The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-02-24
BALTIMORE.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY "A, 1858

Freedom has never yet been won, and can never
be maintained by the stiletto, poison, internal
machines. The day that saw imperial Caesar fall
at the foot of Pompeiis statue stabbed by the dag
gers of conspirators in the name of liberty, sealed
the doom of the Republic. Mark Antony in the
play is not only eloquent, but historically right,
when he says to the tickle populace of Rome,
Then you, and |, and all of us fell down, while
bloody treason fourished over u.s." Americans,
therefore, can sympathize with assassination,
even as remedy for the most calling tyranny.
Our own liberty was achieved boldly by the sword,
in the face of heaven and in the light of day-not
by midnight conspirators, or stealthy assassins
And we came legtimately by our honesty Our
English forefathers, if convinced that the liberties
of themselves and their posterity demanded the
shedding of royal blood, took care to shed that
blood honestly end publicly, and under the sane
ton and solemnities of judicial process Had
Charles |. died by the poniard of the assassin, in
stead of the executioners axe England might have
been what France is now, and the world would
have been deprived of that most signal and e1em-
plary vindication of the great fundamental princ-
pie of a constitutional monarchy the supremacy of
the law over the will and the person of majesty.
AS Americans, cannot but sympathize with
every honest and legitimate effort to advance the
! cause of Republcanism abroad But as Amer-
cans, we are equally bound to detest and deplore
all attempts at the preparation of atrocious crime
in the name of liberty, and we are the more indig-
nant when find that those attempts are as fool
sh, wanton and absurd, as they were infamous
and wicked
1t is in this light that our countrymen universal
y regard the tragedy at Paris on the l4th January
the attempt of Orsini Pietri, and their confede-
rates. to murder the Emperor of Frame at the door
of the Opera House by the explosion of Illuminating
shells, which resulted in the almost miraculous es-
cape of the intended victim, but in the maiminp,
mutilating or death of over one hundred hv-
! ISLANDERS.
The miserable wretches who We're the instruments
! of this wholesale attempt at murder will soon ex-
| plate their crime by receiving meried punishment.
The instigators and contrvers of this and similar
plots are still at large, patching new and more in
genious plans in their scheme of social destruction
and demolition.
Prominent among these restless and reckless enc
mics of mankind is the notorious Italian demapopue
Mazzini. We are aware that it has sometimes been
the fashion to speak Of this man as patriot enti-
tied to our sympathy and respect. But, however
good may be his motives or sincere his professions,
unless we lend ourselves to the demoralizng dogma
that the end justifes the means, we cannot upon
the principles already stated do otherwise than re-
gard with adherence and disgust the acts and the
conduct which have characterized his course as a
political agitator.
As an appropriate commentary upon this text we
take this occasion to transfer to our columns from
an ingenious and reliable work upon ''Secret So
cieties in France" by NJ. DE LA HoDDE (recently
translated, by the way and published in this coun-
try, by Lip!incott h Co., of Philadelphia some
pertinent remarks on the character of political re-
fugees generally, and account of a transaction
in which this same Mazzini acted a conspicuou:
part We commend the narrative to the candid
perusal of those who insist upon enshrining such
netarious incendiaries as Mazzini among the heroes
and patriots of the age.