The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-06-12

IN the minds OF many persons, who have been
'grievously beaten, that it is better to endure
present evil than, by lodging complaint, take
'the risk of assassination"
The Police Reports of New Orleans indicate that
this fearful condition of things has, of late grown
worse instead of better, and that in no other city
IN the UNION, are so many crimes committed in
proportion to the population. And yet, in the
face OF facts like these it has been boldly asserted
that New Orleans is not an ill-governed city. We
are not undertaking to justify the organization
of Committee of Vigilance; but when the Mer-
chants, Bankers, and Professional Men of great
city, are charged with being anarchists we deny
that Property has any such tendencies. Property
is conservative in the highest degree, and men Of
substance would rather endure, with patience, any
evils that are not absolutely unbearabe, than run
the risk of making bad worse, by encouraging a
change either in existing governments, or in OBJ
jectionable institutions. But when crime grows
insolent and the laws cease to afford adequate
protection either to the person property of peace
ably disposed citizens is it any marvel if the latter
seek to pluck the flower, safety, from the nette,
danger, by striking at lawlessness with its own
weapons? 1t is not the ruffians of q community
that organize Vigilance Committees; but the men
who are opposed to ruffianism, and who have felt
themselves constrained to adopt desperate means
to meet desperate emergency. ''To execrate
vigilance committees, " says the New York Couy-
Ter and Enquirer, "and yet do nothing against the
denominations which provoke Vigilance Commit
''tees into existence, is vain and foolish. Social
''order is an absolute supreme, necessity. If not
preserved by the ballot-box, it will be done by
''the cartndge-box. The more the latter is alb
''horred the better; but just in proportion as VIC
''abhor it should we prize the ballot-box and exert
yourselves to keep it pure, and make it fulfil the
''grahd end of its existence. But when, as in San
'Trancisco, the ballot-boxes themselves are con-
| ''trolled by undetermined fraud and high-handed
! violence, where then is your security against
''forcble revolution? There is nonc-there can
''be none''
Are we sure that there was less fraud practised
| at the ballot-boxes in New Orleans, than in San
| Francisco? What reason have we for supposine
| that where the laws are outraged with impunty
| the ballot-box fairly represents the sentiment O
| the community? We know that in New Orleans
the obstruction of the ballot-box was one of the
very evils complained of. With what propriety
therefore, could men be referred to the elective
franchise as means of redressing their social and
political grievances when the exercise of that fran
| chise was denied to them?
| The Vigilance Committee has disbanded II
reviewing its history, we may regret that re
| spectacle men and honest citizens should have
| been thus goaded to take up arms in defence O
| we m afa t1,a o,,S
deplore the consequences; but let us at least dc
justice to their motives and admit the strong
provocation under which they acted. We re-
| publish in another column an able article upon
this subject from the New Orleans Bulletin of June
5th 1t will be found to fully corroborate the
| views we have expressed.