The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-10-07

VIM. Gilmor, Thomas Kelso
John NJ. Smith, James A Hooner
James heyser, John Fl. Haskell,
Geo. W. Tinges, Richard Mason
Thomas Smith, T. t Martin
A. W. Pouson, Theodore S. Bantz
Z. X. Hardesty, Capt. John J. Barry,
George W. Weems James B. Jordan
jeremiah Fisher, J. R Kramer
Benjamin Crane, Wm. E. Nicholson
James 5 Waters, Walter Crook, Jr
h. K. Horner, Wm. Gorsuch,
John Worley Sr, Samuel Hopkins,
Lee McComas, F.. +. Gator,
John R. Kelso, W. X. Merritt
John Hurst, r. c. Wink
SECRETARIES.
Lewis A. Thomas, John Dennison,
Samuel G. Hindes.
On standing up to speak, something underneath
the platform gave bend as if giving way, just as
the Hon. William Price was going forward
who said, al hope we are all safe fellow citizens
no fall here to-day" and then resumed
The intention of this meeting my fellowcitizens is ia
give an expression to the sentiments of the merchants
the mechanics, the traders and the business men of
more in reference 70 the present moral condition of your
CITY, Many statements and representations have gone
abroad and from abroad they have come back upon
land very much improved, and great many additions
made to them to the effect that Baltimore has sunk So
low that she has become den of robbers and cut
thrOats and murdererS; and ] understand nv fellow.
citizens that the object of this meeting here today is to
express your opinion upon that subject wheh
you a den OF robbers nur,Ierers and on,
throas or not 1T is said nv feIow.citiz tbat
these representations have gone abroad to the effect
that 1t Is no longer safe for any to appear in
der and outrage walk abroad in open day; and that
the stranger and soouner within your gates
Of his m in your streets; and. my fellow citizens the
@eat public that soutside of your city told to shun
you city they would a pesence ana form their bus
mss connections elsewhere Now, these grave impu.
tlohs ana am here to day to speak by authority
and in name to that these cannncs are all un
true am here to-day to speak in your name and to pro
Cam 10 the world ny your authority that there as
much safety in the streets of Baltimore and that life and
properly Just here they are at any noni
upon the whole Atantic sea board (Applausel knoy
a he hp flrt thor
knowledge and there is need of any dispute about it.
There is much safety in Baltimore and men can ira
verse your streets as free they in any other eli v
ou take TINS opportunity to admit that if any miscella
neouS gentleman should here disposed to get into
row, and should feel stray wish get bullet struck
through his head he can be accommodated very easy
terms in Baltimore (iaughter but ] believe there
are just the same facilities in New York Any man com
ing to the city of Baltimore and intending to busy him.
self without attending to the business of other people
can be accommodated here free from moestation and
to the satisfaction Of respectable man. as in any pout
in the whole Union. What did we come here for :? Not
to enter into argument, not say these things are
false but here are for the purpose of STATING
ana remarkable fact, that just respectable
our neighbors (Appause) l have known Baltimore a
long time You may see here (ponting his head some
silvery memorials. There is not spot in the Union
that would rather live in than Baltimore-there is
lace where you can get so good dinner-(aughter)
and everything else that the heart desire 1t is
abroad and from abroad come back to in letters
from young ladies and letters from wives aughterl WHY
my fellow citizens, little spark will make mighty
hame ana few people will make great noise 1t is
enough for you to say it is not so and by youi
authority say it is uot so, here this day. / didn't
think, when rose that would have much say thought
there nothing argue discuss There is another
matter, no" ever. refer TO your call. refer to the
paper which you have all signed you saw and pledge
yourselves that object declare your confidence in
the Mayor and to support his authority. ApplauseD
Now, that needs interpretaon-t is perfectly main
What you mean to say is that you will abide by the law
and by the constituted authorities of law and that
you won't take the law into your hands By your
Constitution you have placed authority in particular
dvduals There let it rest and every good citizen will
abide by it, You stand by the law and support it NV
fellowczens, it is fearful thing to take the law into
your own hands, because the you that there
is end of all law The law is the safety every man
rich and poor. Itwaches him while sleeps and
enables him to sleep with unbarred DOORS I don't wish
to lead you into any long and heightened discussion
say it is fearful thing to take the law into your own
hands. Were it not so, history has been written in
vain. may refer simply to the experience of Reyo
utonay France and to the blood shed there Just because
they would not submit to the law. Remember this thing
Is not matter OF compromise; you can't Weld divided
obedience to the law The that you say you will
but obey it in part and bestow in part you are Just
guilty as the highest criminal arraigned at the bar OF
your courts The very FIRST step, after taking the law
into your own hands, would be Vigilance Committee
and the next step is murder and the next step to that
would be your streets flowing with blood
Fellow-citizenS, when you say that you will support
the Mayor all you mean is that you will stand by the
law, and by those who administer the law. (Appause
When they come to appeal to you and to me SAYING
Lets take this thing out of the hands of the Mayor ant
then We and the Mayor will be Mayor between us
(aughter) Excuse me, if you please go back frs
principles. You have no divided authority
for good fellow citizen will obey the law Blu
hands of the Mayor, and say you will appoint Judges and
everythng-the Mayor is to be nobody, and you are t.
