The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-10-15

That the large deseron rom the BELL and EVE
RErT party to the Republican camp now in progress,
has efTecualy put an end to the chances of the
Union candidates in Maryland, seems TO be gene
rally conceded; and it is also clear that when this
fact is fully understood in the neighboring States,
it will most materially influence the action of
some of them at the approaching election. Mr..
LINCOLN and his partsans are regarded with
great and we think with very natural distrust
by the mass of the Southern people. The extreme
opinons of the Republicans upon the abstract
question of slavery, and the hostility which
they continually manifest towards the institution
as it actually exists in the South have caused
many moderate and patriotic men in that section
of the country TO look forward with great anxiety
to the period when they must recognize in Mr..
LINCOLN, the guardian of their rights and inte-
rests 1t might be, that discarding the higher
law, he would, throughout his administration, be
guided in all that concerns slavery in the States
by the statutes of the land, rather than by his
moral convictions upon the subject, and we
cannot hesitate to express our own individ-
ual belief that such would, in all probability,
be the case. But at the same time we must
admit that those who hold directly opposite
opinions upon this point have many and strong
reasons to urge in support of their concu-
sions. Mr. LINCOLN thinks the abolition of slav-
cry in all the States is inevitable he believes it
is both right and necessary that it should be ult-
mately destroyed; and he considers it TO be the
bounden duty of every man to help to bring about
that result by all lawful means. He has appa-
reny failed TO realize the difficulties which render
the problem of emancipation so complicated. He
treats it, not political evil, but as
grievous wrong, and whenever he has discussed
it, he has done so in the spirit of conscen-
tious moralist who was bound to reprove a sin
rather than in that of statesman who was at lib
erty to compromise with q system which he dis
liked, but could not reform. Under these circum-
stances there is certainly strong ground for the APP
prehension that he might insidiousy seek to I'M
dermine the institutions of the South and thus in
volve it in perils from which the struggles of
generation could not extricate it, The situation of
theSouhern States, too, and especially of those on
the border is peculiar that even if it was desi-
rabe to effecta radical change in any one of them,
a laundering effort to accomplish such a purpose
would be productive of lasting if not irretrieva-
BILE ruin. Agitation only multiples the diff.
cultes of the STAKEHOLDER and forces him to
stand more firmly on the defensive, and abuse
makes him less inclined to listen to the advice or
submit to the dictation of those who have only
remote and indirect interest in the question Not
withstanding this, Mr.. LINCOLN and his party
have countenanced both these methods of
assailing slavery; and the denunciations and ar
guments which they have levelled against it have
been evidently intended to excite the public mind
against the institution as it is recognized in the
South, for they have no applicability whatever
to the narrow issue touching the position of
slavery in the Territories The Republican party
has never approached the subject as friend or
ally who sincerely desired to help or advise
the South in relation to its internal affairs 1t has
never proposed any scheme of abolition either
plausible or impracticable. 1t has merely de-
nounced as iniquious the whole framework of
society in the Southern States, and has insisted
that their people are bound to settle outright the
most momentous political question that was ever
submitted to n nation. We insist, therefore that
''''SS
MES TO the hands of the Republican party have the
greatest for their hesitation and they cannot
justly be stigmatiZed as aarmsts because they be-
tray uneasiness at the prospect Of Mr.. LINCOLN $
elevation 10 the Presidency.
But whether the fears of the people of the South
admitted to be well founded or not, they GER
tainly exist, and they influence men more or less
in our own State. The residents of Maryland will
acquiesce, as they are bound to do in the election
of Mr.. LINCOLN, should he be successful; but they
have never ceased TO deprecate it, and the main
object of almost all the political movements which
have been set foot here, has been to secure his
defeat. To those, therefore, who had hoped to bring
about that result, by carrying this State for Mr..
BELL the detection of considerable portion of the
American party in this city is fatal blow. The
mere loss of such number of votes in Baltimore
is serious thing to Mr.. BELLS adherens, but the
desertion is, itself, nothing to the effect which will
be produced in the counties. Outside of this city
the anti-LNCoLN feeling to which we have
alluded is very strong, and throughout the
State Mr.. BELL cause had been already much
weakened by the course of the American organiza-
ton here. The meeting which it lately held at the
Assembly Rooms was called, by authority, for the
express purpose of deciding how the vote of the
party should be cast, and its proceedings, which
were generally regarded as more likely TO help Mr.
LINCOLN than any other candidate have never been
publicly repudiated by any body which was au.
thorized to speak for the party. While the resi-
dents of the counties are still considering whether
that party is really going for Mr.. LINCOLN or not,
they will hear of the accessions from it to the Re
publican association, and it is an easy matter to
predict the change which will be everywhere
wrought in the sentiments of the partisans OF Mr.
BELL. In our judgment his chances of carrying
Maryland are now absolutely hopeless Nor can i
be doubted that when this fact becomes apparent t.
the people of Virginia and Kentucky, and wher
they learn that considerable part of the lat
American party here has affiliated with the Repub
icans or is disposed to do So vast numbers of Mr.
BELLS supporters will desert his cause In tina
event the border States will in all likelihood cas-
their electoral votes for Mr.. BRECKENRIDGE and the
South will be united upon one candidate in oppo.
sition to Mr. LINCOLN