yore,

Maryland, My Maryland

Dear Mother, Burst the tyrants chain,

Maryland, My Maryland!

Virginia should not call in vain,

Maryland, My Maryland

 She meets her sisters on the plain,

'Sic Semper' is the proud refrain,

That baffles minions back amain,

Maryland, My Maryland

Arise in Majesty again

Maryland, My Maryland