The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-10-21
BALTIMORE.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 81, 1858.


patient submission to wrong and outrage is the
proper remedy for social and political disorders.
With this class of people we have long been at
issue; and we propose, in the future as in the
past, to pursue our own course, regardless alike
of their censnres, their virtuous platitudes, and
their indignant circumstances. We shall speak
as truth and justice shall seem to us to require,
concerning the MAYOR his administration, and
the condition of things in this city. We shall
leave to those who may find pleasure therein the
delightful task of praisng Mr.. SWANS capacity,
his respectable position, and his periodical
speeches. q
A proclamation from Mr.. SWAMI, which, for no
other apparent reason, than for mere effect, is
dated from ''the Police office" instead of the
'IIayor's office" or the getty Hail." as usual
has just been published and the encomiums of some
of our contemporaries areas might be expected
proflse With customary and cool assurance, they
tell us, that 'NIr SWAMI has taken personal
f'charge of the police department. and all that is
'wanting is a united effort on the part of all good
'citizens to give him every countenance and sup
t'port," and that great as their confidence has
"heretofore been in Mayor SWAMI, it has received
additional strength in this wise and most ad-
s'mirable determination Thus it is, that they
invite an abused, outraged, and disfranchised
people TO confde anew in the faithessness that has
uniformly deceived them, and the ncompetency
that has over and over been proven. With honey
ed words they admonsh to forget the past
and implicitly trust in the future. They adopt in
addressing this indignant community, the soothing
language of a physician to restless patient Keep
quiet-avoid exciting topics-attend strictly to the
doctors orders-and with rest and proper regimen
all may yet be well; -such in substance at least
and nearly in words, is the advice which these
Journals give, and the promise of relief which they
hold out. ''Now is not the time to discuss the
''potical evils of which there is complaint a few
ttmonths of quiet with good order is the best rem
''edy that can be applied to them" is the precise
language of The American. These are the mild
indictments with which it is proposed to heal
our dseases-the salves and poultices which are to
be applied to our recent wounds Such are the COM
Portable assurances with which contemporaries,
in imitation of those ''pious hawkers of CONSTANT
nople, who solemnly perambulate her streets,
crying-In the name of the Prophet-Figs PIN
troduce to their readers the proclamation of Mayor
SWAMI.
IF we could any longer put faith in his rhetoric
accept his promises as payment, it is possible
that we might derive some tardy consolation from
this circular from the MAYOR. If we were half as
"malignant," as we are sometimes represented to
be- we might even find occasion for triumph in
the admissions it contains; for no one can fail to
see that it is a substantial acknowledgment of the
Justice of those charges which we have heretofore
with his administration of the city police. But
we must confess after the experience of the
past two years, we should be incredulous even if
the MAYOR were to propose some new definite
course of action and we are certainly not disposed
to yield implicit credence to the reports of the good
time that is coming when we discover them to
rest upon no better or surer foundation than
mere bald repetition of the same vague and vrtu-
Gus generates with which we have already been
so frequently favored. We are told that "a
'horough reorganization of the service will take
'place, and every officer will be held TO a
''strict accountability to the MAYOR in person."
that ''any case Of delinquency or neglect of duty
"will be punished by suspension for the first, and
'dismissal for the second offence" that ''if any
''otficer be found listless or incompetent in the
discharge of his duty, he will be promptly drop
'ped from the roll" and that "any officer who
''may be found frequentng n tavern or drinking
'house, except in the discharge of his duty, will
'he suspended or discharged, at the discretion of
'the MAYOR" As it did not require much saga
city TO draft regulations so simple and essential it
ought scarcely to have been necessary to issue a
circular in order TO inform the police of their ex-
ms fha WIN Of
braced in the ordinance under which the force was
organized. Section 26 of that ordinance provides |!
for the immediate Dismissal of the policeman
who 'shall be found to frequent public houses or
"bar-rooms - or 'usng intoxicating drinks to ex-
Cess" The MAYORS present determination to
suspend or discharge cat his discrdion'' officers
found guilty of those Offences is, if anything,
breach of that ordinance, by assuming to |
dispense with its provisions The 'rules for |
"the government of the police department !
"of Baltimore" published twith the appro-
citation of the MAYOR" on the LIST of March,
1857, which, we were then told, would ''be |
''stricily enforced and any and every violation
"of them punished and which were directed to
be ''paced conspicuously in each Station House.
land read to the whole force twice a month, or
''ottener, as the Marshal might determine" con-
tain, not only the identical provisions which are
embraced in the MAYORS Circular but are, to the
full, as strong and explicit as printed rules can
be. They provide too, that 'each officer shall be |
I'm like manner accountable for the security of |
persons and property within his beat" and that
prisoners arrested for "the higher grade of felo- |
mics, such as murder, burglary, arson, robbery.
forgery and aggravated riot" shall be drought
ITO the Marshal's Office" We have already been
told by Mr.. SWAMI, in speaking of the formation
Of the present system that his ''plan for the re-
organization of the police of the City of Balti-
more, was based upon the direct accountability to
"the MAYOR of the Chief of that Department"
The regulations have been as complete as the |
promises to enforce them have been frequent:
nothing has been wanting except the honesty and
nerve to carry those promises into effect. The |
MAYOR has always been the responsible head of
Tue fohce; has continually assured US that it was
utmost u'ltIess in its organization, and, only
"oh'h since, he led us to believe that he could ac-
complish nothing more, because it was stimpos-
Slole mat he could throw himself in daily con-
tact with its members We are further informed
'ha' the MAYOR has determined to exercise the
'"ilNtOIS OI Ills OIcc IN all cases OF
N''sr'h' outrage or rowdysm," but, as all such
oiseS nave been cassed with the lawessness which
- '"e prevailing epidemic of the times" or have
INV "'eo only, Or provoked by the 'defamers
"ot Baltimore, we presume that none will occur
vi SO Migrant a character as to demand the
attention of his Honor. Excepting the facts that
the Marshal and the Deputy Marshal and the four
captains are to be mounted on horseback. and
,n'' Ine MAYOR contempates springing rattle
n'iise,' from ume to time, we have given in full
the substance of the proclamation which Is TO still
the tempest and calm the troubled waters Have
we not already had a surfet of addresses and
proclamatlons? Are we to 90 on doestino for
ever, the innntrtous diet? Are we children to
be put aside with idle words, or pleased with
rattle .? Let those be patient and content who
can preyaricate about patent facts, and knowingly
endorse fraud Let those make proclamation of
Their good intentions who can endnro 70 ro,a;n
the spolls which have been won by violence and
outrage But, to the thousands of men who
were 50 lately wronged, insuted and disfr.ncb;sed
1t Is assuredly permitted, while thew are still
called freemen, to question the rood f,;th ofo
City Government so notoriousv corrunt. 70