In April 1863, Downs was arrested and charged with treason for an editorial he published entitled "War Upon Women," which criticized the poor treatment of Confederate sympathizers.

He wrote, "We learn that an order has been recently promulgated by Gen. Schenck, military commandant at that port, under which all women 'found guilty of disloyal practices' are to be sent beyond the Federal lines...why such a rigorous sentence should be visited upon them, we cannot divine.

[10] He published a letter to the Gazette's readers, promising, "I shall not attempt to define the future political status of this paper, but will simply say to the public, that it will be devoted to what I conceive to be the best interests of those who have heretofore given it so generous a support.

"[11] However, it is clear that the paper continued to adopt a conservative stance, with a particularly telling editorial published in May 1867 stating, "We pray the negroes a safe deliverance from the selfish white demagogues who are teaching them the ballot is their right, that it is proper they should have it...and that it is better for them to be at radical meetings than to be at work.

Francis King was a prominent Knight of Columbus as well as an active member of the Democratic Party, described in his obituary as "a man of attractive personality" with "childlike faith and tender piety.

Aloysius was a graduate of University of Maryland School of Law and a prominent lawyer, known as an "old fashioned gentleman, kind, considered, and of exacting honesty in all his business relations.

"[14] In 1940, the Writers' Program of the Work Projects Administration in the State of Maryland commented, "St. Mary's Beacon, a Democratic weekly, occupies a house constructed in 1704.