Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-11-04
MAYORS OFFICE, CRY HALL,
Ra1ffu,ora DOT % 1877

| To Has ErcelIeaey, T. Watkins Ligon
Governor Of Maryland:
SIR IL have had the honor to receive your let
ter of the 9th inst, in which you say that rep
reservations from large number of most respecta-
BILE citizens of the condition of things in this city
added to my conviction of my constitutional
duty, impose upon the obligation respectfully to
consult you as Mayor OF the City of Balti more as
to what provision should be made by you to guar
antee personal security and the free exercise of
suffrage by the legal voters at the approaching cleo
ton"
Your letter goes on to indicate duties which are
incumbent upon US both. The constitutional sphere
assigned to you as Governor of the State of Mary
land and to Mayor of the City of Baltimore,
is believed to be sufficiently defined. While /
should claim, by virtue Of my commission the priv
ilege of the iniatve in any demand which l might
consider necessary to be made upon your Excel
lency for your aid and cooperation in preserving
the peace of the city and the rights of its citizens
do not object at any time, to impart you any
other citizen the fullest information il regard to
matter connected with the government of the city,
in which the public might feel an interest. 1t
could not fail to excite my surprise, that in letter
inviting a consultation with me, your Excellehcy,
after prOnOuncing summary Judgment upon the in
efficiency of the City Gov, rnment should have
thought proper refer to the events of the NUM-
cipal and Presidential elections of 1885, with
which, as Mayor OF the city, had no official con-
necton; and to impress upon me, that you were
reso!ute in the determination to use your cOpstitu
tona power to fulfill the guarantee that the citizen
is entitled to good government.
In your reference to the represe nations you
have received from large number of most respec-
table citizens your Excellency would seem to have
lost sight of the fact, that by the authority under
which he is acting, the Mayor of the city IS made
the Judge OF, and is responsible for, the complete
ness and efficiency of his arrangements for preserv
ing the public peace, and that the only official
source of information, Il reference to the plans
heretofore adopted, was in him alone and the Off
GERS acting under him.
AS to what your excellency has said about the
importance of maintaining law and order in a great
commercial metropolis like this need hardly
sure you, that man has labOred more faithfully
or assIduOusly than l have done towards the
cOmplishment of this end. The events which have
! transpired since l took charge of the municipal
! government, and the murdered and wounded police
men who have fallen in the late effort to preserve
! the peace of the city and to to the citizen
the free exercise of his right of suffrage will sGi
! GENTLY attest the activity of my abors.
My preparations at the last municipal election
| WERE is known, of the most ample character;
| sufficiently so in my judgment to have met any
emergency. That individual instances of complaint
were to be found is not to be wondered at. These
are incident to all excited elections, that have here
tofore taken place in city. My instructions to
the police were of the most absolute and impartial
character and in every instance of decided out
break, the efficiency of this force felt aad &c
! knowledged.
At the election in November, in furtherance OF
| the object which have lost sight Of in ad-
dtion to the complement OF officers assigned t. the
stations and the various election precincts acting
! Immediately in concert with the Judges, together
| with the details by which they will be regulated,
there will be what may be deemed 10 my Judgment
| a competent force to ensure to those who may be
entitled TO vote the free and untrammeltd exercise
of their right of suiirages and will state it my
belief that unless some unforeseen occurrence should
IL -, 6 A.. II.
excited by those who are now engaged IN the effort
to break down the city government, that the elec
ton will proceeded quietly and without interruption
As Mayor OF the city of Baltimore, hold my
commission directly from the people, aud am ac-
countable to them for the manner in which dis
charge my trust The Office which l have been
called upon to assume conferred upon me with
out solicitation, and will BE- laid down whenever it
shall be made to appear that have lost the conf
dence Of those whom IL has been my highest en-.
deaVor to serve / can recognize " subordinate
to no other power within the sphere of my duty. !
deemed it due to courtesy to afford your Excel.
lency the amplest information in regard to the mat
ters to which you refer III your letter, and nov H.
| vite from you any reliable evidence upon which
can legally act Of a combination on the part OF any
of our citizens, to obsruct the laws at the coming
election. But while am thus frank in foresha iOw
ing nv plans for the preservation of the public
peace aud the protection OF the voter by every
| means at my command, / must be equally so in de-
clinng to recognize any joint administration OF the
affairs of the city. The powers Of the Mayor are
believed to be ample. He has his resort in case Of
emergency, TO the civil posse, as well as to the
military arm, which, like the former is placed by
the law under his control 1t will be his duty &C
his best endesvors to that every citizen i;
protected in his constitutional rights aud that tbs
peace OF the city u preserved by every means al
his disposal If, however, il should be attempted
20 introduce a power in the city of Baltmor,
above that of It's regularly constituted autoori
ties, or if the power should be assumed ia anti
epation of a state Of things which may not occur
TO bring the military in contact with the people O;
the day OF election, without an official requsitio
on the part Of the local authorities, | ouly q
press the sincere belief that such policy might Sc
riously endarger tbe the peace of the city, an,
lead TO consequences which il should be the duty
all good citis ms to endeavor if possible 10 avert
With great respect, / have the honor to be you
oOedient servant,
THOs. SWAMI. Mayor.