The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-11-22

! p0ace M
Baltimore, we pledge him. as law abiding and order loving
citizens, our cordial and undivided support
hcSotred, That the foregoing resolutions be published in
GREGORY BARRETT President
R. B. EVANS, Secretary.
In order that so decided and important an ex-
preston of opinion as this may not fail to have
Its proper moral effect upon all 'law-abdng and
order-loving" people, it is incumbent on us to
state, that the respectable body from which it
comes, is the same whose members proposed
fortnight ago, at the Maryland Tnstitute-under
the auspices of his Honor the Mayor and other
distinguished tunctionaries and prominent gentle
men-to dance over the brilliant victory of the
18th of October last. Among the honored con-
stitucnts of the Convention" are the heroic
''Plug Ugles," well known to fame, and to the re-
cords of the criminal tribunals and the redoubtable
| Rough Skins" some of whose best beloved
members by the assistance of the District Court of
! the United States, weaving, in the
Maryland Penitentary something different from
the garlands of triumph. Those too, THAT is to
say in the Convention" but not yet in the Peni
Tertiary, are the worshipful cred Necks'-the
welcome guests Of his Honor Mayor SWAMI, on the
! night Of the last elecLon-day-to whom he ex-
pressed his painful regret that 'his house was not
| Gas large as his heart and whom he congratu-
lated (the patriot heroes y upon having, that day,
won 'the most brilliant victory, ever achieved on
! "Amcrican soil" The 'tgentlemanly Tigers
also, from Federal Hill,-and the MAYORS neigh
| bors, the ''the Black Snakes of the 18th Ward
Gas wise serpents, but as harmless as doves, -
lend the sanction of their character and the weight
! of thcir IN tba
resolutions-whe last though not least in the
Homeric line of 'Babes1 and 'sBlood Tubs
which extends itself indefinitely before u.s. are the
worshipful rip Raps' under whose kindred wing
were nurtured and developed the virtues and the
chivalry Of the estimable CROPS It is perhaps,
to this last mentioned badge of distinction, that the
Grip Raps" are indebted, for the honor of having
their President selected to preside, also, over the
peace-preserving deliberations of the aggregate
Convention. That 4 body, so made up, should
'discountenance" the Cry REFORM ASSOCIATION
and its INSTRUMENTATION to Sour Honorable
MAYOR" cannot fail infinitely to strengthen the
hands of that officer in his praiseworthy efforts TO
"preserve the peace and good order of our city,"
and must necessarily tend to diminish, if it does
not eXtingush, altogether, the 'awlessness' of the
a
| ISOLATION, which it so virtuouslv and summarilv
rebukes. After such an expression of opinion,
| from such source, there must be an end of the
''grave responsibility which Mr.. SWAMI admits
in his message to have attended upon his assuming
the duties of the MAYoRALTY, after such an ''eec-
ton" He has realized, at last, from "a generous
constituency" that responsive and sympathetic
appreciation TO which he aspired, and which
always carries comfort and gladness to a good
mans bosom.
But-looking at the subject, for an instant with
the seriousness which it inspires, notwithstanding
the indescribable absurdity of the Resolutions in
themselves it not enough to make the most
| careless and thoughtless pause and think? Is it
conceivable, in a community like this-under a
government Of laws-where there are free men
and true men, and where public opinion is free
and ought to be fearless-that such a body as a
Convention of Clubs, whose very names, in the
forclble language of the late Governor of Mary
land, "brandsh defiance at older" and yet are
but weakly and partially suggestive of their prn-
cples, purposes and conducts it conceivable
we say, that such body, so constituted, should
continue to exist as power, and courted power
pulling down and setting up? Is it a thing to
be realized, that such assemblage should have
reached-through the federation and connivance
of the authorities, and the apathy of the general
publc-a position from which it can have the
audaciy to denounce, in the language of the reso-
utions quoted, an organization composed of the
citizens who constitute the Reform Association
and advocating the measures and the means which
that body has held up to the scrutiny, as they
challenge the appreciation of the people? Has it
come to this, that there is no difference between
men-that high character and pure motives and
good citizenship, and manly openness, and lawful
effort, and the fearless assumption of honorable
responsibility, are not only below the level in in
iuence, of the worst and most abandoned and
lawless of the community but are subject to he
''discounenanced' by such, in the name of the
laws, and under the nsolent and bareEiced pre-
tence Of a cordial and undivided support to
the authorities who entrusted with their ad-
mlnlstration? That such a body the Club
Convention should venture to connect itself with
the Chief Executive Of the city, even in the way
of endorsement and approbaton-that there
should exist relation of any sort, between him
and them, which could lead them to suppose, and
''iiu JuSt. W suppose, tidI lney would De otner-
wise than Indignantly and scornfuy repulsed, in
doing so-that the MAYOR should not feel their
approach to be an insult, and so treat it-speaks
volumes, of itself, as to the condition of our
society, and the morale of our Municipal Govern
ment. While such state of things continues to
be visible and palpable fact, all talk of reforms
which do not reach that, must be an idle waste
of words. 1t is not worth while to ATTEMPT to
cure malady (be it epidemic" or otherwise) by
treating the symptoms merely. There may be
styptic here and plaster there--anod mes to-day
and an@sthetics to-morrow-but there can be no
real health, till the seat of the distemper is in
vaded-till the seeds of disease are plucked out.
Any other practice, in medicine, in morals, or in
government, is simple quackery, and when such is
deliberately persisted in-in the face of knowledge
and experienced becomes unpleasant to hear
anything said about Honesty of Intentions"