The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-11-08

ne regarded lis a party trlumph-a Democratic
victory merely-to be used only assuccessful par
ties are too prone to use party success. It would
be crime to perver this interpositon of Providence
in behalf of the public safety, to any such end.
To derive no higher lesson from all that has been
done and suffered in this unfortunate city, than one
may learn from watching the revolution of n cart
wheel-to indulge in the philosophy which looks to
mere changes in administration, for the compensa-
ton and redress of our political grievances-o goat
upon the revenges of time and rejoice in the hope
that the diabolical inventions of the engineers of
our shame may now turn to plague the inventors
to do all this and do no more-were to commit
what the wise have pronounced worse than crime
in Governments bunder The crisis now to
be met, is one demanding the statesman and not
the partisan-for upon the legislature now elect.
VIII deVolve the solution of the problem, so in
terestlng IN this country-how the good govern
ment of great cities may be rendered comoatibe
with popular institutions. 1t is a question vital
to Maryland, but not to Maryland alone In all
the States which have vast towns, springing in
their midst, imperia in imperiis. centres alike of
population, wealth, energy and corruption--the
question is one which sooner or later must be de-
cided. Look at the danger-itis not confined to
Baltimore alone More than half the property and
nearly one-haf the people of the whole State lie
practically, at the mercy of men 10 whom violence
is ordinary employment, and murder itself, but the
highest professional excellence. 1t is even worse
than this. Those whose possession and use of the
ballot box here enable them to cast rs MANY votesas
they please, control the whols State in any gene
raj election, though the State stand on one side
and the city on the other, and thus hold all Mary
land at the pleasure of the brigands of Baltimore.
The question, therefore, rises high above any
known party issue-above even the common and
difficult one in republics like ours for which con-
sututons and guarantees are mostly devised-the
protection Of minorities. The question properly
stated now, is how to protect the maiority-to re-
store to the people of Maryland the government
OF the State. So strange seems the assertion
that voters cannot vote in Baltimore, that we
are not surprised that the statement has been re-
garded with doubt by those who have not witnessed
for themselves or felt in their own deprivation
the astounding fact We can readily understand
that the reports Of the simple facts recurring here
at succeeding elections should have sounded in
the distant counties of the State like the exaggera-
tons of partisan malgnty. 1t was, perhaps,
necessary that the of the second of November
should be enacted, to close forever all discussion
upon the subject and to dispel every doubt lneer-
ing in honest minds. On that day, all the foul
schemes which, for months previously had been
connecting, were so ruthlessiv carried out with
such clear and unmstakable evidence of the entire
completely and appreciation of the authorities
that charity itself must now proclaim those who
may affect 10 palliate disbelieve-as themselves
guilty of misprison of the treason which they pre-
tend to question
It's, therefore, to reconstruction of the social
editice within the corporate limits of the CITY of
Baltimore, that the wise and good Of our State
must address Themselves work in which thew
viii be cheercd by the sympathy and hopes
OF the wise and good of other communities. Men
who have heretofore legislated may be excused for
having never deemed it possible that all the acen
cles provided for the suppression of crime might
openly and ostentatiousy combine with crmi-
mails for the overthrow of right. Our fathers
may be pardoned for having never supposed
that the ballot-box in half the State would ever
be closed to the legal voter, and free to fraud
alone. But those who must now approach this
su"Ject nave 4 larger experience, clearer and sad
der light. Let them rack their brains for every
means by which the depository of freemen's votes
may be polluted, and we will send them a cloud
of witnesses who will give proofs of corruptons
practised here, which their unaided magma
tons have not conceived. The cornerstone of
our political structure must be laid anew. The
oallot-box must be purged by the entire wisdom
and guarded by the whole STRENGTH of ooc;o+,,
Unless stopped here, and now, and forever, this
plague will spread to distant communities, as vet
untainted, and treason, like JOHN BRowNs, will
never be required to destroy institutions no longer
worth preserving.