The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-08-18

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The american newspaper is singuarly unfortu-
nate in its illusions to the old Wing Party. On
Monday, it spoke of the times when partisan
"bullies celebrated their triumphs with breaking
cup Wing printing Offices, seemingly oblivious
of the fact that its own advocacy of Wing princi-
pies never was open and decided enough to expose
its establishment to any such risk, or as we sug-
gested yesterday, even put its window-panes in
jeopardy. In more recent editorial upon the
subject of the 'Mayoralty," the american goes one
step further 1t confesses in words that the lioer-
atty if not the conservatism of the Wing Party
was but SHAM and that its appeals in its hour
of defeat and adversely ITO the conservative men
"of all parties were no better than sstrick,
only resored to, in the event of a deficiency of
sistrength and muscle to carry an election
Now this assertion take to be but an ill-requita
of the many avors which in times past the Amer-
can has received at the hands of the Wing Party,
and gratuitous insult to the memory of that once
powerful, but now, broken and scattered organiza-
ton. We are disposed to give the Wings of those
days more creditfo sincerity and for honesty, and
to believe that their conservatism was not altogeh-
er fiction, and their professed desire for pure
and upright administration of the laws, something
better than a mere piece of party clap-trap or
electioneering humbug. Indeed, we cannot con-
ceive of any circumstances more likely to induce
an earnest and heartfelt appeal ''to the conserva-
" tive men of all parties, than the very specta-
Gle, to which the american refers, of one party
"hopelessly crushed by violence and numbers,
and the other engaged in dsgraceful 'quarrel
the spoils of Office" That in such an en-
Urgency, the appeal of the minority for support
and sympathy might be ''doeful'' we can well
imagine; that it was ever mere "trick, " we are
slow to believe. Such condition of public af-
fairs might excite sorrow;-it could hardly stmu-
late to alsehood and to fraud. But the american
stops not here. Not content with defling the
graves of its beneElctors by this wholesale mputa-
ton of bad faith on the part of the Wing poll
ticians of former days, our contemporary further
goes on to ascribe to some -four FIVE thousand
voters, embracing large proportion of the most
respectable, most responsible, and most substan-
tial citizens sentiments which we are quite
sure, no respectable responsible substantial man
can be found to acknowledge. They are repre-
sented as standing aloof from all party organiza-
tion,' and only discharging the highest trust, as
it is likewise the highest privilege of citizen,
that of voting, -"when proper candidates are pre-
"sentrd for their consideration in opposition to
the party which they conscientiously believe to
'be the preceptors under whom the political row.
''dyism of the city was educated and organized, ~
and then only, as availing themselves of 'the
opportunity of casting their ballots in
'smembrance of old grievances and outrages.''-
1t would seem then, according to the representa-
tons of the american, that there are in our COM
L.,
respectable, most responsible, and most substantial
scitizens'' who have no higher duty to perform in
the present, that of avenging the grievances
and outrages,' of the past; who are not under the
slightest obligation to society to aid in putting
down "the political rowdysm of the city, but who
acquit themselves of all the responsibilities of c-
zenship by ''availing themselves of the opportuni
ty," whenever it is presented, of voting n opposi
ton to the party, under whom" that rowdyism
"was educated and organized" That such is the
Anerican's estimate of its social obligations we
have long been aware-that its views are shared
by flour or five thousand" others, or by 1.-THE
even of that number of respectable people, we have
yet to learn. For ourselves, rate not so lightly
duties to the State as to think them well per-
formed by CLOSING public evils, and conceal
ton to the eye of prudence may seem in
expedient. For such prudence as the american
practices, we could find, if need were, a harsher
and yet more appropriate name. Continuing its
statements ''in behalf of these four thousand
voters the American undertakes to say, that
''they are prepared individually and collectively
Ito repudiae any nomination. and assist in defeat
sing it, in which there shall not be a suficiency
''of honesty and capacity Would it not be
better and easier for the flour thousand, to lend
helping hand in making a nomination, in which
there shall be "a sufciency of honesty and capaci-
typ eff candidates presented TO them" says
the american, "who unfit for the responsible
positions to which they aspire, they will reject
s'them." Would it not be doing more essential
service to the community, to present candidates
who shall be fit,-nstead of turning over that deli
cate and responsible task as the american does in
the close of its article, with fathery admonition
''that they perform that duty in good faith''-to
those ito whom the selection has been delegated
to wit, to the political Conventions of the two
Parties, to neither of whom, says the 4merican do
the Tour thousand acknowledge ALLEGIANCE"
ana win whom ''they have but little sympathy "?
we are not surprised that the american should |
seek 10 ru nSei thus cheapy of its obligations to
the puohc, and 50 avoid the responsibility of
making direct suggestion, or taking decided
course. To do otherwise, might percbance involve
the loss of subscriber or advertiser and rather
than run that risk the Anerican is not ash.-,.s
not only to follow but to justify course of ,;r,5
non-commitasm which, however,-we talo ,oo,.o
to warn it, if we may do so without presumn,;o,
win in the sequel prove injurious to its pecnn;or
interests by which alone itappears to be governed
as it has already been fatal TO what 1t holds in less
esteenl-its character for manliness and honesty.
In noticing, yesterday, the editorial doctrines
and animadversions of the american the following
paraprapb which concluded the article nm which