The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-07-15

The prerogatives of the Sovereign people are
rapidly growing to be as indefinite as they have
always been absolute Educated are to
respect and abide by the popular will, when il
finds expression through legitimate channels, or
embodies itself in the form of laws, it is scarcely
possible that men are prepared TO assent 10 the
doctrines which have latterly been advocated in
influential quarters in this community. When the
City Council granted certain privileges to an rs
ISOLATION, which offered to build a Railway, and
as deliberately provided in the ordinance for an
assignment of those rights to other parties, the
assignees have, Notwithstanding this been grave
ly told by the MAYOR that their franchises are Sc
cure only by the sullerance of our people; or, in
his language, the grant depends ''for its vital
f'ity on the good will of our citizens"
When an Injunction was granted TO certain
property-holderS, 10 stay the progress of this
work, on the ground that an irreparable injury
would thereby be inflicted upon them, The Aaner-
icGn thought proper TO discuss that branch of the
question also, precisely after the fashion of the
MAYOR. The ''owners and assignees," ii tells u.s.
in its issue of yesterday arc reapng the fruits of
''the unpopularity they have gained by their i'm
'proper and fraudulent proceedings whereas, if
lueN uau only actcu honestly, 'lne Olly hal-
road would have been so strongly entrenched in
''the popular favor that no one would have
'ventured to oppose its progress" Are the rights
ofproperty then to be placed in the same category
with personal franchises and made wholly Deepen
dent on the popularity which the owners of either
may enjoy. Shall no man overture to oppose
that which is supposed to be strongly entrenched"
in the favor of the people? Who shall determine
when corporation is sufficiently low in public
estimation to justify those whom it is injuring in
seeking legal redress against it? We are begin
ming to apprehend now the serious import of the
phrase uor popali, del. If the public will which
announces itself, not honestly through the ballot
box, but merely through the press, the mass meet
ings and the pohouses, is to be the test of the va
validity of purchased rights, or of the proprety Of
individual acts, then indeed do we dwell under an
ignominious and fearful rule. We conceive that
we have been verging towards some such condi-
ton year by year for a long time past. Listening
10 our passions rather than to our reason, we ac-
cept infallible the rash judgments of the mo-
ment, and prefer them to the weighter die
tates of the written law. The Fugitive
Slave Act is u bye-word in the North,
and the Neutrality Laws are laughed TO scorn
in the South. A frendless murderer is hanged or
perhaps burned at the stake by an excited mob in
the West; and high magistrates and Christian
ministers gather round dissoute and abandoned
assassin, who, in the National Capital ITSELF be-
comes the hypocritical avenger of virtue. Justice
sways from side 10 side as the popular storm blows
high, and government plays fast or loose with
duty until the shifting currents of public opinion
gather strength enough to determine its direction.
Integrity and honor are silent when the people
angrily say, " Give unto us Barabbas." If des-
potsm as active and many-headed as that of mob
rule gains ground among u.s. then is the Austrian to
be enved. If laws only to be obeyed so long
as men feel disposed to submit to them then the
less cumbrous machinery of uncivilized nations
might suit us better. If injunctions are to be
classed only with the fruits of unpopularity" we
may well lop off the branch which bears it, as
a"Starve-Gut Association serves the same pur-
poses, and is of its kind as much as we have
stomach for.