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

the resolutions OF tne meeting feel it my duty to
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 actual or
supposed grievances in the conduct of our munici
pal affairs, have right, bv anv official act of
mine, to divide the powers and RESPONSIBILITIES of
this office with any class of citizens not representin
the entire constituency from whom have received
my trust
Assuring you, sir, of my continued desire to Sc
to every one the free exercise of his rights as
citizen, and to promote quiet and harmony in the
coming elections, and my determination To ucn ali
the powers ofmy office with view to this rasnlt
! l am, respect.
Your ob't serv't,
THOMAS SWAMI,
| THE MAYORS ADDRESS TO THE PEOpI II
| OF BALTIMORE
FELLow-CTIzENs: When | reached New York a
few weeks from the duties of nv station cansed
by impaired health and the wearing labors of an
office, which need hardly assure y0u has bnan' to
me source of constant solicitude saw for the
nrst time, IN the columns of The american, call
| Tor Town Meeting, to deliberate upon the .sda
plorable" condition of our municipal affairs That
meeting has since been held, and has sent forth it
| resolves with whatever of censure thav nav ho
supposed to convey upon the authorities of this
city. Such notice was well calculated IN stortIo
| for moment, even the Executive of n citv f,n,iI
lar with all its weaknesses, which but few Uaats
before he had left in condition to Justify so r
anu uanaSinS an advertisement. Acts of laWless
ness, 1t Is true, had occurred in our streets hnt NOT
more fagrant than had marked the prograss oF
| other communities, even that in which was tbon
| sojourning, whose mode of disposing of them had
not peen characterized by like withering ex-
posure.
This call of Town Meeting, say it with all bo
coming Difference, while it could not fail to hrin
discredit upon our city, could accomplish no more
in my opinion, than the quiet approaches to tbiSS
office, of respectable citizens, without the soIemni
! ty of proclamation of our domestic evils IN tba
! many commercial rivals who are ALWAYS eagar to
make capital at our expense. | know of nothing
which should have caused distrust in this mode -
| treating the subject on the part of citizens who
were desirous OF lending their aid and co .operaton
in correcting the grievances of which they comnoin
| ed. The evils OF our system are domestic evils TO
| be treated and disposed of as such Their sonrco
! and origin should be carefully and imnartiaII,
traced; and it is the duty of good and conservatiy
men OF whatever association or party to unite in a
| cordial effort to suppress them.
For three years past, | say it with pain fellow
citizens, unnatural state of things has existed in
| this community. The city government has been
| the victim of its studied complications 7 caon
into this Office with sincere desire to serve Won
and have courted the aid of all who professed an
| interest in your welfare-from the HIGHEST IN tba
! humblest whose position or intelligence couId bo
made useful in the discharge of my public duties
Ihe partisan ana quasl-neutral press of your CITY
| has kept this community in state of perpetuaI ~
ritation. One issue has succeeded another in sncb
| quick succession that your periods of repose are
now scarcely measured by those breathing smells
| which even the most embittered cOmbatant will
| sometimes resort to, preparation for renewed
effort. The Executive of your city has been the oh
Ject OF systematic misrepresentation and abuse Ar
| times when his arm should have been strenrtbanod
by the support OF all classes and all parties he has
| found his authority defed and his best intentions
| thwarted. Such has been the pertinacitv 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 mucb nor
| slstent and angry elimination. To myself person.
ally all this is of little consequence. Party rancor
! will invent expedents Cor successful warfare Rnt
| for the good name of the city of Baltimore I can
not acknowledge the same indifference and up
| concern.
| do not hesitate to say that the press has done
| more injury to this city than ten times the cata
logue of rowdyism which it has professed to detail
1t has excited your people to riot and bloodsbed at
! home, and has brought dscredit upon your GOOD
name abroad. 1t has been the prolific source of
many ofthe evils of which you comnIain-opd ;f
your trade has suffered, it has been throuoh This
agency, which in its efforts to secure PATRONAGE or
gain party ascendency, has trfed with the best in
terests OF your people. Ifyou go to other COM
munities, similarly situated with our own-witb tho
! same mixed population-you will find that rowdv
ism is not more remarkable in this city than in some
| of these. But their business men do not hermit
their evils to be made the constant theme of edito
| rial comment and eXaggeration, There Is NOT q
| 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 'fdeplora-
| BILE" condition.
How many believe that your streets cannot be
| trayersed in safety day 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 day
and by night without terror or moestaton from
any one? Has stranger received an iniury
| from the giOtence Of rotudies 1ohie transacting
! business here? Are not nearly all your out
breaks OF lawlesSness confined to the dens of cor
ruption and places of doubtful reputation, which
intest all large cities; and to the low rowdes them
selves, who, under the maddening influence of in
toxicating draughts, not unfrequentlv make war
upon each other? Is there case of murder in this
CITY, where the offender has not been arrested and
handed over to the courts for punishment?
single illustration of this spirit of eXaggeraton
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 way
| from Baltimore to Cambridge, beyond the urisdic-
| tion, 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
| ful 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 10 the actinp
| Mayor, before whom she subject was thoroughly
investigated, found that not one particle of evi-
dence existed to the violation of the person of
| any female during that dsgraceful 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
| DONG 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 signalized nv return to Bati-
| more, by tSe 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 astonishment to ME that any pains should
| been fau
| lines, slander 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 nv honest efforts
to serve the people of Baltimore 1 challenge sim
gle act OF my official career, as Mayor of this city,
Whlch should bring upon me the just censure of
| any class of this community
| That have erred in Judgment often-that have
been mlsled sometlmes-I am ready at all times
to admit but that have ever prosttuted the high
| office which hold or used it's power for purposes
other than the public welfare, invite the severest
scrutiny into my official conduct Associated as nv
| 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, l
may afford to await the impartial Judgment of the
iuture, when party rancor and political prejudice
shall have subsidized into liberal and expanded views
OF the pubic welfare: l repeat, then, fellow-cti-
zens, that with the reforms which you desire to inau
gurate, and which all proper occasions our cti-
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 support, even in your weak
| ness.
A thirst for exaggeration has magnifed into un-
mltigated crime every trivial outbreak that marks
your police records. Your commercial rivals,
| jealous of reputation not better than your own
and treating with silent career not less
open to assault or demanding public condemnation,
| stand by, while their disinterested sympathy in
your mistortunes wrought into artfully devised
paragraphs, based upon a text furnished by your
papers, and quoted indications of the public SEN
tment abroad, ought to convince you by the re-
coil, how deadly the warfare you are waging upon
yourselves and your commercial prosperity
! But what is the real source of the evils under
which we are suffering, and what hope of thor
ough reform by means of any agency which it may
be in our power to employ? This is the practical
view which we are called upon to take.
Upon this point permit me to say, that the prom
| M laadi ;S JofD