The American. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1857, 1857-10-24
r... l,,.,, From the Baltimore Clipper
4. ,ra ADDRESS OF TIE MAYOR
4,r. III, E. .,rfeaf. TO THE aaH aaa $50
CITIZENS OF BALTIMORE.
MAYORS OFFICE, City Hall,
Bdlkimore- Oct. la. 1877

7.
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q, ,e,-., l,.,l MAYORS OFFICE, City Hall, !
.e.. e.. Bditim0re, Oct. l9, 1857. !
Events which have transpired within day OF
two past, induce me in justice to the position il
which have been placed by your sufrages, tc
make brief statement to the public. '8
Since took charge of the municipal govern
ment OF the city of Baltimore, il has been my en-
dcavor to devote, my best energies towards the
maintenance of the public peace, and to check
lawlessness whenever and wherever it should be
foInd TO exist. In the discharge of my official
duties in this particular, have known no party,
and have endeavored TO impress upon those act
ing under me the observance of the strictest i'm
partiality. The first aim Of my administration
mas been TO establish government Of law and
order, With this view L, have labored day and
night throwing myself in contact with the po-
nee and visiting all parts Of the city to see that
no blame attached in the prompt discharge of the
duties assigned them. For more than fifteen years
nave been more or less connected with the pub
lie affairs of this city, and the prominent citizens
who, have cooperated with me- in the various
posts to which have been called, will do me the
justice TO believe that have acted at all times
win single eye to the advancement and pros
perity Of the city Of Baltimore @ E@
When the new police was established it was
natural that large calculations should be made
upon its efficiency In the organization of that
force acted for the best. In many instances OF
appointments, indeed j may say.in most Of them,
was compelled to lean upon the officers then in
the service of the city in whom had confidence,
| and to whom the appointees were personally
Known That may have committed errors, / am
| free to admit; and these whenever exposed have
been promptly corrected and are still engaging
my attention from day to day. | will state how
ever, without reservation, as my deliberate con-
viction, that no body of men of equal numbers,
| taken without experience from civil life, could
have conducted themselves, in the aggregate, with
more prOpriety and efficiency in the discharge of
the duties imposed upon them. a#"
That some disappointment should have been felt
in the working Of this system, was prepared to
expect. The increase was not large enough to
guard every mans house in the city of Baltimore
at all hours OF the day and night. That they
could not. be present On every OCCASION to stay
the arm Of the assassin and extinguish the secret
torch OF the incendiary was equally evident to me.
And yet there were those who held the city gov
ernment responsible for every outbreak-every
bar room rencontre-eyery act of shooting how
ever eudden-every fire riot however beyond the
power Of the municipal arm-every scene of law.
lessness whenever and wherever committed, as
though apolice force Of some one hundred men dur.
ing the day and two hundred during the night scat
tered over city of $4,000 inhabitants could be
every where at the same time to correct and effec
tually suppress these abuses ...
That lawlessness exists to an unusual extent
cannot be denied. IL has become a prominent
Characteristic Of the times In other cities as well
as our own, this is unfortunately too manifest.
The whole country is suffering from this cause,
and from every part of the Union we hear com.
plants of its fearful increase
IL is however fact not TO be lost sight Of that
here in the city Of Baltimore the lawlessnc.s OF
which we have most to complain, is confined to
drinking houses where politicians usually congre-
gate, is referable to the excesses to which they
give rise. The eye of the police, however yigi-
liant, could hardly be expected TO attend the citi-
zen at all times in his nightly hauuts or to antci-
pate the sudden outbursts OF passion and violence
which party elimination and the free use of intox-
icating stinulants are SO likely to provoke. The
remedy is with the law which tolerates their ex.-
tence in our midst, rather than the police.
1t is due TO the city of Baltimore, in this con-
nexion, to state that there is perhaps no city in
the Union where the public press draws more
largely for the entertainment Of its readers upon
the police returns This has placed the city of
Baltimore in relation of disparagement-appa
ent rather than actual-and her true position has
been still further distorted by the grosscst and
most shameful perversion of truth On the part Of
certain reporters Of the daily press. In their
police under the influence Of excited party rancor,
the city of Baltimore has been given up, without
re morse to the abuse of the whole country.
IL cannot have escaped notice, that for months
past there has been a systematic effort TO break
down the municipal government Of the city Of
Baltimore. There is hardly n week that murder.
Gus assaults are not made upon her officers in all
parts OF the city. The Executive has found him.
self without support from a large class who claim
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left 10 maintain the peace OF the city as best he
might, with the force placed at his disposal
amidst the jeers and reproaches of those with
whom Il has been his misfortune to differ in poll.
tical sentiment
Il ia IN no spirit OF supplicaton that make
this statement. ask no favor from those who
have chosen to place themselves in this hostile
attitude, and | trust that i shall know how to
bring under subsection to the law, the combina-
ton which has been established in your midst to
paralyze the Executive arm, and to destroy the
good name Of your city.
With this explanation proceed TO the more
direct object cf this communication. The attempt
within The last few days to create excitement
against the fairness and efficiency of the city gov
ernment, has made IL incumbent that the position
Of its Chief Magistrate should not be misunder.
stood: A recurrence TO known and established
facts is Il u that | desire for the present.
The recent municipal election, regret to say
has not been without its incidents Of lawlessness
and bloodshed. These, although limited in ex-
tent, have been Of a character certainly without
precedent In our past history, because they have
exhibited the spectacle of an armed force through
out the city, directed solely and exclusively to
bring the government into disrepute, by a war
upon its police.
The preparations which had been made to pre-
serve order at t'le ballot box, are open TO the
scrutiny of thC lblc. | felt no desire to sup
press a single ~ or to connye at any nterfe-
renee with the lective franchise. The party that
could so FAR ,rade himself by cxacting such
service at my iands, would have found me as i'm.
practicable, as have been uncompromising in
conceding to the humblest citizen the free and
untrammeled exercise Of his constitutional rights.
NV orders 20 the chief marshal on the day of the
election were given in the presence OF witnesses
who will fully establish their character and impair
tiaty The details of these arrangements speak
their own comment Each ward in the city OF
Baltimore was provided, on the morning of the
10Th, with a detachment of five officers, in CON-
rnand of captain, lieutenant, or sergeant-the
special officer being required to place himself in
contact with the polls, while the rest Of his de-
tachment were to be within call of his signal in
case their services should be required. They we're
instructed to preserve order at all hazards.
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