The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-10-18


Indeed for the whole election on Wednesday no one
can ee deeper disgust and condemnation of the scenes
ana Incidents and outrage by which attended and
consummated than ourselves-nor draw any sat
siacuon from the evidence that the disposition act I'M
Justly and unfairly evnced both Sides wherever
they had the power to coerce and ntmdate tbe voters
That had all who disposed to vote been permitted to
quietly approach the polls and deposit their ballot Mr.
would have been fairly and legally eelected
have not single doubt the legal votes polei he
haa unquestionaby large majority But the result
as it stands recorded in the returns of the Judges is in anv
oher respect the voice of the legal Baltimore
we cannot believe and will for moment attempt to
Those returns indeed bear on their fsce tbe 90
papabe impress of fraud and violence that any dispute
in tne SUBJECT among fair minded and intelligent men,
impossible We should have welcomed defeat preferable
70 triumph SO improperly Won"
Before our readers go yet one step farther, let
them pause with and ponder on what has
already been disclosed to them. They have before
them, from The American's lips, its verdict of
Thursday and its verdict of Saturday. Can they
oelieve that 1t is the same Journal discussing the
same facts, and passing judgment on the same men
ana the same conduct? Can they persuade them
serves that 1.-THE scenes and incidents, and outra-
ges' which, on Saturday, provoked such eds
gust and condemnation were only the "some
disorder and 'drunken men and boys'' of two
days before? Can they realize the idea that returns
winch bear on their face the palpable impress of
fraud and violence"-that a 'fresut' which is
not 1.-THE voice of the legal voters of BALTIMORE
"a triumph so improperly wonn that "defeat''
should have been welcomed as preferable''-"a
violation of the right of secret ballot-an omen
confession OF dishonesty and intended violent in
'erference with the right of franchise,-can they.
we ask, conceive that these are the same things
which The american of Thursdav-wben tbeir
burning iniquity was hot upon all hears-adyised
"a Sp f11-,f
these the things which this community was conn
selled not to 'whine over"? Were such Grand,
ana such violence and the triumph of such,
mat mat OF the people, before which, on Thurs
day, we were hidden to bow down? Was it from
the scenes of such villany and shame that men
were told to go to their houses and business and
'forego even some honest prejudices and sincere
convictions, in order to let 'good will and harmo-
my prevail'-to hold their tongues and stay their
pens, though they could speak like DEMosrHEyEs
and write like BURKE? Nay, more than this. Are
the candidates elected by such means-bv such
''dlsgraceful completely with violence and fraud
are they the persons of whom The american, of
Thursday, spoke, when it said that ''there is no
| reason why they should be actuated by any other
''but honest and philosophical motives and every
treason why all our citizens should accord them
''ther good will and confidence in their positions,,2
We confess that we stand amazed at the audacitv
and monstrous prostitution which the mere presen
taton of these enquiries exposes to the INDIGNATION
of this people.
But this is not the half In the face of ifs own
extorted confessions in regard to Mr. SwANN-after
having admitted, in words, the Incompetence and
iaithiessness of the very police, for which Mr..
!
SWAMI pledged himself, two weeks before. in an
elaborate, premeditated speech, endorsed by The
| american itself over and over arain-after CON-
fessng-what Mr.. SWAMI and itself had so often |
and so recklessly denied-that ssthe scenes at tbe
polls had been the cause in recent years of $50
much and so just complaint and while admit
ting the 'dsgraceful completely" of Mr.. SWAMI,
as candidate, with ''dishonesty and intended
violent interference with the right of franchise
(Which, we suppose, is meant to signify the RIGHT
of suffrage, it deliberately then appeals thus to
the public in his behalf:
Whatever may be the conflicting views of our ctir
with regard to the government of the city during the past
two years we think will dispute the fact
that there is no man in community more enable in
every characteristic that is required to make an efficient
and model Mayor than Mr. Swami Tho exnor;enna nf
the past will add to his ability for the more energetic
formance of the duties of his position in the future and
soua ana doubtless Will be his ambition to challenge
Upon this we cannot trust ourselves TO comment
There are some subjects which it is impossible to
treat as they deserve, within the rigid limits of
decorum. Our readers must deal with it them
selves.
We should be grievously misunderstood. if it
were supposed that we have taken the pains to
discuss the position which The american has
thus chosen to assume, from any mere desire to
disgrace or expose that journal. Itwould surely be
work of supererogation to throw down what
must fall of its own weight. Nor do we seek the
triumph OF showing that all which we have been
laoonng to demonstrate and to force upon the con-
vlctlons of the community now stands confessed by
those who have been the busiest in denouncinr us
as the "defamers Of Baltimore" Our purpose is a
higher one. 1t is to develop and encourage, and
rally that sound and Independent public opinion.
which is the only means of redress for the evils
which beset us, and our only salvation from the
gulf that yawns before u.s. It's to fix responsibili
" where 1t belongs 1t is to hold up to public
reprooauon, the enemies of the public weal-their
aders and abettors-ther friends, patrons, apollo
gists and defenders. 1t is to put the right mark
on the right men. 1t is to satisfy this community,
that If Mr.. SWAMI possesses in fact the ability and
the 'characteristics'' what The american ascribes
to him, the confessed incompetence of his adj
mnnlstratlon can only be accounted for on the
score of his dereliction of duty. If he has the
talents-equal to those of any man in this commu-
nlty-'to make an efficient and model MAYOR"
and has, after a term of two years, utterly failed
III dlscharging the most vital and practicable du-
ties of his trust-to what can such result be at
trbuted but to his utter faithlessness in the exer
else of the abilities he has? If after two Years
control of the police-boasting of their efficiency
and Notwithstanding, as Islander, any i'm
parchment of t-he failed to preserve the public
peace or secure the popular franchises, on day,
of all Others, when he should have died rather
than so fail-when every consideration of public
duty and sheer personal honor mpeed him to
keep the polls open as air, to every comer--what
can say or can we think? We confess we can-
not say and we cannot think that such state of
facts inspires with trust hope or faith for the
future-or leads us to any other conclusion than
that the same unworthy causes will produce the
same melancholy effects, in the future as in the
past. No grown man can believe that the
''chequered tickets' were voted for Mr.. SWAMI,
from one end of the city to the other without his
knowledge, or against his will. No one can doubt,
for an instant, that resolute and honest determi-
nation, on his part, to keep the polls open, would
have held the police to their duty and secured to
the citizens their rights. If then the "chequered
tickets'' were voted, and the polls not kept
open-what remains to be said? The simple fact
that Mr.. SWAMI is willing to remain in office I'M
der an Endorsement which even to The Aneri-
can bears ''the palpable impress of fraud and vio
'lence'-obtained throug Oh practices carrying dis
graceful completely to candidate and voter" and
resulting in victory to which defeat would have
been preerable-says all that BURKE or DEMOS
THEMES could suggest they here to be disgust
ed, in the flesh
We clip the following paragraph from The
american of Saturday:
PROCEEDINGS OF MISUNDERSTANDING morning a
party of men, who belong to the Rough Skin Club took
forcible possession of omnibus belonging to Nessr