Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-12-25
BARSUA's HurEL, BALTIMORE, !


October %, 1857.
SIR:-l have Just received your reply to my letter
OF Yesterday and beg TO say that your views Of our
respective powers and duties do not accord with my
own.
Clothed with the authority to see that the lava
executed throughout the entire State, cannot COM
prehend how the city of Baltimore or its Mayor re-
cognizes no differentiation to the State executive
His power ia created by the Constitutions that organ.
ic instrument also defines his duties Has the Mayor
of Baltimore any coordinate position in that charter
or are not his authority and that Of his city, the mere
endowments of ordinary legislation
am mortified and panied 10 notice that spirit IN q
municipal agent of government, which if generally
adopted, would subvert tha whole theory OF our IN
stitutions and end in jealous rivalries among the
chain of officials.
Under your view. il would seem that any officer Of
a municipality elected by the people became by that
circumssuce subordinate to no one and only account
able to them for the manner in which he :" dis
charged" his trust.
will not now indulge in any protracted REPUTATION
of an error which must rather be the growth OF Of
fetal sepsbity than of mistaken conceptions OF con.
stitutioual position The natural sequel OF such an
error is The further implication that my powers and
duties are 10 be initiated into activity by the dlscre-
ton of municipal subordinates. Do you thus await
the application of your subordinstes1 Ii not, why
Simply because you are sworn to see the laws ex-
ecuted and whilst in general you conhde IN ths iu!-
ment of their duties, you stl hold In reserve those
powers of supervision, which are made necessary by
their own defaults, and their serious bearing on the
general welfare.
Is not the city filed with clubs Of lawess and vio
lent parzans, whose very sppellatiyes brsndish def
ance order, and make the peaceabe prefer to sur
render rights rather than claim them at The rlsk OF
life Sir, is there no law and no authority some
where to curb the one class and shield the other II
the ordinary civil power Of the city is insufficient
what is the inevitable deduction! IL it not better
that YOU should admit its nadequscy, and be cordial
ltha tba hRa lied
powers, and permitted for your aid that executive to
interfere who has not been at all complicated in past
anmosities
You mention in your communication that one of
your policemen was murdered" at the recent cleo
ton What guarantee is there that similar occur
renee may not happen again at the approaching cleo
tion unless more adequate arrangements are prepared
for the suppression Of lawlessness have not
come here to empower assaults upon your
police but to protect them, and invgorate every
arm that will be sincerely extended in behalf of in
dividual security and constitutional liberty. And
feel that is circumstance Of jus modification, that
State executive who has repaired to city in which
the press has not hestated to declare that the recent
election was a "mockery" from the intimidation to
voters should be asked by its municipal head to fur
nish him with any reliable evidence upon which
can legally act OF combination on the part OF any OF
our citizens to obstruct the laws at the coming cleo.
ton"
Is there no such thing as fact Does the spirit
of party blind municipal officers to that condition Of
things which AL fair minded Citizens recognize Are
there not daily and nightly murders
Ii is TO be deeply regretted that We should BIZ ut all
separated in the performance Of our duties for in
surfing to the citizen his legal rights which violence
has thus overawed and that you decline TO recOgnize
any Joint administration of the affairs Of this ety.,
when tender you tho executive cooperation. This
fearful responsibility you have takeu. believe that
just minded community will severely cansure this
false independently as not CONSTANT with our relative
official positions, or ooHsonant with that spirit OF
union which should unite all good men against the
bad and lawle,s. But however this may be, An.
nounce to you respectfully that shall nevertheless
see that the laws faithfully executed" by every
constitutional power.
feel assured that this community and the State
will see in this conduct spirit of no intrusive in
erfsranoe, but rather that imperative duty which
they have a right to expect.
Entertaining none but the most friendly feelings .
yourself personally and desiring that successful az:
m;nistrston by you Of your civic dnties which "
rebound TO the credit Of the city and State, sSa L
renew my solicitation for your cheerful Cooperation
with the executive, and hope that, on rev.icc q
your opinion, you will not any derogsory 50 o'r;-
nation which will prevent you, as the municifs ga;
OF this city, from uniting in harmonious 7-3t: :,
assert the supremacy of the laws.
Very respectfully, your obi seEv:.
T. WATKINS LYON.