The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-11-14
When Mr.. WHITNEY undertook to plead his oN

When Mr.. WHITNEY undertook to plead his own
cause at the bar of public opinion, about two
months ago, in the card which he published in the
newspapers, addressed TO the People of Baltimore
he endeavored to defend himself against the charge
Of suffering indictments to accumulate against no.
torious offenders, and to sleep without so much as
making an attempt or indicating any willingness to
bring them to trial-by stating that the immense
number and rapid increase ofcases upon the docket
and the shortness Of the sessions of the Court
rendered it physically impossible for him to dis
pose of all the business of each term. To those who
do not know how utterly false and dsingenuous
was the apology lhus attempted to be made, for
neglect of duty for which there is neither pallia-
ton nor excuse, it may seem somewhat strange
that during the past week, Mr.. WHITNEY should
have twice found time for personal expla-
nations, which occupied the Court a part
of two successive mornings. The subject which
Mr.. WHITNEY thus found the leisure to discuss,
which he has not been able to find for the trial of
important cases, was whether at the recent cleo
ton in the Sixteenth or Seventeeth Wards,
certain fraudulent ballots had been cast with
his name upon them, as had been stated by
to do with any matter then pending before
the Court; and the consideration of which it
seems to US might properly have been deferred
until the trial of Mr.. THOMAS claim TO the office
which Mr.. WHITNEY holds shall open for investi-
cation all the circumstances of fraud and outrage
connected with the election. That the JUDGE
should have listened to Mr.. WHITNEY's expana-
tons does not surprise US. That useful function
airy has several times lately, when counsel have
apoogisei for treSpassing upon his valuable time,
comforted them with the assurance that he had
nothing better to do, and was quite as content to
be amused one way as another. But Mr. WHIT
EEY does not profess 10 have any such amount of
time at his disposal. As we have said he has
made the want of it his public and only excuse
for not bringing to trial numerous indictments
against notorious disturbers of the public peace
Nor does the proof Of his superior sociude for his
own interests over those of the public stop here
He has also found the time and the means TO
persuade the Grand Jury to make presentment
for libel against the publishers of newspaper
in which various structures upon his official con-
duct had appeared With all the crimes of the past
two weeks, and the election day. uninvestigated
and unpunished-the murders, the robberies, the
brutal assaults, the peruries, the wholesale
violation of the laws, and the rights of the people.
by bands of rufians, and by men in authority
with all these things demanding their immediate,
careful and undivided consideration-he STATES |
ATTORNEY and the Grand Jury have found no more
useful employment than the preparation of an in
dicment to soothe the wounded feeling of the for
mer conscientious and sensitive official II doos |
really seem like & mockery of justice that such
things should be. That they should pass without
comment Or without exciting universal contempt
and indignation, would indicate degree of moral
insensibility GA the part of the public at large
equal 10 that attained by the official personages in
question