Horace Greeley, The American Conflict: A History of the Great Rebellion in the United States of America, 1860-65: its Causes, Incidents, and Results: Intended to exhibit especially its moral and political phases with the drift and progress of American opinion respecting human slavery from 1776 to the close of the War for the Union. Volume II.

[671] of 1863 for Governor,¹ and on the whole ticket. Maine followed;² and here the Opposition claimed an encouraging gain: the vote being far less than that drawn out by the vehement contest of 1863, and the majority reduced in proportion³ Both parties then held their breath for the returns from the October elections: Pennsylvania and Indiana having for an age been held to indicate, by the results of those elections, the issue of the pending Presidential canvass. Indiana now showed a change of 30,000 since 1862;⁴ electing Governor Morton and carrying the Republican tickets throughout by over 20,000 majority, with 8 Republican to 3 Democratic Representatives in Congress — a gain of 4 seats to the victors. The vote was heavy beyond precedent — swelled, the losers said, unfairly. Pennsylvania elected no State officer this year by a general vote; but her representatives in Congress — before 12 to 12--were now 15 to 9, with a Legislature strongly Republican in both branches, and an average popular majority of 10,000 to 15,000. Ohio, on the same day,⁵ went “ Union” by a popular majority of 54,754⁶ on Secretary of State; while, instead of the 14 Democrats to 5 Republicans chosen in 1862 to represent her in Congress, she now elected 17 Republicans to two Democrats. These results left little doubt that Mr. Lincoln would be reelected to the Presidency.

But no election of that month was of more lasting consequence than that held in Maryland;⁷ which State was now to adopt or reject the new Constitution which banished Slavery from her soil and withdrew the Right of Suffrage from those of her citizens who had abetted the Rebellion. The Constitution was carried — and barely carried — by the vote of her soldiers in the field: the total vote, as declared, being 30,174 for, to 29,699 against ratifying; whereof the soldiers gave 2,633 for, to 163 against it. Had not the Convention enabled them to vote in their respective camps, the Constitution would have been rejected by all but 2,000 majority — the vote in all the lower counties — that is, in all but Baltimore, Cecil, and the western counties — showing heavy adverse majorities.

The death of Roger B. Taney, Chief Justice of the United States, on the day which witnessed this result, was a remarkable coincidence. Judge Taney had long been a main bulwark of Slavery, not only in Maryland, but throughout the Union. The Dred Scott decision is inseparably linked with his name. His natural ability, eminent legal attainments, purity of private character, fullness of years,⁸ and the long period lie had officiated as Chief Justice,⁹ caused him to be regarded by many as a pillar of the State; and his death at this moment seemed to mark the transition from the era of