The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-10-19
BALTIMORE.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10. 1858.

ut know no way" said PATRICK HENRY, ''of
,a,donc of the Future but by the Past.' Thus
,;rocted what are we to expect in connection with
omr municipal condition? What is the Past?
After the October Election of 1856, it was assert
cd by respectable citizens, that organized Clubs
warp handed together to disfranchise the natural
;zed voters and that the Police of the city
affiliated members of those Clubs, and could not
therefore be trusted to protect the constitutional
rights of that prescribed class. The GOVERNOR oil
the State accordingly invoked, in view of the
well-grounded apprehensions of default on the part
of the local authorities, to inerpose his Constu-
tional power for the rescue of their menaced rights
on precisely the same principle on which Governor
KING, of New York. now guards with the State
Militia the Quarantine property, from mob which
the local authorities are not willing to quell. The
charge of assentation on the part of the Police and
of connivance with such meditated outrage
was at that time Indignantly denied by the MAYOR
and his organs, who, Wanting the sufficiency
of the police force for all necessary purposes of
security spurned the profefed Intervention of the
GOVERNOR With what result? Riot, mayhem,
and murder did in fact, with unchecked ferocity
disranchise almost the entire vote of the natural
lied citizens, and inundated thousands of
natveborn voters from the exercise of the right of
suffrage.
We were then told that it was to be regretted"
that the udicious arrangements of the MAYOR had
not entirely succeeded and all good citizens were
counselled thenceorh to forbear all partizan oppo-
ston to this "model' officer, and trust for protec-
c,@ ;l,, tot baf
organization of the police, intended, and whose
promised efficiency was plighted to the sure
clamation of law and order. No longer would
scenes of violence and spoliation afford the
"maligners" of Baltimore an opportunity to
CRAFTY or Justify personal or political anmosty.
Enjoying the full support of the City Council, the
MAYOR organized his Police, and time after time,
he and his organs have vouched them as picked
and reliable body. They were uniformed, mar
shalled, paraded, and addressed from time to time
by the speech-making Mayor and the organs,
with PRIDE pointed to the Police and published
and praised the speeches.
Observant men had predicted that the city
would fall under the government of the Clubs,
and that this MAYOR would neither be willing nor
dare to organize any constabulary force whose
members were not in great part, stained by COM
plicity with the excuses of the October and |
November elections of 1856 and 1857. Accord |
ingly, soon after its selection some of the most |
notorious agents in those disorders were seen con-
shutting q part of this force. Public confidence |
was staggered. To meet this sentiment of appre-
hension, and to vindicate the Party from the pre-
dicted control of the Clubs for a short season,
the city was measurably quiet, and ''Plugs" and |
'Rough Skins were not visible as a governing
power.
This amnesty was very brief. Soon, and pro-
gressvey-the members of these Clubs, after the
exhaustion of the political funds which had sus-
tanned their lawless and idle debaucheries, reused
themselves anew to the work of violence, black
mall robbery and assassination. Houses were
invaded, stores plundered, individuals way-lad
robbed and murdered. But few arrests were made
by the Poce-of well known friends and political
associates; and these found their shelter in the
straw-bail accepted by political magistrates, or in
the partisan sympathies of the public prosecutor
In fine, not to re-iterate well-known Details the
laweSs power Of these clubbsts was seen to be
clearly established, by all fair minded men, and
the completely and intimidation of the Police
force was scarcely a disputable fact. Neverthe-
less,-this city was pronounced by the MAYOR
to be better governed than any other, and his
newspaper organs stigmatzed any contrary asser-
ton as the offspring Of BIPARTISAN malignity"
Now-how stands the matter? In nineteen wards
of the city, almost the entire vote of from Q 900
to 10000 men was, on Wednesday last, deferred
from constitutional exercise, by an organized |
scheme of these clubs to have marked tickets and
to repulse from the polls all who were not willing
to vote them. 1t is now confessed that the election
returns of that day "bear their face the so pal
'pabe impress of fraud and violence, that any
"dispute on the subject, among far-minded and |
Intelligent men, is impossible" and the MAYOR
is called upon by his chief organ, ''thoroughly' to
re-organize that Police, of whose efficiency he had
so recently boosted And what course are the vic
tins of this enormous outrage advised to adopt by
that journal, which, for the past two years, has
vindicated this Police and this MAYOR? To forbear
all political discussions, attend to their private
business and lend cordial support to the authori-
ties and press which have thus patronzed and con-
nved at the most stupendous political wrong
in the annals of the country; in the
hope that thus some reform may ensue
for the protection of private citzens-whilst not
exercising the right of surage-their families and
property. 1t is precisely the advice, as we sug-
gested yesterday, which is constantly given by
Austrian despots TO the Venetans, NIilanese. |
and llungarians-the mild government of implicit |
submission over those who are prepared TO concede
that they have no political rights
The outrages and violence of these mobbers are
gross enough; the wholesale disfranchisement OF |
one-haf of community of 900, 900 people, by
organized clubs of desperate and abandoned men,
Is indignity and shame enough. But it is far
more acceptable and endurable than the insulting
advice-to kiss the hand which has allowed this
power thus to tyrannize and to triumph Judging
of the future then by the past what is the prospect
before us, and where is this indignant community
to find its protection? Let every niH examine
his own heart, ponder this condition of things
and stir his public virtue to its duties In him
self and in the laws, he will find ample resources
for redress and protection, without adding to the
degradation of disfranchisement, the lower depth
of fawnng upon the vain deceivers who fatter
themselves that they can escape from the conse-
quences of the wrongs they have perpetrated
by the cry, "Thou canst not say did it."