Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1856-11-21
1)olitital.
From the st. Mary's Beacon. ]
BALTIMORE.

Our HTedJ cOinncrclal emporium APP
pears to be given over at present to utter
and shameless lawlessness. There is
something left called law and govern
ment, it is true-there is also function
airy called a mayor, and police force
whose duty it is supposed to be, to pro-
tect from violence the person and prop
erty of the citizen and to arrest the
wrong-doer; but to what other purpose
law and government exist, except to OPP
press the innocent and embolden the
outlaw; where his Honor hides himself
when riot is abroad; whom the police
protect, except the rioters; whom they
arrest, except the victims, we have hon
estly tried to discover and signally
failed
Under the present municipal jurispru-
dence of Baltimore, to defend yourself
against the attacks of "Plug Ugly or
a Grip Rap" is ''star chamber offence"
You are first suffered to be beaten until
you can't see, a Waterman then kicks
and cuffs you until you can't stand, and
finally, you are dragged of to prison
aud locked up for rioter. But this is
only an everyday amusement. On fcs-
tival occasions, like Presidential cleo
ton, the performance is greatly varied.
Then it is that the musket, the revolver
and the bowie knife are brought forth,
a goodly number Of those who are not
shot or stabbed, being driven from the
polls to the tune of "Americans ruling
America" The police are of course
present, but their duty only commences
when that of the Plug Ugly is over
their business is to drag the wounded
and innocent to prison and to swear the
next morning that the dead were all
killed in self defence.
To preserve what remained of the hon
or of the city-to guard the ballot-box
from the experiments of the suffer and
the "pipe-layer," and to insure to every
man entitled to vote the peaceful and un-
molested liberty of voting, populations
of law-abiding citizens waited on his
Honor previous to the Fourth truthfully
and earnestly representing the dangers
with which the peace of the city was
menaced, and asking at his hands as a
boon what they we're entitled to demand
as a right-security in the orderly exer-
else of Constitutional privilege. He
appears to have been somewhat affected
by these appeals, and even forgot him
self so far as to promise large auxiliary
force and the aid Of the soldiers, if ne
cessary. In the excitement of the mo.
ment, he promised everything and did
everything he promised excepthis duty
The soldiers were ordered to get ready
and they got ready-the auxiliarics
mounted guard, and grand were the
demonstrations to make "Romc howl p
In the meanwhile, his Honor had dream
and change came over him. The SOL
diers we're ordered to their homes-their
captain was rebuked for "misconstruc-
ton" of orders-the city was coolly
handed back to riot and disorder, and
Orchard was himself again"
The morning of the Fourth dawned-
it was raw and gusty morning, but the
night watch, the day police and the aux
iliary forces were abroad-also was his
Honor, but at most respectable distance
from all "villianous saltpetre." He was
again importuned, first by the Governor
of the State, and subsequently by depu-
tations of citizens, to uphold the laws,
to protect the ballot-box and to suppress
an existing outbreak in one of the wards
Of the city. lie didn't do it, but he
stood up and he made a speech, and a
most extraordinary speech it was-he
told his Excelleney he was sorry to see
m-he limited to his ExcelIency that
the riot was none of his business that
it was sort Of municipal institution, re-
pressible by municipal resources, and he
pointed proudly to his inyiEcible auxili-
airy forces as amply sufficient for the
crisis. lie told the deputation that they
should be righted, that he would see to
their wrongs that moment, and, in par
oxysm of valor, he rushed forth to battle.
This was early in the morning, and here
we lose sight Of his Honor. The record
of the days proceedings makes no further
mention Of him. He is found neither
with the dead nor wounded hc is simply
missing. Our own idea Is that, when he
first rushed out and first recollected
where he was rushing, 10 paused, lie