The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-09-20

In regard 10 the tender of cooperation on the
part of the "Central Committee" as explained in
the resolutions of the meeting feel il NV dutv IN
say, that the commission which | hold has been
conferred upon me by the people of the whole city.
while, therefore, am ready at all times to receive
complaints or suggestions in reference to actua or
supposed grievances in the conduct of our munici
pal affairs, have no right, by any official act of
mine to divide the powers and RESPONSIBILITIES Of
this office with any class of citizens not representing
! the entire constituency from whom have received
my trust.
Assuring you, sir, of my continued desire to Sc
cure to every one the free exercise of his rights
citizen, and to promote quiet and harmony in the
| coming elections, and my determination tn use all
the powers ofmy office with view to this result.
| am, respect.
Your obt serv't,
Thomas SWAMI,
THE MAYORS ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE
OF BALTIMORE
| Fellow CITIZENS: When | reached New York a
short time since, on my return from an absence of
few weeks from the duties of nv station caused
| by impaired health and the wearing labors of an
office, which need hardly assure YOU has bean to
me a source of constant solicitude saw for tbe
first time, in the columns of The american. a call
| for Town Meeting, to deliberate unon tho "a
| plorable" condition of our municipal affairs That
meeting has since been held, and has sent forth its
resolves with whatever of censure thew NAV he
supposed to convey upon the authorities of This
city. Such notice was well calculated tn stortIn
| for a moment, even the Executive of civ f,miIl
| lar with all its weaknesses, which but few uanrs
before he had left in condition to Justify 81
and damaging an advertisement. Acts of lawless
ness, it is true, had occurred in streets hut
| more hagrant than had marked the prograss of
| other communities, even that in which | was then
| sojourning, whose mode of disposipr of them bod
not been characterized by a like witherino eT-
| pOsure.
This call of Town Meeting, say it with all ho
coming Difference, while it could not fail to hrin
dscredit upon our city, could accomplish no more
in my opinion, than the quiet approaches. to This
office, of respectable citizens without thn SoIo,i
| ty of proclamation of our domestic evils IN H.
many commercial rivals who are ALWAYS eaper to
make capital at our expense. | know of nothinr
which should have caused distrust, in this mode If
treating the subject on the part of citizens u,bo
DESTROYS of lending their aid and CO. oneratin
in correcting the grievances of which they comnlan
ed. The evils of our system are domestic evils r.
be treated and disposed of such. Their sonrco
and origin should be carefully and mnartiou
traced; and it is the duty of good and conservati
men of whatever association party to unite in a
cordial effort to suppress them.
For three years past, say it with pain, fellow
citizens an unnatural state of things has existed in
this community. The city government has been
the victim of its studied complications 7 camo
into this Office with sincere desire to serve vo1,
and nave courted the aid of all who protested an
interest in your welfare-from the highest to the
humblest, whose position intelligence could be
made useful in the discharge of nv public dntins
The partisan and quasi-neutral press of YOUR civ
q ir
rltatlon One issue has succeeded another in such
quick succession that your periods of renosa orc
now scarcely measured by those BREATHING smells
which even the most embittered combatapt will
sometimes resort to, preparation for renewed
effort The Executive of your city has been the oh
ect of systematic misrepresentation and abuse At
times when his arm should have been stren0tbenad
by the support of all classes and all parties he has
found his authority defed and his best Intentions
| thwarted. Such has been the pertinacity with
which this war has been persevered in that eve
our most retired and conservative citizens have
been induced to pause in the midst of so much per-
sistent and angry elimination. To myself nerson-
ally, all this is of little consequence Party ranc0r
will invent expedients Tor successful warfare But
for the good name of the city of Baltimore, can
not acknowledge the same Indifference and un-
concern.
