The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-11-04
BALTIMORE.
rrUrRsDAY, NOVEMBER a. 1853.

ord nnrposes of THE CITY REFORM ASSOCIATION, as
cor forth in its published Address to the citizens
Sc Baltimore we adverted briefly to the perfect
sir,n,icitv and unquestionable legality of the
means by which the ASSOCIATION proposes to effect
&c objects Nothing unusual or unlawful is con-
formulated or recommended. Without suggesting
or advising any rash counsels or extreme mea-
sures-without invoking any of those extraordi-
nary and revolutionary agencies, to which an
insulted disfranchised and abused people might
naturally and not unreasonably, have been ex-
nected to have recourse, the ASSOCIATION calmly
and temperately proposes to accomplish its lawful
ends within the limits and under the forms OF the
law also, and through the medium OF the Ballot
box. purified from fraud, and once more opened
10 the free and unobstructed suffrages OF citizens
The objects Of the ASSOCIATION as we have already
said, are as praiseworthy and patriouc, as the
means to be employed in their attainment are fair
and legitimate, and the public exposition OF them
in the Address is honest and undisguised. They
are, simplv-the restoration of the good name of
our city, which has been sadly disgraced by the
occurrences of the past two years-the purihcaton
and preservation of the elective tranchlse-and
the elevation to all Offices of executive, NUM-
cipal and judicial trust-in the city OF Baltimore
of honest, faithful and competent men, without
distinction of party. Now-to the people of Bal
timore and of Maryland, this simple statement of
the purposes of the ASSOCIATION and OF the means
by which it is proposed to accomplish them, COM
nrises everything that need be said, in order to
secure for the movement, the undivided sympathy
a. IL,
the causes that have led to the formation of the
ASSOCIATION and the events which have created
the necessity for its organization, are too well
known TO require additional confirmation, or any
other evidence of the literal and melancholy truth
of every word and syllable which is contained in
the Address than is to be found within the per-
sona knowledge, experience and observation OF
every man, woman and child in this community.
To our readers at distance, however, and to the
country at large, which will, perhaps, hear with
establishment. of the formation of such an Asso-
CATION because of the sheer inability of people
elsewhere, TO comprehend how such a state o.
things as at this day exists in Baltimore, could
ever have come TO pass in this republican country,
or have been for such length of time endured by
oOiiiS
fuller and further explanation is due of the origin
and character of that condition of political bon
dage and social and moral degradation, in which
we at present exist but from which the AssoCI-
TIoY proposes to open unto us door and avenue
of escape AT the risk, therefore, of repeating
what many of readers already know by
heart and which, by dint of frequent repetition,
NAV have become to some more tedious than a
twice-tod tale, we shall essay a brief and tenn
perate narrative of our municipal history during
the period of the past two years.
Previous to the October Election of 1856, the
apprehensons Of many good men and respectable
citizens had been awakened to the probability of
that Election being attended by more than the
usual amount of tumult and disorder, to the sup
preston of which, it was feared the civil power
would lie found wholly inadequate. Application
was accordingly made to the MAYOR of the city
for some extraordinary provision TO meet
extraordinary emergency. Acknowledging,
apparently, the justice of these appre-
tensions, which subsequent events proved
only TO have been too we'll founded, Mayor
links requested General STEUART, the COM
manding officer of this military district, to hold
his force in readiness for service upon election day
Understanding this request of the MAYOR in the
only sense in which it could be supposed to have
had any meaning at all, that officer, with charac
teristic promptness, issued his orders to the off
GERS and men composing his division, requiring
them to assemble on the morning of the day O
election, at the usual places of regmental muster
equipped and in readiness for duty. Scarcely had
these orders been made public when, for reasons
best known to himself the MAYOR addressed a mote
to General STEu occurring hin, that he had en-
tirely lnIsappreliended his meaning and requesting
him Immediately TO suspend his military prepare
tons. Under such circumstances, the General had
no alternative but TO revoke his orders No pro.
vision, consequently, was made to meet the proba-
bic contingencies of the day. The Election took
place. TWAS attended by bloodshed and disorder
TO an extent wholly unprecedented in the annals
of this any other American city. In the vi
cinity of the Lexington market, and in the public
squares surrounding the WASHINGTON Monument,
pitched battles were fought in which muskets
were freely used, and cannon even brought into
the streets-which the authorities made no attempt
TO quell, as they had made no provision to prevent
\,
and finally only terminated with night-fall-and
in which, actually, more men were killed. than fell
on side on the field of Palo Alto-the first bat
tie in the Mexican war The result of the Election,
if it may be so called was the almost entire dis
franchisement of all naturalized citizens, who
were, nearly everywhere, driven from the polls,
and the consequent elevation of Mr.. SWAMI to the
MAYoRALTY by Il majority of 1854 votes.
Upon the approach of the November Election of
1857, number of citizens, admonished by the mel
ancholy experience of the previous year. confirmed
by that of the municipal election in October, and
justly apprehensve, therefore, of the recurrence of
the same disorders, or worse, and distrustful
alike of the ability and disposition of Mr.. SWAMI,
to make any adequate provision for their repres-
sion, applied TO the GOVERNOR of the State, to in
terpose bis constitutional power for their
protection. Governor LICoN accordingly came
to the city, and invited the cooperation of
the MAYOR in any measures which might be
deemed necessary for the preservation of the public
peace and the protection of the elective franchise.
The invitation Of the GOVERNOR was treated with
contempt and his prollered aid in the enforcement
OF the laws, rejected by the MAYOR of the city.
Satisfied, then, equally from his own observation,
and by the representations of the respectable
citizens who had solicited his intervention, that a
necessity existed for his interference in behalf of
the menaced rights and liberties of the people OF
Northumberland deprived of the support and SYM
pathy of the local authorities, the GOVERNOR pro-
ceeded to take the only steps that seemed likely to
meet the necessities Of the case He issued his orders
to the proper officers, directing the enrolment Of
a sufficient military force, with view to the de-
claration and enforcement of martial law, in the
event of the civil power proving unable or I'M
willing TO stem the tide Of popular violence and
curb the excuses of the mob The partisans of
the MAYOR, on their side, were not idle. In
every section of the town, they were arming and
organizing with the reasonable design of resisting
by force the lawful authority of the GOVERNOR.
Under such circumstances. a collision he
tween the Government of the State and
the turbulent and sedtious mob who
adhered to the counSels of the MAYOR seemed
absolutely inevitable. To avert a catastrophe so
frighfu, and actuated by an earnest and patriotic
desire to the good name of the CITY and spare
the effusion of blood, number of our best and
worthiest citizens proffered their mediation be-
tween the antagonstic authorities Manifesting a
decree of confidence, which subsequent events
proved to have been utterly misplaced, in the
ability of Mr.. SWAMI to preserve the peace of the
o;ty and in the sUfficency of bie nrono;ead or