The American. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1857, 1857-10-31


be alive. The British thought the American army
under Washington .annibilated, when it appeared
and routed them at Trenton, and finally drove
them from the country. ygy.Fgf yta
T. WATKINS Lyon AND MAYOR
SWAMI, OF BALTIMORE.
We have seldom seen more dignifed and
appropriate rebuke given to impairment folly and
ignorance than that contained in the answer OF
the Mayor of Baltimore to the communication OF
the gentleman above named, with reference to
the measures necessary to be taken for the pre-
servation of peace and good order in that city at
the approaching election. The little gentleman
who occupies the gubernatorial chair of Mary
land seems to have forgotten, in the plenitude Of
his self-suficiency, that his powers in the pre-
misses are strictly limited, and confined to the
provisions Of the Constitution and laws Of the
State. He will find to his modification that, how
ever ready the citizens of Baltimore may be to aid
in preserving the public peace from aggressons
at home or abroad they will on no account tole7
rate or submit to arrogant assumption, come from
what quarter it may. Under the charter Of that
city certain rights and privileges are secured to
the corporation, among which is that Of selfgov-
eminent in matters Of police regulations, Of which
they will not suffer themselves to be robbed with
impunity. Mayor Swami, as the chief magistrate
of the city, has acquitted himself manfully and
successfully of the official duties incumbent upon
him ever since he has been in Office, and is
doubtless ready to do 80 again should occasion
require. The civil and military powers Of the
tiop Cow ba ;yb 4
he will, if necessary, cause them to be efficiently
exerted for the preservation of good order, with
out the interference of Mr.. Lyon, who, beyond
the limits of his own misplaced authority, is no
more than any other private citizen. Whatever
right to interpose may enure to him as the Gov
ernor of the State in the event of the city autho
rty being unable to sustain ITSELF that right exists
only in such an event. and the existence of such
a necessity can only be legitimately made known
through the medium of those entrusted with its
government. Whilst we are and always have
been the upholders of Inv and order at all haz.
ards, we are no less the opposers of violence,
instgated by individual pretension under the garb
of official authority. Thank God we have in this
country no constructive treason, but the powers
con6ded to the agents of the people are well and
clearly defined by the lao of the land, which must
not be transcribed. In this country, any exer-
else of power not legally delegated by the people
through their legislative representatives may
justly be regarded and punished as treason against
that people, in whom alone the sovereign power is
vested. @ .4 est"
Had Mr. Lyon gone purposely to work to create
popular disturbance he could have hit upon no surer
way of affecting his object than the one which from
excessive ignorance, or worse motive, he has
adopted; and should it be persevered in, there is
no telling to what extent it will operate In Eng
land whenever an election is to be held all military
display of power must be Withdrawn to such a
distance that it can in no way interfere with the
freedom of the elective franchise, while in free
America!!l the Governor of State dares to at
tempt to interpose the military power to control
an election, when there exists no necessity for the
exercise Of it, and probably will be none unless
foreign aliens and hirelings instigated by others
infinitely worse, morally, than themselves, shall
create it. Mr.. Lgon-for we insist that in the
premises and under the circumstances, he is no
more than cry other private citizen--must.h have
care what he is about, for on him will necessarily
rest the responsibility for any bloodshed that may
take place, should blood be spilled it inevitably
must. The men and officers ordered to be in rea-
diness to act during Wednesday next against their
fellow citizens, viii doubtless understand and justly
appreciate the authority i,y which they are re-
quired to arm themselves against their brethren,
and will treat IL accordingly.
As for T. Watkins Lyon, as he, perhaps, un-
Intentionally, but most appropriately styles him
self, we again advise him to beware what he is
doing. As T. Watkins Lyon he may do many
things that as Governor Of Maryland, and as such
CONN ander-n-chief oil the militia" OF that State,
he cannot do; and it is well, perhaps, that he has
signed his so-called orders, simply enough to be
sure, without his official title In such case, we
hardly think the Major Generals, to whom these
orders are addressed, will deem II their duty to
obey them. They Of course know the RESPONSE
bilty involved and win govern themselves accord
ingly. Americans, as freemen and good citizens
Of the United States, need not be taught their
solemn duty on such an occasion. They know It,
and will perform it by sustaining duly constituted
legal authority in opposition to arrogant preten-
sion. NaN u - ,
president Buchanan was walking on the
Avenue yesterday afternoon, as clustering as the
weather was, without even the protection Of an
overcoat We never saw him look in better
health and spirits, or move with elasticity of
STEP"
Upon reading the foregoing paragraph, it struck
us that there was something Of the Roman char
acter in IL, or at least that the spirit which per-
yades IL has its parallel in the speeches and pro-
positions of Roman Senators-of Dolabella, Mar.
Gus Silanus, and Quintus Haterius for instance.
Tacitus, In his Annals book 8, section Al, speak
ing OF Tiberius, the emperor, having announced
to the Senate his intention to show himself to the
provinces (which he had no notion Of doing] TO
allay the ferment and restore tranquility, says
"vows for his return, and solemn festivals, with
other usual ceremonies we're decreed by the
Senate. Dolabella, intending to display his genius
in the trade Of Hattery, succeeded so far as TO
shor his meanness and absurdity. He proposed
that the emperor on his return from Oampania,