New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1858-11-10

Address, signed by Que hundred and sixty citizen
OF that city purporing to set forth the evils unde
wAfoLiti IS alleged Baltimore suffers from poiitica
violence and rowdyism, and informing the pubi
that the sgners have formed themselves into nm asso
citation to remedy those evils The following is tht
document, with the exception of the names:
ADDREss--A number of the citizens of Baltimore
believing that state of things exists in this eonmu
nifty under which its members no longer rest il
safety or without disgrace, have united themselves
together under the name of the City Reform Associa
ton for the purpose Of vindieating and preserving
| their POLITICAL personal and civil rights The evil
and abuses which, III their judgment, render such al
organization indispensable at this time are SO patent
and involve so deeply and VIGOROUSLY the good nam
of the city and the material interests of every MAJ
within Its borders as to supersede the necessity fo
any elaborate exposition of them here. 1t is sufcien
to say-what cannot, they believe, be denied will
any decent respect for the tth-that there is no rea
sonabe and sufficient security in Baltimore for per
son, property or franchise under the existing admin
lstratlon oil the laws. A system of recognized vic
lenee and despote rntHanism has grown to maturity
aud power, as very element of government, under
the lnefhceney Of police force as ample as it is
costly, but which, in spite Of individual and merto
rous exceptions, is defective alike in morale material
and administration.
Organized bands of conspirators and outlaws have
nsurped open mastery over important departments Of
industry controlling the owners of property in the
exercise Of their rights over it ms well as in the EN-.
poyment OF labor in connection with it, and driving
| humble and peaceful men from the lawful field of
their honest livelihood and toll 0utrages by day and
| night upon unoftendiug citizens robberes on the
public highways; savage assaults upon voters while
Vainy attempting TO exercise the right OF suffrage
murders Of men, at their hearhs and in the streets
have become the burden of the press, until even the
grossest enormities have almost ceased to starte a
community, to which scarce anything would be a
novelty but peace and good government. The com.
paratyc lnlrequeney of arrests the facility with
which the most notorious offenders find release upon
insufficient security the hardness Of trial the IN.
certainty Of conviction and the inadequacy of pun
ishment, even when the crime is most heinous and
gaFingal tend, if left Alone to the Perpetuation of
misrue which is utterly subsesye Of the objects Of
civilized society
# to such an array he added the browning outrage
and shame of the last election day-when the purity
of the balot-bOx was made a public mockerv and
the secresy Of the ballotbox itself farce when &C
cess to the polls was rendered impossible except at
the armed and absolute pleasure Of the most aban-
doned Wretches among US; when the most sacred
and fundamental prerOeatve of citizenship was tnd
den down with perfect impunity in the presence of
the constituted authorities, and the great mass of
this whole community was disranchsed by force and
ostentatious fraud before the eyes and without the
intervention of the officers of the law-theFe surely
can be no need Of dwelling further upon the causes
which have induced the members of this Association
to leave the quiet Of their homes and business for the
purposes of their present organization. They have
felt such step to be demanded not less by their own
city which such atrocities unrebuked, have so sadly
stained.
The members of the Association believe that the
evils under which they and their fellow-czeps are
suffering are susceptible of easy cure, within the
scope Of the existing laws, with good faith and rea
sonable efficiency on the part Of those charged with
their administration. But they see enough in the
experience Of the past to satisfy them that tempo
rary dimiuution or suspension of those evils is no
guaranty for their permanent suppression and that
no momentary eferyescence of official vigilance or
activity affords any certainty of the reesablshment
OIL order and good government They are convinced
that the only positive security against the eontiDu
anee Of such grievances and their augmentation in
the utre il the combined and resolute action of the
citizens themselves, within the limits of the laws also
Ihey have therefore pledged themselves to each
other, to join with such affiliated societies as may be
formed for like purpose throughout the city in vim
dieatng and re-estabshing their rights and restor-
lug the good name Of Baltimore. II is their declared
purpose SO TO unite in guarantyng hereafter the pu
Tly Of the bailotboX and absolute freedom of access
thereto and IN promoting and securing by all lawful
and fair means, the election Of honest, competent
and faithful men, without distinction of party to the
various offices OF Municipal, Judicial and Executive
trust in the city.
Every member Of the Association. while binding
himself to the exclusion of party purposes and
preferences from its Counsels and action remains free
and uncommtted to pursue his political convictions
In az matters OF General Government and policy.
me Association has been organized by the election Of
the permanent officers, whose names are subscribed
hereto, AS its first and most appropriate public act
It has resolved to make the present appeal to the
community, and its members therefore respectfully
and earnestly invite their ellowctzens to cooperate
with them, by the formation of kindred Associations
in The different wards, with view to the peaeeable
and lawful attainment of the objects which they have
disclosed and which are common and vital necessity
2 men Of every honest calling and every shade Of po
itica opinion.
Az latest accounts they had not barncaded any
portion Of the city nor shot any of their own men
The Clipper says Of the matter
The rotous manifesto of the locofoco Vigilance
Committee is signed by one hundred and sixty citi |
lens The address pathetically describes a the |
'alses which have induced the members of this as
location to leave their quiet homes and business for
he purpose Of their present organization" We have
leea informed by those who have reason to know
hat in the meeting by which this address was |
ldopted there werenot more than twenty or at most
hrty persons and these were for the most part the
ankest locotoeo indictments in the city, some Of /
whom utter no complaints for having left " their |
laiet homes and business to make arrangements to
!ttempt 70 bride the American clubs and to provide
hem with pistols and muskets with which to com.
mt violence on the day of the recent municipal cleo