The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-08-19

their orders at the Counting room during the day.
The New York Courier and Enquirer in recent
article upon Rowdies, after describing at length
some of the more prominent characteristics of the
cass-such as brutality and cowardice, disregard
of ''fair play" and total want of f'good feeng'-
consoles itself for the notifying fact tthat any
"class of Americans should be so wanting in every
'thng that is good,'' by the assumption ''that it
'is seldom one of our rowdies is real American"
We wish that we could lay the same lattering con-
ISOLATION to our souls. We know that The Courier
and Enquirer is not singular in its opinion. We
are aware that many intelligent and respectable
persons entertain the same belief and attribute all
the license and rowdyism of our larger cities to
the influx of a low and degraded class of foreign
criminals and paupers, or-as The Courier and
Enquirer expresses ito f'the outpourings of the
'iails of foreign countries" We remember that
at the fall elections in our own city, only two years
ago-when banded rufianism held uninterrupted
sway from one end of the town to the other, and
trampled under foot all law and triumphed over
all authority, and stifed all expression of the
popular will, aud everywhere robbed men of their
most sacred rights-amd all these excuses and
crimes Mr.. SWAMI was only able to distinguish
and recall those committed by the ''nfuriated
'Irsh of the Eighth Ward" We wish that we
could form the same favorable estimate of the
causes of rowdySm in this country We should
be most happy to shift the burden of all the shame
and dishonor it entails from the shoulders of our
own people on to those of 'the foreign popula-
"tion." 1t would not only be in the highest de-
gree consolatory to our national pride, but would
tend to remove many of the apprehensions which
we entertain for the success and permanence of our
institutions, could believe that the evils which
most seriously endanger their stability arise from
class which forms but an infinitesimal fraction of
our population, and is almost exclusively confined
to our larger towns. Such, however, is not the
case--at least, not with US in Baltimore. Here
the habitual and professional rowdy is almost
always, if not invariably, of American birth,
and, generally speaking, of American parentage
In fact his nationality, pure and unmixed is what
he chiefly prides himself upon. He glories in the
name Of American, which he does his best daily to
dishonor. He avows himself the especial cham
pion and defender of the institutions, upon which
he and his like perpetual stigma and
reproach. He boasts that he is American-nay,
more, that he is ''white''-for, as if the epithet
foreigner was not sufficiently opprobrious to ap-
ply to those who are opposed to him, or against
whom he opposes himself he classes all such under
the comprehensive designation of ''niggers'' He
is, in fact, creature brimful of patriotism and
overfowing with pride of race. In his anxiety to
tha mir If fnra
he has gone even to the other extreme of adopting
as his own the manners and habits of the
Aborignes. He is more treacherous than the Mo-
hawk, and more cruel than the Comanche The
Seminole, lurking in the everglades of Florida, is
not more completely an outlaw, than the "Plug
Ugly or the ''Rip-Rap," dwelling in the midst
of the highest culture and the most refined civiliza
ton. The tomahawk and the scalping-knfe are
not more familiar TO the hand of the red Indian
than are the pistol and the sungshot to that of the
Rowdy. Like the former, the latter does not
scruple to war even upon women and children
The aged grand-dame of eighty years, and the
mother with her infant in her arms, are equally
exposed TO his murderous assaults. The cases of
Mrs. HARTzELL, on Sunday, and of Mrs. DoNoHUE
on Tuesday, attest the literal truth of this asser-
ton. Like the savage, too, the Rowdy roams in
hordes-each having its own peculiar haunt, and
appropriate designation. They are known as
"Tigers," 'Black Snakes" "Blood Tubs, -
Trough Skins" and the like. Sometimes,
these wild hordes fall out and quarrel among them
selves, and one band wages war upon another.
Thus in yesterdays papers we read how
the 'Pioneers" and the ''Red Necks," joined their
forces and gave battle, with clubs and firearms
to the "Ashlanders, hitherto friendly but now
hostile tribe, and how the latter, worsted in the
fight, retired within their stronghold, and there
defended themselves successfully against further
assault. We read, too how we'll their fortalice was
prepared tosand such SIEGE for the reporter of an
afternoon paper expressly tells us, that he was in
formed by PRyoR, the chief of the "Ashlanders''-
the American candidate for the office of Constable
in the Seventh ward-that within his house, he
had both muskets and swivel, but RETAINED from
using either against his foes. Altogether, we ven
ture to AFFIRM thgt the American Rowdy is emphat-
ically SUI generis-that he is indigenous to this
country, and not referrible to any foreign original
or prototype whatsoever If not the creature of our
institutions, he has, at least, grown up under their
influence and protection, and in most of our larger
cities, has finally usurped their control. He it is
who regulates the nominations in the primary meet
ngs and decides the elections at the polls and this
he does in utter derogation of the rights, not only
of naturalized citizens, but of all whose views or
preferences may differ from his own He is the
veritable despot-he and his fellows the only priv
LEGGED cass-privileged to do what they please,
and be accountable to none. Having long selected
our rulers for us, he al length aspires to rule
us himself, and accordingly among the candidates
already nominated for various offices of trust and
proGt about to become vacant this fall, we recog-
Mise several whose only claim to distinction, as
we'll as surest guaranty of success is that they have
been, and still are, habitual and notorious Row
es-dstinguished as such by all the characters
tics we have named and all which The Courier
and Enquirer includes in its catalogue of vices, and
put forward confidently and unblushingly by a
Party, whose distinctive trait is its hostility to for
eigners.