beeyerything: l find am making speech without in
tending to do it, But there is still another thing in this
call You great deal said in the ne spapers about
a Reform movement, and have this meeting al
ready characterized as an AntReform movement; an
Other says it is an Opposition movement and Opposi
ton meeting You are not the take you for if yor
here in opposition to anybody. A mass meetinq
held in this place by very respectable men hav,
nothing to say against them They expressed their sen
tments. and we have right to do the same. Certain
passed They were called Reform movement and il
we don't approve this, then We are an Opposition
meeting! Laughter. Oh, no! that won't do
whether opposition or anti-reform, al
here as fellow citizens of this city, supon grea
specific questions. 1t is not political meeting-it
business meeting, and you are here to declare tina
you not the cuhroats that slanderers represent
you to be. A preamble and resolutions have been pre-
pared for your consideration and it is part of nv dut
| to read them. shall address myself to that duty
| and when have got through l will take my leave 0
| you for the present.
Whereas, the good name of Baltimore has been inur
ousy affected in many parts of the country by the lon
continued and violent statements made BY portion q
our newspapers as to the condition of things here, b
which an impression has been created that neither tn
rights of persons or OF property respected amongs
| And whereas we who are citizens of Baltimore an
identified alike with her interests of trade manufacture
and business of the exaggerated character
these statements and feel it to be duty citizens
apart from all political influences and preferences
dicate the character of our city against aspersOns
| furious and so unjust.
| in all our large cities, we declare that in Baltimore
does not exceed its proportions elsewhere here
periods We deny that it extends to endanger the
raj security opersons or prosperity in this city render
in the eas degree insecure the residence OF transit
strangers on business in any nerferes wit
the ordinary operations of industry; and declare III
habiual and grave eXaggeratons by certain newspaper
published in this city, touching the prevalence Grim
in this city tends nure the business character of h
city, TO diminish the prosperity Of its merchants mechaI
! les and business men
hesolred; That the declaration by whomsoever mad
is
soOum withus, by Of the danger OF their beu
assailed or set upon in streets, is a caumny so bo
and unmtigated that terms of reprobaon can tc
| strong to apply to it.
ResoEred, That we hold it to be the duty of all goc
citizens, in every emergency of public difficulty
ger to look to the constituted authorities for the enfoc
ment of the law and the preservation of order and
strengthen those authorities by the moral force
honest and energetic support And nothing in Il
existing condition of things here to warrant n resort
the extraordinary measures recommended by meetin
of citizens recently held in this place
Resoired That all elections ought to be conducted in
peaceful and orderly manner that the right voting
right that every citizen is entitled to be mr.
tected in its free and undsturbed exercise And shou
emergency at the approaching elections require it,
rely upon the Mayor of the City to take ali measur
necessary for the preservation of the peace and l
enforcement of the laws; and reject both dangero
and unwse all attempts to interfere with or control
authority.
Mr.. Price then introduced W. II. RYAN, ESQ
who said
Feow-ctzens you had a speech some short tin
since, from young merchant aughter)-you will he
one now from an old who has got pretty gre
aughter and appear before you, not as politician
any sense of that term, but business man. whose
terest and his whole identified with the interests of
city of Baltimore. applause Whatever affects her
terests affects mine, share in common with all be
her prosperity and adversely. SHALL therefore offer
I apology for the remarks / shall submit
your consideration. Nothing wilt "extenuate
set down aught in malice" I intend to speak free
n frankly and fearlessly, and, so far as KIN
and believe, truthfully, tapplauseO and if anybo
be curious to know what my political sentiments
will state, for their accommodation in few words tina
stand six feet one inch in my slippers and whig-(t
mendous laughter)-a Henry Clay Whig-(rsnewed lau.
terl-voted for him during his life, and if he lived
would vote for him again. and that for ANYTHING Il
n was within the gilt OF the American peope IAppaus
As our present laws exist go much as any other mi
for the free exercise of his political rights-no diff
ence where he comes from, what may be his mar
e Perhaps somebody wishes to know whether l be
e reformer. l will state to you that I am a ref
mer OF the very deepest dye. I go in not only
~ | reforming the American party so far as they m
require it for their triumph in their principles but
Tor reforming the whole Democratic party from Presid
James Buchanan down to Beale H. Richardson. thi
have both the head and tail. Have not? [Laughtt
is great deal has been sad fellow-ctizens not only
the public prints but in private circles and recently
this rostrum about the deporabe situation of Bamo
and they have said that present party in power
not exercised that power it ought to be exercised