The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-09-13

The unanimity with which the necessity for
reform movement of some Sort in our city, is con-
coded on all hands, ought TO silence forever that
cutlery against the press which has been persistent
" kept up so long, and so vociferously. When
the neutral, independent and party papers have
without exception, admitted, as they have done
the existence of serious and wide spread evils, and
declared they can be tolerated no longer; and when
such men as those who called their feow-citizens
to assemble in Town-Meeting have testified
before the world to our 'deplorabe condition. he
must be ncredulous and blind indeed who still
denies the truth of what these many witnesses
aver Not solitary complaint can be found re-
corded in our columns, from the date of our exist
ence to the present moment, that the mouths of
those who have most condemned us have not
amply corroborated within the past few weeks
We can well afford then to pass by the impractical
Bile partsans who still cling to the consolation that
matters are worse in other cities than in our own,
and cherish the deluson that our own silly citizens
are duped by the Misrepresentation of the press,
and to address ourselves less to our grievances than
to their remedy. We have already said that in
proposed at the wn-Meeting, and in that alone,
do we discern the slightest prospect of effecng a
thorough regeneration ofour whole political system.
From no other quarter can we expect deliverance,
for nowhere else do we see power and disnterest-
edness united together in this cause, and on moth
ing save such a combination can the people be in
duced TO rely. at present constituted in this CITY
at least, the existing political parties command no
mans confidence for their antecedcnts are fresh in
the recolections of all. We alluded not long since
TO the INCAPABLE wrongs wrought by the Demo-
cratic party. We specified the Offices of
trust which had been pundered, and
the responsible stations which had been dis
honored by its successful nominees. Inca
pacty in the candidate did not forfeit its sup
port, neither did the debanched lives nor the dis
reputable characters of those who sought its
favors deprive them of its suffrages Though
poweress for good or evil for some time past, its
misdeeds unforgotten and unforgiven, for the
proofs of its reckless disregard for the common
veal linger among US still, and in the triumph
it achieved it trod down public decency, and
shook the peoples faith in the permanency of our
institutions. But we are told to stand back and
rely upon the integrity and good will of The Ameri-
can party which shall purge corruption and crime
from our midst. We do not deny that it contains
honorable men, but it has numbered them also in
its ranks, and perhaps in larger numbers than
now, ever since its organization Notwith-
standing this, we find, in tracing its growth
and progress here, that violence and fraud
have been its allies, and that these have from
time to time so used its power and directed its
courses, until the elective franchise is PROSTATE
under ruflian feet, and justice and the laws are
contaminated by the touch of the unclean hands
of magistrates and councilmen. Can we ignore
the fact that constabes and magistrates have been
elected, and policemen appointed, whose names
were, 10 their neighbors suggestive only of deprav
lty, dishonesty and crime? Does the abandoned
outlaw stand the higher in public estimation be-
cause men no better than he were rewarded here
tofore by another political party? Every one can
recall, for the purpose of illustrating our condi-
ton, some cases in which ruffianism has been
encouraged, either by direct promotion to office,
or by the impunty with which it was permitted
to defy authority. One instance will suffice for
an exemplifcation on both these points. MARION
similar desperadoes in the Lexington Market, and
he was made constable in his ward; he made
desperate and shameless attempt TO rescue GAM
BRILL from the Sheriff himself, and he walked
away unquestioned from the scene of that out
rage only 10 shoot down RIGDoN upon his own
hearlhstone. If any one believes US to have
drawn conclusions too general from cases which
let 81
known names of the clubs, or of individuals
which have grown to Ee notorious and familiar,
because they have perperated crime on crime.
Let those who think we exaggerate in any de-
gree our unhappy state, read again the proceedings
OF the late conventions-the occurrences at the pri-
mary meetings-and the nominations already
made for many offices. What, we ask, once more,
can we hope from the influences which control the
American party, when we remember the past, and
consider impartially the present? There is moth
ing, we believe, TO justify US in expecting, at this
crisis, from either party, such reformation as
good citizens desire. On the contrary, we must
anticipate, from the success of either, a continu-
ance of the system have so long suffered under,
somewhat modified, perhaps, but still essentially
the same Are we prepared to struggle for good
and pure government, or shall we stand by until
our condition is yet more deplorable? Will the
citizens hurl back the DULLES who surround the
ballot box, and lift with reclamation, into place
and power, irreproachabe, capableand upright Off
GERS, will they for little while longer avoid the
responsibility and the labor, and watch demorali-
cation spread amongst us like the leprous stain,
which, in Judea rotted into the garments of
men and the walls of houses before they cry aloud
''unclean unclean -? These questions are
broadly and frankly placed before us now, and weare
free to answer them as to us may seem most fit. In
the reform movement, the opportunity is offered
10 redeem ourselves out of the keeping of political
hucksers. The sacrifice it demands is light and
ought easily to be rendered. To surrender for
short time all party ties, and 10 labor for what so
clearly appears to be the public good is its only APP
peal to people which asserts its ability to exercise
the privilege of self government worthily and WELL
To this it has every right to anticipate an enthusi-
astic response.