The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-03-27
BALTIMORE.
SATURDAY, MARCH 27. 1858.

We publish in another column communication
from Marshal HERRING in reply to certain editorial
remarks which appeared in this journal yesterday
In this very transparent document Mayor SWAMI
appears by proxy and puts in plea in his own
defence tFThe voice is the voice of jacob
although the hand is the hand of Esau'' The
Mayor does not seek to remove the burden of CEN
sure which we cast upon him, otherwise than by
compelling his subordinate to come forward and
take portion of the load upon his own shoulders.
The charge of having appointed to the police force
linen VIGOROUSLY unfit" is not sought to be re-
butted, directly or indirectly, except by means of
the very argument the use of which we especially
deprecated; namely, that by reference "to the
Police systems of Philadelphia, New York, and
Boston, both as to the character of the material
and discipline of the corps" we twill find that
the Police OF Baltimore will compare favorably
with those of any other city," In other words,
the Mayor, in extenuation of the charge of an i'm
proper dispensation of his official patronage does
not venture to plead his own innocence, but points
to the similar defects to be found in police organi-
cations elsewhere. We do not think that it would
occur to any one but the Mayor to refer to the
models for imitation. We in Baltimore are taxed
sufficiently for the support of police department
to have right to expect proper care in its organi-
cation, and a judicous caution in the selection of
its members. This it is the duty of the Mayor to
exercise; upon him rests all the responsibility
which the possession of the appointing power
entails upon the incumbent of the Mayoralty; and
1t IS therefore very lame apology for Mayor
SWAMI to plead that the appointments have been
made upon the recommendations of some of our best
citizens or to seek to screen himself behind the con-
fession of his subordinate HERRING, "that the pres
ent Police corps has been organized with has Her
ring 81 concurrence. The appointments were made
not by Marshal HERRING, but by Mayor SWAMI,
and whatever weight may have been attached by
the Mayor to the recommendations of the Marshal
and howsoever he may have been influenced in his
appointments by the advice of the Marshal, the
official responsibility is all his own, and from that
no concurrence on the part of his subordinate,
can relieve him. Neither we admit that ''the
recommendations of some of our best citizens can
absolve the Mayor from the blame of having ap-
pointed 'men notorious y unfit" If such appoint
ments have been made, and the tacit acknowledge
ment of the fact contained in the letter of Marshal
HERRING, equally with the voice of the whole COM
munity in positive affirmation of its truth, proves
that we are right in the assumption that such is
the case, then no amount of Recommendations
In favor of the obnoxious appointees will acquit
the Mayor of having failed to exercise that rigid
and jealous scrutiny into their character and quail
ihcations which the interests of society committed
to his keeping and the grave responsibility of his
own official position equally required ''To set
thief to catch thief may be a very good maxim
in the selection of detecipes little previous prac-
tce in the calling of the burglar or the pickpocket
may be very necessary training for Vidocq;
but we have yet to learn that the habits of the
bully, the rowdy and the shoulder-htter are the
best possible qualifications for the duties of a peace
officer. Everybody knows the facility with which
petitions are signed, and Recommendations
are granted in favor of applicants for Office and
the Mayors own experience in political life should
have taught him TO be exceedingly chary in giving
credence to such recommendations, F." when urged
in favor of a man, whose name is as familiar to
the records of the Criminal Court, as-par e1en-
ple-JoHN ENGLISH