Weekly North Carolina standard., 1858-11-10
The Fruits of Know.Nothinyisn

Our readers are well informed to the state Of
society in Baltimore for the last or three years
the b!ondshed the murders, the riots on election
days. and the general disregard of law which have
attended and marked in almost ineffaceable charac
ters the reign of Know Nothingsm in that City
These outrages have at length become so numerous
and fragrant that abouttw hundred of the best cit
zens of Baltimore have united together and formed
a" City Reform association" the object Of which is
to protect the ballot box restore order and guaran
tee the safety of persons and property. This Asso-
caton processes to be above party. and leave its
members free while they unite to secure the objects
referred to, to consult their individual feelings
in relation to political parties. Some of the Bati.
more papers have noticed the movement in commen.
datory terms. and look to it as. the only of
restoring order and re-asserting the power of the
law; and the impression of all good citizens seems
to be, that if his movement shall fail and the reign
of the Plug Uglies' shall continue, the character
of the City will be lost and its prosperity greatly if
not fatally retarded. Such men as Samuel W. Smith,
John V. L. Mcmahon, S. Teacke Wallis, Frank Key
Howard, and James H. Barney at the head of the
movement. The officers of tine Association have is
sued an address to the people of Baltimore and the
public generally, which we copy as follows from the
Daily Exchanges:
"a number of the citizens of Baltimore, believing
that state of things exists in this community under
which its members longer rest in safety or
without disgrace have united themselves together
under the of the City Reform association, for
the purpose Of vindicating and preserving their
Gcal personal and civil rights. The evils and abuses
which, in their Judgment, render such organiza-
ton indispensable this time are so patent and in
volve so deeply and nooriousy the good name of the
city and the material interests Of every man within
its borders, to supersede the necessity for any
elaborate exposition of them here. It is sufficient to
say-what cannot, they believe, be denied, with any
decent respect for the ruth-that there is no reason
able and sufficient security in Baltimore for person,
property or franchise, under the existing adminstra
ton OF the laws. system of recognized violence
and despotic ruffiansm has grown to maturity and
power, as very element of government, under the
metfclency of police force ample as it is COSTLY
but which, in spite of individual and mertorious ex
ceptons, is defective alike in morale, material and
administration. Organized bands of consprators and
outlaws have usurped open mastery over mportant'
departments of industry; controlling the owners Of
property in the exercise of their rights it,
we'll as IN the employment of labor in connection
with it, and driving humble and peaceful men from
Inc lawful field Of their honest livelihood and toll
Ourages, by day a0d night. upon unoffending citi
zens; robberes on the public highways; savage as
sauIts upon voters while vainly attempting to
N'e He FiSnt OF SuHraSe; murders OF men, at theIr
OWN hearths and in the Streets-have become the
burden of the press, until the gro>sest enorm
ees nave almost ceased to starte a community to
"h,ch scarce anything would be novelty but peace
and good government. The comparative infreqnen-
y OF arrests; the facility with which the noto-
rous offenders find release upon insufficient security;
"'e tardneSs of trial, the uncertainty of conviction
an" the 'nadequacy of punishment, even when the
','Ee Is most heniOus and garng-all tend, if left
a'ohe, TO the perpe:uation Of mSrule which is ut
'y suoVersVe of the objects Of civilized society,"
~ 10 Such an array, be added the crowning outrage
asn Shame Of the last election day-when the pun
VI VI the oaIlot-box was made public mockery, and
e secrecy of the ballot ITSELF farce when access
W .he polls was rendered impossible, except at the
a'meo and absolute pleasure of the most abandoned
ss'eches among Us; when the most sacred and fun
ua"enta prerogatve of citizenship was trodden down.
t n perfect mpuhty, in the presence Of the consti-
ueu authorities, and the great mass of this whole
snmun'y was disfranchised by force and ostenta-
@ uus fraud, before the eyes and without the inter-
he"''n OF the officers of the law-there surely can
"' need OF dwelling further upon the causes which
I h"'e induced the members of this Association to
esve The quiet of their homes and business for the
fposes fs OF their present organization. They have
such step to be demanded not less by their own
c;'S ian ana interests than by the reputation of the
s;n S'ch such atrocities, unrebuked have SO sadly
ne members of this Association believe that the
under which they and their fellow. citizens are
scone are susceptible of easy cure within the
ol the existing laws with good faith and rea-
w;h M hc'ency on the part of those who are charged
Tho a. ne" administration. But they see enough, in
experience Of the past to satisfy them that
no ammunition suspension of those evils is
that NC ior their permanent suppression, and
Or ,olnentary efervescence of official vigilance
ment ~ aHords any certainty Of the establish.
sfa that the only positive security against the
ton in ,hS OF such grievances and their augmenta
ton ~ III, e atlre, is the combined and reso'ute ac
the law 'ne citizens themselves within the limits
selves to also .so They have therefore pledged them
cieties as p'her to join, with such affiliated so
90 may be formed, for like purposes through