The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-08-11

science and recklessness of assertion that has
lately characterized all its observations with re-
spect to this paper, and the motives and opinions
of its editors, The Baltimore american, of yester-
day. has undertaken to call in question the authen-
ITCHY of a statement which appeared in these col
umns on Tuesday, to the effect that party of mer
chants had been recently deferred from visiting
Baltimore, and induced to exchange the tickets,
which they had already purchased, for tickets to
Philadelphia, in consequence of reading in news
paper at Harrisburg the account of apublic muir
der in this city. This statement The american
does not scruple to pronounce an 'atrocious ca
s'ncrd-''a story so bald in its improbabity, that
tits exaggeraton if not entire fasity, must be evil
''dent to every man whose prejudices have not
''overcome his Judgment" 1t ''ventures to assert
'sthat the name of no respectable man can be
"given as a voucher for the truth of the story"
and ascribes its publication to a desire, on our
part to ''out-do all former Efforts in the way of
Injurious misrepresentation of this city and its
interests In reply to all this, have only to say
that the facts in question were communicated to
US, in the first instance, by gentleman OF the
highest standing and responsibility, together with
the authority upon which he had received them.
Before concluding upon their publication, however
in accordance with the suggestion of our infor-
mant, and our own invariable rule in such cases
we were at the pains to investigate, ourselves, the
sources of his information. We found the facts
corroborated by the testimony of a citizen whose
character for integrity and truth is at the least
as high that of either of the editors proprie
tors of The american, and whose name we only
refrain from publishing, because of our unwilling
ness to expose him to the insolent misrepresenta-
ton with which we ourselves have been assailed
Being thus satisfied, after what we deemed and
deem sufficient examination, and upon what we
still consider sufficient authority, of the entire
truth of the statement we laid it before our read
ers in the discharge of what we conceived to be
public duty and not, as The american falsely
insinuates, 'in order to do the greatest amount of
'njury to the interests of Baltimore. In its dis
cuSson ofthe motives which have regulated the con-
duct of this journal, during what it is pleased
to term, our ''brief existence" our contemporary
INDUCES in language which is equally impertinent
and false. In charging US with deliberate at
''ternpts to injure the trade of Baltimore by
which title it heads its own article and presumes
10 describe ours-it is itself guilty of deliberate
untruth
With respect to the effects which it processes
to have traced to the course pursued by this
journal, in regard to local occurrences, we differ
too widely from The american, in our estimate of
the causes of crime in this communicate the
remedy which is necessary to be applied-and of
our own duties and responsibilities as public Jour-
nalists, to admit of our holding any controversy
with it upon the subject. We believe that the real
injury which is done TO this city, its prosperity,
and its trade consists in the insecurity of life and
property among us, and not in the publication of
the fact We do not believe in either the posi-
bility or the honesty of concealing from the
world the crimes and outrages which are COM
mitted in our midst We do not think it incum-
bent upon the press of great city to ''present
unanimous and unbroken front of denial and de-
fence deniaP' of things which it knows to be
true-'defence" of things which it knows to be
indefensible. In one word, we do not think it
either behooveS us or becomes US to lie, either in
our own interest, in that of the community in
which we live. Ii the prosperity of Baltimore can
only be preserved or restored by such means, we
are content TO leave the task TO hands so willing
NAN Il
With respect 10 the suggestion contained in
the closing lines of our contemporaries. article
that we Should be held to an instant and strict
responsibility" confess that we do not fully
comprehend its meaning. Twelve months ago,
when the office of this paper was assailed by
mob, The american insinuated that on that occa-
sion we had only received our deserts''-nay, ex-
pressed openly its satisfaction that we had not "es
'caped our share of responsibility Tomorrow !
will be the anniversary of the outragein question
Is The american of the opinion that it will be a
suitable occasion for settling our account anew
Or, does it only desire that our transgressons
against the interests Baltimore should be visited
BY an instant transfer of patronage from our
columns to its own? The cowardice of the one in
tentlon and the meanness of the other, are so
equally characteristic of its conduct and morals,
that we are at loss TO which to attribute its sug-
pestion.