Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-09-29
From the Lynchburg virginian-
baltimore PoHsfcs--rhe Reform
Movement.

press of the country have Joined i
in a systematic abuse of the City of Balti- /
more, and in their not very reputable work. |
have received the most efficient aid from tie |
sDcalled neutral papers of that city. The |
journals published in the cities north of Bal |
timore. seeing that the opportunity was a ia
vorable one in which to dnpreciate and pos
sibly ruin the business prospects of their
most dreaded rival, JOINED in the hue and
cry that has been raised. and in the most
demoniac spirit magnified every little disiur-
bance that occurred and thus heralded it to
the four winds. Even the telegraph was
brought into requisition, in order to subserve
their infamous purposes. IF two rowdies
CHANGED to meet in one of the less respectable
streets or alleys on the outskirts of the city.
and engage in fsiicuf-such as are seen
by scores in every city Of equal size in any
day of the week, the whole transaction was
described in the minutest terms; the fancy
and imagination of the reptoter adding i'm
mensely to the circumstances as they really
existed.
That papers in The interest of rival mar
kets should have catched at these things,
and endeavOred to turn them to the advan-
tage of their friends. is easily accounted for;
but the course of those newspapers whose
pecuniary interests were so closely identified
with the prosperity of the city in which
they were published, is more difficult of
solution.
The city of Baltimore. it will be remem-
Dercd, was, until the advent of the American
party. strongly Dcmocratic-never having
within our recollection. given a majority for
any Wing candidates for President or Gov
ernor.
In 1870 when the country was swept by
the Harrison avalanche and tire State of
/: Maryland gave a majority of some ten thons-
, and for the old hero The CITY of Baltimore
maj Al - L,
/ Hook. Four years latrr. when Clay and
! Polk were the candidates. the State again
| went Wing by respectable majority, but
; Baltimore still adhered to the fortunes of
, L"coiocolsm. and gave n largely increased
4; majority for Polk. AT the succeeding Presi-
/ dental election. Gems TAYLOR and Cass, were
/, before the people. The State, as had heen
; her uniform habit, cast its vote for the Wing
! candidate, Baltimore at the same time voting
: for Gen. Cass. Four years later the State
. went for Pierce by small majority. Balti-
: more giving him vote greatly exceeding
any of her former ones. 1t is proper to re-
mark here, that at the different Gubernatori-
al elections. the majOriies given by Balti-
more for the Democratic candidates, were
astOnishingly large, and in every instance
with single exception, her immense vote
always decided the election in favor of the
Democratic candidate, although the counties
of the State ontside of the city. gave re-
spectacle majOrities for the different Wing
candidates
In those days, the class of people so well
known by the sObrtguets of Plug Ugiies,'
Tigers" &c, the very mention OF Whose
names. now raises the virtuOns Indignation
of Democrat. where all bright and shining
lights in the Democratic Church, and it was
10 their Hurcnlean efforts, that the coniin-
ued ascendency of pure and unadultcrated
Democracy was always attributed. There
has never heen period in the history of the
city, when the Wing party did not have
large majority of the more respectable por-
ton of the citizens; and we have heard it
remarked on more than on one occasion, that
at least three fourths of the city taxes were
paid by Wings. while the city itself seemed
TO be hOpelessly lOcofOcO; every office, in its
government. from street-cleanrr and scaven-
ger, to the MayOralty. being filled by men of
the most abandoned characters: some of
them pardo1ed criminals; and many of them
persons who had been charged with most of
the crimes in the decalOgue, but in cOnse-
qnence of the laXity of Democratic judicial
officers and. in some instances. to the most
outright and unblusing bribery, had escaped
justice.
When this state of things existed, where
were those virtuous Democratic journals 7
Did they at that time indite any hOmilies on
the L" deplorable condition of their beloved
city?n Did they in those days of rampant
rowdyism. warn the citizens of other places
| trading with them, OF the danger attending
visit to their city? Marry tame. Then the
offices were filed by patriotic democrats;
| consequently the lives and property OF the
| people, resident aud visiting. we're safe: but
| so soon as some row dies of their party chose
| to change their party relations, and ally them
selves with the American movement. the as
| founding discovery was made that the city
! was ovprrun with despcradoes and il was al
; the peril of life and limb. that men and wo
| men who had spent their entire lives in the
city. could walk a single square; and unless
the substantial and respectable citizens rose
| in their might and crushed ont of rXistenc,
the horrible monster called Plug Ugly, th,
city was doomed; people from the rural dis
tricts would refuse to trade with it; its streets
would soon be coated with grass; lis wharye
rot cut; and its places of business, the abode
OF owls and bats
In order to arrest this hidpOus and mucl
dreaded state Of things Il call was made nI
the citizens of this seemingly doomed place
TO meet mt given time in Monument Square
and then and there, concoct such measure
ns would relieve them of all their trouble
and misfnrtunes. The meeting was hcld-tw'
or three enterprising gentlemen were safel,
delivered OF as manv proSy and stupid speech
es-a string OF highIalutin nonsense in III
shape of resolutions was then introduces
and read by its learned author. after whc
performance the scnse of the meeting wa
taken and they were unanimously adopted
in other words, ''the mountain was in labOui
and behold, it brought forth ridiculOu
mouse"
That these very respectable gentlemen ha
perfect right to hold u meeting, and q
equal right to pass just such resolutions a
were passed and that the eloquent indv idual
who acted as spokesman on the occasion
were perfectly justiiable in seeking TO Civ
v'nt to the surplus bile on their stOmach'
we are not disposed to question. But we, u
the same time, caunot help thinking that, ha
they been aware OF the effect of their ac,io
on the trade and prosperity Of their city. the
would have left undone the things that the
have DONE" That the whole business con
muniiy should be aroused to a deep sense {
the outrage that has thus wantonly or incor
siderately been prrpetrated, is The mos
natural thing in the world. The bushes
men of the city are beginning to realize ID
terrible consequences of the movement upo
their trade and industry, and the genera
welfare of the city, and we are gratifed {
see them seeking the means To restore I'd
public confidence thus shaken. and TO eountel
act the evil Influences OF the i'll adv iscd n
form project, and its Needless advocates.
The first step in this direction. is the publ
di>approyal of the proceeding by tho-e al
on the authority of whose names or signaiurs
they were instituted. Already informatia
has been received OF the r pudiation of Oh
whole affair by number OF respectable cit
gems whose names were published office
of the meeting. and n still larger number
those whose names were attached to the ca
tint issued by the American, ard afterward
without their consent or connivancc. transic
red to u partizan locofoco call, gotten up
the offices OF the papers OF that party. The:
gentlemen will publicly announce their di
! appreciation of the proceedings of The m 2
ine, and will publish statement to Ihi
Effect. The reaction will TINS be properl
| harnn MhiIe InrIh,r p,t.nsures may b.. Gu