The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-10-01
BALTIMORE.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER /. 1853.

either gross Ignorance a wilful disregard of
both 1t was upon the subject of ''the defamers
of Baltimore" to whom our contemporary under
took 10 administer q rebuke. For whose benefit,
however, its structures were especially intended it
inadvertently omitted TO mention, or rather, with
characteristic indirectness, purposey refrained from
saying. 1t referred generally to 'the practice ofa
'porton of the press in cndeavoring to hold up
Getty as place to be Stunned by strangers, and
charitaby ascribed to the journals engaged Gin
''hs work Of detraction and injurious calumnia-
"tion," lone half of the disorder that has pre-
"vailed +" and the desire TO create great deal more
Speaking of its contemporaries in this city, appa-
rently without reservation or exception, it said:
w the press Of this city had for the past three months
ceased its examinations and worked harmonousy together
to bring about restoration Of good feeling, who
doubt but that onealf of the disorder that has prevailed
would have had existence. ana the coming election
have passed off without any of the troubles that may be
anticipated But peace and good order do not serve their
object of their cxistence-thcy have nothing denounce
nobody to heap detraeton uponno food wherewith to
party success and restoration to their possession of
the government of the city
For Journal that cschews personalities, ~ and
hates sscur.ilty'-that never 'preiudges mo-
tives,'' or by any possibility imputes bad ones,
we think this is going pretty far-so far, in fact
that We wonder that our contemporary should
have stonped where it did. If The american
really and honestly believes that any portion of
the s.Citv press is as abandoned and as mschiev-
ous as it has here represcnted-why does it not
for the honor of its calling and for the sake of
those material interests - which, it tells Us, are
at stake name the offenders? It appeals strongly
to "our business men, our merchants, our dry
goods obhers' Eat once to take measures to
"rebuke and silence the calumnies that are
"driyine away their customers" Why does it
not set proper example ITSELF by first discharging
its own duty to the public in that regard Its
whole article is a papable and transparent bid for
the favor of the mercantile community, whose
respect and confidence it has long since forfeited
Why does it not do something to establish its
claims 10 he the guardian of the Cty's interests
and the special champion of its injured name?
Mere ''phrases of denunciaton, without aim
application, are too general in their scope to do
good. Why not expose the ''calumniator," once
aud for all, and have done with him. or by a
timely and thorough refutation of his 'calumnies,'
deprive him, forever after, of the power to
harm? The truth is The Amcricoa only inSnu-
atcs what it dares not assert, and knows to be
fse-when it implies that ''the press of this
Getty" in its exposure and denunciaton of crime
and lawessness has no other or higher object in
view, than 'to serve the pettypurposes and obscure
''desgns ola clique of disappointed politicians"
With respect to the opposite polcy-that of
ignoring and hiding our social evils, for fear that
our nei@hbor may find us out, and use the fact to
our disadvantage-our sentiments upon that head
have been too frequently expressed to require
repetition here. The Anerican evidently takes
great credit to itself for its own course in that be-
half and thinks it an evidence of It's superior
patriotism and wisdom. 1t is mistaken 1t is
only following lis usual instincts, from which
it has never been known to depart
not even the memorable occasion, when ''the
gentlemen at its counter referred an indignant
magistrate, who came to demand satisfaction for
an alleged libel upon his character, TO an 'Fanony-
nous" contemporary at the corner. Our neighbor
evidently does not admire, or at least neglects to
practice, the virtue of Ceiling the truth and
''shaming the DEVIL
The real injury which is done to the city, ac-
cording to The 1mericaa, arises, therefore, not
from the preparation of crimes but from their dis
closure 10 the world. Does it then think that the
cause of public morals, and the safety Of citizens,
and Of the stranger within our gates would be
promoted by an entire silence on the part of the
press with respect to the deeds of violence that are
daily committed in our streets? If so-let it sup
press its own local column 1t has minated
almost rs much in the extract which we have
quoted above and in an article which it published
on Monday morning, headed "Crime and Jour
nalism, " it went even further. 1t contrasted with
our own, the happy condition of France and Spain,
where '!an act would not be heard of beyond the
next village" which lis here given to the ele-
"graph, and borne on the wings of the lightning
o every portion of the land there to be reproduced
Sin millions Of newspapers, and thrust into the
"hands and before the eyes of every man, woman
"and child in the community" That widespread
publicity given TO crime" which The Ameri-
can affects to deplore hold to be Of the
benefits of free press, and not the least valuable
protection of our lives and property. 1t is one of
the safeguards, in fact of social existence,
without which we should be defenscless indeed
Exposure is now almost the only punishment that
rogues, either in Office or out of it. have to fear
They are fast losing all dread of that-and if every
press were conducted with the same spirit as The
american would soon lose it altogether
One word more, and we shall dismiss our con-
temporary from-and until-furher notice. We
wish to show, before we close, how much. or
rather how little reliance is TO be placed on its
statements in a simple question of fact With re-
spect to any difference of opinion between our
contemporary and ourselves, touching the actual
and comparative amount of crime and lawlessness
IN this and other cities, we submit the question to
the Judgment of candid public We challenge the
production of single instance in which our state
mens in that behalf not borne out to the letter.
by the facts narrated in The Anserican's own local
columns. So far from concedin@ therefore, that
there has been any eXaggeraton upon the subject
we hrmly believe and unhesitatingly say, that
the half remains yet to be told.
The point, however, to which we propose now to
refer, IS contained in the following extract from
3he dmtric1H's article of Wednesday Speaking
OF the Press of Philadelphia and New York, it
says:
IN those cities does not subserye party p,rposcs to
these crimes to political causes to dereeon
Oh uut on the part Of the city authorities They are re
se a. eits to be expected all large cities
itic - tliiE IN sustaining the efforts of the author
tes 10 9etec and punish perpetrators They admit
the truth of the adase that it is foul bird that lines its
6s1in f an" WORK together, animated by spirit,
Ia - ~ uuItct me prosperity of their CITY and the
good i'me OF its inhabitants PARTY luminosity cannot So
'Hl rs 10 induce an eucoura cement of efforts
res oT tb & I'm OF the police degrade the authori-
iie u INC 'i's IN The eyes of strangers
Now, the New York journals are sufficiently
READ IN baltimore, TO dispense with the necessity
of any discussion by US of the truth or f,lstv Of
our contemporary remarks as annl;cabla to Them
The means of deciding that question for them
selves are In the hands of = Opffoio,,t 10
OF our readers, to render that labor on onr mart
Wnony supernnops Everybody knows-and none
surely, better than the conductors of nnhc ionr.
nal--'hat whatever may be the faults and short
comingS OF the New York Press that Of d;somis;ao
from ihe worm lflelr own social condition. or
showing too great leniency in their declines Will,
the public authorities, is not anon, than1 M rp
conduct of the Philadelphia Press in That rosnaa.
may not be, and probably is not e. sI ls'peO1
We therefore suboin sample Of hoir n nnS"n e.
dealing with social grievances sno,, y.
among ourselves. The article ,ro ', 90 eN's'
The Penn&yleanian, Zone of the Ie,d;1,. % nun
of that city. 1t has the significant ,-'''0
we Mayor or Police among us'-a onos,;aS ~
has sometimes been asked in Baltimoro - cio'l
the whole article is so exactly suited 70 l''e'
meridian, including the stricuros =, " o"n