Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-11-09
The baltimore Election Outrnges.--.OPIn-
ions of the Local Press.
From the American of Thursday Opposition Orgau)
GpEn ,4-pB .cE

The election yesterday can be justly termed moth.
ing but an outrage against decency against law and
against all rights, public and private. The city
given up the LcOntIol of lawless ruffiansm sup
ported and encouraged by the police and approved
OF and urged ON by the recognised leaders of the
American party. Armed bands of lawless charac-
tiers held possession of nearly all the polling places
the efforts which the friends of fair and legal cleo
ton made TO preserve order were treated acts of
riot and the only arrests made by the police We're
OF respectable and well known citizens whose whole
lives are the guarantee of their obedience TO the
laws Every species of fraud, every degree of ruff
fianism and every violation of sworn duty. used
10 defeat the expression Of the will of the people.
Bands of men. whose looks bespeak their character,
rode in omnibuses and carriages from one poll to
the other. voting without check at each. the accu-
INFLATED disgrace and sh Ime OF the scene was pain
tut 10 contemplate, aud we can scarcely control
own feelings to write of it with any degree Of
calmneSS.
The Reformers made a manly and determined
stand for their rights, but il against such Odds
organized ruiianism and fraud rendered the con-
test hopeless. Tainted nsulted and abused. the
slightest demonstration they made toward selfprO-
lection treated as breach of the peace, and
they were ANONYMOUSLY dragged 20 the Poce-sta-
ons whilst their assailans left to renew theiB
ouirages. They might have continued the struggle
TO the end, but the result could only have been the
sacrifice Of valuable lives, without accomplishing
any ultimate good. With number of the wards in
the uncontrolled possession Of theip opponents, and
fraudulent voting progressing without check at all
but the Eighth and Eleventh, the success of the
ticket was impossibility. Prudence As well as
necessity dietSted retirement from contest which
was hopeless unless obey descended TO the vie plac
tees of their opponents.
What course of action it may heTeafIeB DO ad-
VISIBLE to adopt it is perhaps scarcely possible ROW
TO say: but we cannot believe that such great
wrongs as were accomplished yesterday WILL be
quietly submitted TO. Tho Courts should be appeal
cd 20. to prevent the CoRsummaliqn gf the illegal
election Of some of It's own officers and the LegiSl9-
tu1-e urged 10 reject from its body members whose
certificates are stained with blood and are the pT0
duct of unparalleled fraud and violence. Whatever
nav be the political complexion of that body, We
cannot believe it will sanction such means for OBJ
tanning power characterized the contest of yes
terday But whatever may be the fate of such an
appeal. there is a manifest duty requiring it to be
made,
BEFEATR8 BIT NOT BIsGRADRR,
e The reformers have lost all but their own self
respect That they have preserved qnspotted by
fraud or violence Their opponents have won sqS-
cess in their own way, but they viii have to take it
with all the shame and 0pprObrium resting upon it.
We cannot believe that any party can survive under
such deep disgrace nov belongs to the American
organization in this city, The reSpeciaDe men who
have chung 10 it heretofore and deuded themselves
with the belief that it was capable OF sasigenera-
ton, must at last be convinced that ali such hopes
were futile. The scenes of yesterday were too
open IN their wicked shamefulness, 10 permit denial
or disguise, and though mendacious party prints
may so utterly violate the truth 70 attribute these
occurrences to the Reformers, there j. not an hon
est man who does not well know where the FesPap-
slblI;y lies Good citizens Of the American party
must see that the disorderly clement Of our popula
ton has been organized and used until Il has gained
the mastery sven over those who have appealed to
It, and now holds their party in the grasp of ty-
ranny equally unreleniing and disgracefEl. Hmakes
their own nominations in its own vav and elects
those nominations in its own way, and both WAYS
so utterly bad that we can imagine nothing more
hunliliating than tie triumph they have achieved
The man most to be pitied is not the Reformer who.
whilst striving for the peaceful enjoyment of his
rights was abused, stuck with avis, beaten muir
dered but the honest and respectable American who
is forced to endure the shame which his party has
forced upen him.