The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-02-22
BALTIMORE:
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22. 1858.

In assuming the Office OF public Journalists. il
may, perhaps, be expected that we should make
some exposition Of the principles by which We
mean to be guided in the discharge of the duties
and responsibilities incident to that position
This we propose briefly to do. 1t is a necessary
piece of egotsm on our part, justified by the nov
city of the occasion which requires it, but which
once performed, shall not soon again be repeated
lor the last subject which we design at any time to
discuss in these columns is ourselves. Personal
matters and private affairs are not in our iudu-
ment, legitimate subject for newspaper comment.
and, as we do not intend to medde with those of
Others, neither do we propose TO give unnecessary
| publicity to our own. We design to deal simply
with public men and public interests, and upon
these we shall claim and exercise the right at all
tunes, freely to write~dnd print our opinions
What these opinions may be, cannot, of course be
indicated with any certainty or precision, in ad-
vance of the occasion which may require their
utterance but, so far as our political sentiments
may be referable to any well-dened and ascertain
able general principles or mode of thinking we
have no hesitation in disclosing them at the present
time. We will state, however, by way of preface.
that with reference to the dead and buried issues of
the past the questions of fifty, twenty or ten years
ago, we shall have as little to say as possible, and
any confession of our opinions in respect TO them.
would be therefore immaterial and impertinent
In like manner, shall refrain from all vague and
random speculation as to the possible questions of
the future-the crude and uniformed issues of here
after. In fine, our business is with the present.
We do hot choose to say what our opinions might
how haa, Il
tomorrow, for the morrow is yet to come, but we
do mean and hope that these columns shall show
day by day, clearly and explicitly, our views with
regard to passing events and current topics, and
that in these pages shall be reflected as in a mirror
the very form and fashion of the times
Starting thus, with a clean record and equally
untrammelled by the traditions of an obsolete past
ana by pledges with regard to an unforeseen
future, we shall strive seadElstly to preserve the
impartiality and independence of the journal which
we this day assume to conduct. With this defni-
ton of our position, we invoke in behalf of our
enterprise, the fair and unbiased consideration of
ali men OF all parles for ourselves are indepen-
dent OF any party. We are Republicans but our
republicanism is neither red nor black, nor of any
other .'artY-roOrtd dvr It is national .,nd con
servatlye based upon the traditions of the Reyou-
ton, embodied in the forms of the Constitution
and best illustrated by the practice and example of
the lllustrlous patriot, upon the anniversary of
whose birthday we offer TO the public this first issue
OF our press. We are Americans but the Ameri-
canlsm which we uphold is that not of party, but
of the country. The name of American is too
broad and lofty an appellation to be dwarfed or
narrowed into mere party designation. We are
Democrats, not as welded, however, to any par
tcular political faction but as believers in the ca
pacity of man for selfgovernment, and in the
doctrines of popular sovereignty. This idea of
popular sovereignty, which in common with every
body else in this country, thus accept as a fun
damental article of our political faith is not, with
us mere abstraction, but living principle and
practical guide, by which we shall be enabled TO
determine with accuracy our position upon many
important and exciting questions In the first
place, it furnishes in ''the greatest good of the
greatest NUMBER with the only true test of the
wisdom of any proposed legislation or particular
line fpocy, and is therefore utterly at war with
all sectionalism and secarianism in politics-witb
all partial and class legislation of every kind and
description, and is wholly ntolerant of any abuse
OF the legislative or prostitution of the executive
powers conferred and delegated by the people and
designed to be exercised solely for their benefit to
personal or party ends. 1t also implies the right
OF the majority to govern, principle incorporated
INTO all OF our constitutions, and underlying the
whole fabric Of our political institutions. and
which, if rightly understood by us, determines at
once the true position of a republican journal in
this country, to be one not of opposition at least
to the powers that be. Under a government of
popular creation, whose functions are administered
by individuals Of the popular choice the presump-
ton at least until rebuted by positive evidence to
the contrary, should always be that the govern
ment really reflects the popular will, and that its
administration faithfully represents the interests
and sentiments of the majority to which it owes its
elevation to power, Upon grounds of principle
therefore, apart from the considerations which may
influence with respect to particular acts and
measures, we shall give to the present administra-
uon OF James Buchanan our support so far as
may be consistent with our own convictions of
what is right and just, which constitute with us as
they should with the conductors of every press. a
"higher law ?" in subOrdinafion to which all other
pledges must be construed; always reservinp to
ourselves, entire and unmpaired that right of free
and independent criticism and dissent which no
party shacles prevent us f.om exercising and with
which we never mean to part. Finally, this idea
of popular sovereignty, in its most comprehensive
acceptation, implies the right ofevery people to settle
their own affairs in thdr own way. In other
words, we hold to the principle of nonntervention
which in Its practical application to our own coun-
try, means, non-intervenion on the part of the
Republic in the affairs of foreign nations-non-in-
terventon on the part Of the General Government
in regard to the domestic regulations of the states
and territories-and non-intervention on the part
of the North in respect to the rights and institutions
of the South.
We have thus briefly but sufficiently indicated |
some of the leading principles by which we mean |
to shape our political course. A similar spirit of
independence and moderation shall characterize. as
far as possible, every other department of the
paper. Whatever may be The subject of editorial |
comment, whether new book or a new lava
question of finance or dramatic performance-
upon all matters great and small we shall endeavor
to write with candor and fairness. We may not
always succeed in coming Up to our own standard
OF journalism, but whatever may be our short
comings and deficiencies, t an honest desire to
adhere to the best of ability to the principles
we have laiddown for our guidance in our career.
snail avail any thing in our favor, we may hope
to prove ourselves not wholly unworthy of the
liberal sunnort which yra bara alraad rooo;,-o1 on