The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-10-04
TO THE HONORABLE THOMAS SWAMI,

MAYOR OF BALTIMORE:
S1R-In a paper which you lately addressed to
the people of Baltimore, and which was designed
by you as a vndicaton of your official conduct.
there occurs the following passage: -
"Conscious of the purity of my intentions and my
'honest efforts to serve the people of Baltimore,
! 81 challenge single act of nv official career as
"Mayor of the city, which should bring upon me
'the Just censure of any class of this community
"that nave erred in Judgment often-that have
been misled sometimes, am ready at all times to
admit, but that have ever prostituted the high
ohce l hold, or used its power to purposes other
than the public welfare, invite the severest scru
tiny into my official conduct"
This, sir, is language natural and becoming to a
man OF keen sensibity, conscious of his own integ
rity and alive to the injustice and cruelty of mscon-
struction. did not read it without emotion. |
felt and acknowledged the strength of the appeal
which it addressed to as one of the People of
Baltimore, and resolved that, for one at least
would give to such parts of your official conduct
had come under my own observation candid ex-
animation, and yield to you the credit which you
claim for pure intentions, unless should find in nv
review some 'single act' which no charity could
rescue from the category of deliberate and wiful
official delinquences. .t"Eset 70 cd.
lreside, Sir, and formerly thought had right
to vote, in the Tenth ward. When under this lat
ter deluson, (of which have been cured, L sought
to deposit my ballot, found that John Hinesly was
the person whom you, in the exercise of your
'power for no other purposes than the public wei
fare" had appointed to sit as Judge me and
| the other voters of that ward.
1t has been said, by one of the most sagacious
judges of human character, and one of the most
acute observers ofhuman conduct, that, whilst we
Will often fail TO determine with accuracy mans
motives If we survey his life in the gross-a deci-
sive and conclusive estimate will be readily reached
If we will confne ourselves to the consideration of
some particular act. We cease to be distracted by
the variety of reasons which may influence gene
raj conduct, and view, with clearness and without
any sense of confusion, the single object of our
scrutiny.
propose, Sir, to test by this rule your appoint
ment of John Hinesly Judge of the Election
| l inquire of myself ask from the public-I put
| it, Sir, to yoursef-to answer me: Why was John
| Hinesy seLected-chosen-from the whole people of
the ward, to be judge over them in the exercise
of one of the most solemn and important and Jealous
of their rights? In that canvass of your motives
which have instituted in my own bosom, l have
in vain, sought for any explanation of this ''single
"act" which can be reconciled with the only proper
| intent of the appointment-the choice of man
most likely to secure fair election. If this was
one of the cases in which you were ''misled some
"times, you are, indeed,a just object ofthe sympa-
thy which you invoke; for you are perhaps. the
only man in the city of Baltimore whom it would
have been possible to mislead in the same way.-
The name of the person whom you have distin-
guished by this appointment was too widely blown
by the trumpet of fame not to have reached every
ear but your own.
1t is impossible, therefore, for the most indugent
candour to ascrbe this appointment to a good mo-
tive. When a man of the worst possible reputa-
ton is placed in situation in which his well known
and established disposition to commit wrong, NAV
have full play, shall we be justified in acouitting
him who places him there of dishonest design,
merely because he protests the purity of his nten
tions? And, above all, shall we acquit him, when
he himself is maintained and continued in power bv
the misconduct of the man who thus to the uniyer-
sal disgust of the public to the very disgrace of
the age in which live, by a reversal of every
sound and honest rule of appointment is elevated
from .insignifcance and ignominy to an office of
influence and honor?
1t is well known, Sir, that you are not averse
to ambitious appearances before the public If you
are not misunderstood, there are few things that
give you pleasure than occasions for the dis
play of your abilities a writer for the papers.
Trust me, there is nothing more worthy of your
attention than vindication of yourself from
the suspicious that arise in the bosom of every hon
est man who knows of John Hnesly and hears that
you, the Mayor of Baltimore, appointed him Judge
of the Election. If, instead of vague and general
protestations of pure intentions, you will address
yourself to special explanation of this instance of
"oficial conduct" and doing So you shall be able
to show, by any reason approaching FEASIBILITY
that in making this appointment you had in view
that "public welfare" which you declare has been
the pole star of all your 'ocal career "then Sir,
will L not only confess my own injurious misappre-
hension of you, but unite in an earnest effort to
obtain for you favorable verdict from the whole
people of Baltimore. If, on the other hand, YOU
stand mute under the weight of fact so significant
who shall blame me for yielding, like others, to
the conviction that the appointment of Hinesly is
but the index and representative of motives and
objects in which regard for the 'public welfare
has no share and no consideration?