Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1857-11-13
Gov. Lyon.

Some things are wise and some are otherwise How
the proposed action Of Governor Lyon of Maryland may
be viewed will depend very much upon the point OF WIS.,
ion selected by those who undertake to pass Judgment
upon it.
The case seems to have been that Governor Lyon
knew that recent elections in Baltimore had been
only redeemed from the rdicule of farce by having in
fused into them the tragca element of blood He knew
that more than once or twice. the promises of the
thores and the hopes of the citizens had been alike
fasfed and he felt that in the ordinary of things
it was useless to seek for redress His nerpostion was
invoked by citizens of Baltimore whose experience had
produced the same convictions and whose observations had
assured them that these convictions would be confirmed
by the state things at the coming election. He put
himself in correspondence with Mayor Swami, respect
fully offering his cooperation and requesting that func
tonary inform him of what steps he proposed to take
for the preservation of the peace and of the rights of
suffrage at the approaching election The Mayor threw
himself on his dignity declined to meet the Governor
halfway or to afford any satisfactory guarantee or ntor-
nation and the Governor felt called upon to assume
responsibility in the matter responsibility arising out
of the nature of his Office he believed. AS chief
civil and military officer of the State, he called upon
the military to assist in maintaining the peace, and sup
sorting the laws in portion of the State where the To-
cal authorities had VIGOROUSLY failed to DO either Final
y on further information being given, and further guar
antees afforded by the Mayor he at the solicitation OF
friends withdrew his proclamation calling out the mill
tary.
We do not now propose to discuss the prudence OF
his first act in calling out the military, or his second one
in countermandng that order placing reliance upon
Mavor SWANS promises and representations neither of
which, as it turned out were worthy Of that reliance
We merely refer to the legality and constitutionay OF
his course in both cases and must confess that the
published opinion these points, given to the world by
lawyers like Reverdy johnson and others, of Baltimore
have more weight with u.s. and we presume, had more
with Gov Lgon than the slang-whanging Of the ure-
liable partizan press or the still unreliable secta-
rian organs.
We see that the Herald ofths place, and, presume
other opposition papers, repubish long attack upon
Governor Iigon's course, credited to the New York
Fresmans Journal, Catholic paper. Itmakes quasi
legal argument against the Governor, interarded with
Latin maxims to give it look of eruditiOn, and with
Understanding references to the Constitution, to supply
the staples of eloquence and patriotism and that is all.
1t has neither fairness nor justice to recommend it.
But letting that pass for what it is worth. Let us
suppose announcer case Leu us euPpoSc 'no' 'S O"'no
lie paper had come out in endorsement of Governor
Lyon and the Democrats had undertaken to quote it,.
Does any o0e doubt that it would have been wholly re
pudiated as authority and bitterly assaed as prlesty
presumption by the Know Nothing press of Baltimore
and by all others who coincide with that press in its at
tack upon Governor Lyon. Surely party organs that
express such holy horror of the Church Of Rome must
be pretty hard run when they take to quoting from the
Foreign Popish organ of Cross John Hughes The
words in quotations not ours. We have no feeling
either for Or against Bishop Hughes or his organs, bu
certainly we may fairly retort them upon those wht
have made such feelings q raIying cry Of party,