The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-08-17

cratic party whose public acts have come properly
within the scope of our comment, unless, perhaps
His Honor Judge STUMP, and we certainly are not
aware of having deserved animadversion for our
silence in regard to that officer, when we have
deemed his official conduct proper subject of re-
mark. Upon the course of Democratic gentlemen
in Congress we have not failed to make such OBJ
servations from time TO time their dement's have
seemed to us to deserve-and in all things, to the
best of our ability, we have endeavored to hold
our balance of praise and censure with an even
and honest hand. If there be any Democrats
whose ''conduct is more open to just animadver-
sion'' than that of Mayor SWAMI and Mr.. WHIT
NEy, we can only say that it has escaped our
observation, and thus only missed our comment.
The american which, as it says has ''been long
'aware of their ill-conduct, has pursued its usual
trucking course in keeping it concealed.
So much for the direct attack upon ourselves.
The general suggestions of the American's article
we have neither room need to discuss especi-
ally the novel and practical idea that the indie
pendence of the press consists in "taking the re-
"sponsibility of a legal proceeding against
delinquent officer instead of putting his name and
his msdeeds in print-in other words that a
newspaper editor who thinks that the MAYOR or
the STATES ATTORNEY is false to his duty, can
only discharge his own by going before the grand
jury This and the like folly and twaddle, of
which the remainder of the article is made up, is
meant as a sorry cover for the sympathy with
violence and ruffianism and outlawry on the one
hand, and the reverence, on the other, for those
who are in power, which the american feels too
obviously to conceal and yet has not the manhood
to avow.
In the opening of its article, the american refers
broadly to the times when BIPARTISAN bullies cell
''ebrated their triumphs with breaking up Wing
''printng Offices" and seems to lament that
Tin spite of manifold provocations," it is
not more fashionable with the party in
power to retaliate such things now The
purpose of this ausion can be only one
of two things Either the American desires
to encourage the guilty reprisals which 1t
would seem to condemn-or it wishes to cajoe into
sympathy with itself, in its present humiliation,
those members of the old Wing party, who remem-
Der with just indignation the outrages to which 1t
alludes In either case its motive is a very base
one If the former the thing needs no comment.
If the latter we respect loo highly the character of
the class for whose applause the bid is made to be
eve that they will receive it with any feeling but
disgust If they remember the american of those
days. they will remember it, as it still is and, as
we have truly styled it heretofore trimmer and
time-seryer, pnnng its little faith to its subscrp-
ton list and advertising columns-too timid and
too paltry always, to risk act or an opinion,
which would put its wndow-panes in jeopardy, in
the hottest hour of party strife or vengeance. They
will recall it as the enthusiastic recipient of Wing
patronage but the tardy and lukewarm champion of
Wing principles-only ceasing to be ''neutral,"
when partisanship grew proftable-prodigal of its
patriotism but chary of its sacrifices. When Wing
advertisements came in, the american was the Or
gan-when ewing printing Offices were to be
tFbroken up" the cup resigned to the Patriot.
Those who remember these things, will perhaps,
regard it as the strangest of strange things in
strange times, that the American should have the
face to lecture, in a community where it is known,
upon the duties of ahigh-toned independent press.
If this be ''scurrility," we cannot help it. The
misfortune is, that it is true.