| do not hesitate to say that the press has dopa
more injury to this city than ten times the cato
logue of rowdyism which it has protested to detail
1t has excited your people to riot and boodshed at
home, and has brought discredt upon your GOOD
name abroad. 1t has been the prolific source of
many ofthe evils of which you complain-and if
your trade has suffered, it has been through this
agency, which in its efforts to secure patronage or
gain party ascendency, has tred with the best in
terests of your people. you go to other COM
munities, similarly situated with our own-with the
same mixed population-yOu will find that rowdy-
ism is not more remarkable in this city than in some
of these. But their business do not permit
their evils to be made the constant theme of edto
rial comment and exaggeration. There is not a
town or village in the whole country where the
good name of your city is not assailed and the
most fearful pictures presented, of your "deplora-
ble' condition
| How many believe that your streets cannot be
| traversed in safety day or night; that anv one
coming here to open commercial relations must do
it at the peril of his life! Are these facts so Have
you not traversed the streets of this CITY by dav
and by night without terror or molestation from
any one? Has q stranger received an injurV
from the Uiotence Of ro,odies ,ohie transacting
| fttpP, I1r8T Apn rnf opl,-
breaks of awlesSness confined to the dens of cor
ruption and places of doubtful reputation, which
nfest all large cities; and to the low rowdies them
selves, who, under the maddening influence of in
| toxicating draughts, not unfrequentv make war
upon each other? Is there case of murder in this
city, where the offender has been arrested and
handed over to the courts for punishment?
single illustration of this spirit of eyaggeration
will not be out of place. My attention was attract
ed abroad to the statement of an outrage which oc-
Cured on board the steamer express" on her wav
from Baltimore to Cambridge, beyond the iurisdc-
ton as you know, of the police of this city. The
picture was bad enough in its reality but to impart
! the browning feature, the startling fact was super
added, that helpless female had been seized and
violated by the demons who took part in the fear
full tragedy. In every town and village of this
whole country the statement has gone forth to the
discredit of Baltimore
| On my return home, by reference to the acting
Mayor, before whom she subject was thoroughly
| investigated, found that not particle of evil
/ any female during that dsgracefu scene: and vet
| this statement quoted abroad upon the authority
of one of our daily papers, remains uncont radict
ed, so far as am informed, up to this time and is
| doing its work in all parts of the country to the
| disparagement of your city.
1t is needless for me to multiply examples of this
| spirit of detraction. When 1t was eagerly an
nounced that had signazed my return to Balti-
more, by the prompt reinstatement of officers who
had heen suspended by the acting Mayor, for gross
violations of the rules of the service, thus placing
in the attitude of repudiating his honest efforts
to maintain proper discipline, it was only mat
| ter OF astonlshment to ME that any pains should
| have been taken to correct, even in few meagre
| lines, SANDER which had been made the theme of
renewed abuse in all parts of the city. But fellow
citizens, look for justice elsewhere. Conscious of
| the purity OF my intentions and my honest efforts
to serve the people of Baltimore l challenge sim
gle act of my official career, as Mayor of this city,
| which should bring upon me the just eensure of
! any class of this community.
That have erred in Judgment often-that have
! been misled sometimes-I am ready at all times
to admit but that have ever prostituted the high
| office which hold, used its power for purposes
other than the public welfare invite the seyerest
scrutiny into my official conduct. Associated as my
| humble name has been with important interests of
your State and City. for the last fifteen years. with
/ results at least emitting 10 immunity from in
| suit II they are not recognized as entering some
! what into the prosperity which you now enjoy,
may afford to await the impartial Judgment of the
| future, when party rancor and political prejudice
shall have subsidized into liberal and expanded views
of the public welfare. l repeat, them fellow cit-
zens, that with the reforms which you desire to inau
gurate, and which on all proper occasions our cit-
zens will have my cordial support you should not
overlook that large share of responsibility which
rests upon the conduct of journalism in this city
| The people have been misled-their passions
| infamed-a spirit of antagonism engendered and
kept alive, and our good name brought into volun-
tary discredit by those to whom you havea right to
look for charity and supporter in your weak
ness.
thirst for exaggeration has magnifed into I'M
mitgated crime every trivial outbreak that marks
your police records. Your commercial rivals,