HICKS, lloiado.‘v (19s•Isii51. American politician, horn in 1)oreliester County, .1(1.. Ile became •herill in Is2-1. and a member of the State Legislature a few years later: Was a member of the State Electoral College and was again elected to the Legislature in IS:36: and iu IS:37 served on the Governor's Council. From Is38 to 18n2 he was GoNerinir of the State. lie strongly sympathized with the south. and was indimnint with the Northern people for their gen eral attitude toward slavery. and in particular for their refusal to enforce the Fugitive Slave Law. actual hostilities the two seetions began he seemed to think that the State could assume a neutral attitude. :Ind largely by his refusal to calla special session of the Legis lature managed to block radical measures. Ile saw that secession for NlarN land 111e:1111 devas tation. and his policy gradually wilted itself until he found himself vigorously opposing seces sion and delving the Legislature. Ittiuors were eurrent in the early part of of a plot, in which 3000 eiti•ens of the State were organized to prevent Lincoln's inauguration and seize the city of Washington. Ile made preparations to thwart the attempt. eaused State arms to be seized, suspended the writ Of habeas corpus, planned the arrest of suspected persons. and indorsed the Administration in establishing a censorship of the press and in breaking up the Legislature. The proximity and alertness of the
Federal headquarters was in reality all that pre vented a serious secessionist I being the only prominent ollicial of the State who stood by the I:overItnlent. .\ I the expiration of his term as Governor a new Legislature passed r•so lutions thanking him in its nain• and in the mane of the people of Maryland for his attitude during the crisis. and declaring that it Was he who had kept the State from joining the C'onfed eraey. In Itili•.? Lincoln olThed him the rank of brigadier-general„ but ill health prevented his acceptance. In the same year he was appointed to the Senate to supply the vacancy occasioned by the loath of S•mite]. Pearce. and served in that body during the remainder of his life. .:\Ithough he Was at the same time denounced for selling the State to Lincoln. and praised for saving it by his remarkable ability. it is largely the uniqueness of the position in which he Was placed Which Makes hint especially memorable. Consult : Rad of llaryland and the Civil ill the .Johns Hopkins Unirersity Studies in Ilisloricfrl and nine series. Nos. xi.. xii. (Baltimore. 1901).