This study of editorial debate in Maryland during the secession crisis of 1860-1861 explores the responses of newspaper editors caught in the middle of the sectional conflict at the start of the Civil War. Because Maryland voters did not go to the polls between Lincoln's election in November of 1860 and the special election for Congress in June of 1861, and because the governor prevented the assembling of the state legislature for much of the crisis, newspaper editorials offer one of the best means to assess public opinion in Maryland. This project traces the reactions of Maryland editors to both national and local events and analyzes their arguments about the best course of action for their state. Maryland's geographic setting near Washington made secession impossible, but editors nonetheless considered the choice between the South and the Union, and they explained their positions in articulate and colorful prose. Though Maryland papers broke into distinct "Southern Rights" and "Unionist" camps with roots in antebellum politics, this project finds that important points of consensus ran through the editorials of most Maryland journals. Employing a chronological and topical approach, this project addresses the question of Maryland's ultimate allegiance. Despite their disagreements about particular points, Maryland editors generally shared a commitment to the South and to slavery, but maintained their allegiance to the Union. This project concludes that Maryland editors were "Reluctant Unionists": they remained devoted to the Union, but expressed sympathy for the South and voiced objections to a war of coercion. Maryland helps us to understand that not all Southerners were Confederates, and that not all Unionists supported the war.
