The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-08-27

tive of general national degeneracy that many of
US are unwilling to listen to anything in explana-
ton or calculation of the Italian question ITSELF
Italy the land of Fra Diarolo and there is an end
of the matter!
What then must we say of the United States as
illustrated by the clubs of ''Eubots,'' ''Ranters"
and Grip Raps," of cities like Baltimore? Balti-
more is not a backwoods village. The ways of its
people are known to the whole Union-ther morale
fairly represents that of large sections of the Re-
public. And what is this morale as translated by
the acts of Baltimorean crowd?
But the other day camp.meetng began at a
point near the city of Baltimore. Lead by we know
not what instinct, the female population of the Mon
umental city thronged the boats devoted to the
camp-meeting service Their husbands and friends
were with them, and the whole affair whatever we
may think of its purely religious value,) was con-
| Quoted with the utmost external propriety. This
dspeased the lively clubs aforesaid and their mem
bers forthwith began to express their dissatisfac-
ton. Numbers of them took passage on one par
ticuar camp meeting steamer and very soon began
to "show their hand" They armed, ofcourse
as towards always are, and fell at first upon the
weakest and least prepared portion of their fellow
passengers. They selected the "colored passen
gers" accustomed as these poor creature are, to
being cu1ed and kicked, and began to cuff and
kick them.
The Captain of the vessel was appealed to but as
he was probably a coward himself he declined to
interfere. "The lights were blown OUT and
scene of horror the particulars of which it is happ
ly unnecessary for us to infict upon our readers
forthwith began The strong and formidable were
religiously avoided, but the weak and timid poor
laboring men and simple women, were subjected to
the most atrocious insults. Men were stabbed and
robbed openly. Others were horribly beaten in the
presence of their wives. All this time the Ameri-
can flag foated from the stern of the steamer and
human beings supposed to be American citizens
were on board. Nobody had the courage to inter
| fere.
| At daybreak, after night of Pandemonium, the
vessel neared the shore. A Sheriff was sent for
and small number of the offenders arrested Al
first the Sheriff's authority was deied but the vail
ant individuals who had shrunk appalled, into cor
ners all night long reappeared at the sight of the
official uniform, and actually ventured to strength
en- the hands of the posse. The ringleaders of the
rioters were arrested, and if the Judges are not
frightened from their propriety by the outcries of
the hellsh crew to which these ruans belong, some
of them may be eventually punished. The history
is not very heroic, but it is history of our day
and of our own country, and it demands our atten-
ton. 1t is not an isolated history, sorry to
say, and it is identical in substance with many
other signs of the times. The infamous way in
which petty mobs in country villages have recently
taken the law into their own hands; the cowardly
onslaughts of small armies of poltroons disguised
and blackened to their faces, upon obnoxious in
dividuals, with tar and feathers and all the para
phernaa of the vulgar Inquisition. These all drift
in one direction. They indicate not merely the re-
taxation of public justice, but the decay of private
fairness and courage In this respect they are very
dark and disastrous incidents of our national expe-
rience, and it becomes all concerned to make Wig
orous effort towards ending them forever