The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-10-16

We have commented, from time to time of late,
with earnestness and repetition, upon the official
misconduct of the States Attorney for this city,
because it has been our deliberate conviction,
founded upon public and indubitable facts, that
his dereliction of duty has been the chief obstacle
since the legislation of last winter, to the complete
and perfect re-estabishment of the supremacy CT
the laws among us. Since the election OF last
Wednesday, Mr. WHITNEY stands more nearly
alone than ever, between public justice and the
criminals who have provoked its retribution, and
we feel it therefore 10 be more than ever our duty,
to fix the attention of the public upon his course
and to call for visitation upon him. of the penal
ties which it deserves We have always repealed
the idea, upon which Mr.. SWAMI SO pertinaciously
insisted, in defence of the police which he con-
trolled-that all the responsibility for the habiuai
overthrow of law and order belonged to the Grim
inal Court We have always insisted that a we'll
organized police force, honest fearless and direct
ed with decent integrity, was perfectly capable of
preserving the public peace and protecting the
rights of person and property, not only on
election days, but at all times, by day and by
night. OF the truth of our doctrine, and the
falsity, insncerity and folly of Mr. SwANN's, the
conduct of the existing police establishment, and
the results of that conduct, have furnished the
most triumphant illustration, as everybody now
acknowledges. But we have never denied that
the official lawlessness and dereliction, of which
the Criminal Court has been perpetually the scene,
have had their share, and small one, in the
outrages and degradation of the last few years.
We spared, therefore, no argument or effort to
secure the reform in that tribunal, towards which
the removal of Judge STUMP was an important
step. We have never ceased, at the same Time
to protest against the effort to fix upon Judge
STUMP the whole blame of the shameful abuses
with which his name has been connected. On
the contrary, it has been perpetual effort to
show, by fact after fact, and demonstration upon
demonstration, that the prostitution of Mr.. WHIT
NEY's official position has been the gravest of the
evils with which public justice, as asserted
through the criminal law, has been compelled to
struggle. And we say now, with all the serious
ness and elaboration which such a subject de-
serves, that while Mr. WHITNEY is permitted to
continue in the place which he has forfeited under
theaws; confessing 'not guilty. on the part of the
State in favor of all the SoMERsEs and BARRETTs
whom it may be his desire or his interest 10 serve,
at the expense of his duty and the public safety; al
lowing cases of grave importance to be lost and ia
vorite criminals to be sent FORTH red-hande1, upon
the community, from his failure 10 examine wit
nesses, or converse with them or compel them to
appear-in fact from his utter and wilul neglect
to prepare present and try his cases, according to
their merits and the proof at his command-just
so long will the conscientious and laborous efforts
of the Marshal of Police to bring to punishment
the long-accumuated crime of the reign of terror
which has ended, be to a great extent paralyzed.
been brought in contact with the proper sources of
information, TO realize the extent and enormiy of
the offences, which have been perpetrated under
the auspices Of the now exploded dynasty, al
most unnoticed, and altogether without investiga-
ton, much less punishment. Over the fearful re-
cord of that long, brutal orgy of guilt and shame
the veil which now covers it will hang forever,
unless purer hands than Mr.. WHITNEY's be found
to aid in rending it asunder. The delays and
the hndrances; the adrot and cunning con-
trivances the opportune blindness and the
convenient silence; the ostensible zeal and ac-
tual obstruction, of an INSCRIPTIONS prosecutor,
uuhy uO nOEe, III sluSlc teELn, " Cuedt lHe
gallows and the penitentiary of the harvest that
belongs to them, than all the vigilance and activ-
iy of the police and all the fidelity of the grand
jurors and the Court battle or repair. We
say nothing of the discredit which is so unjustly
brought, meanwhile, upon the officers who are
zealously discharging their duty, when the Often
ders whom they have arrested upon the most
substantial and sufficient grounds, are discharged
as innocent, and made falsely to appear the vic
Tins of trivial complaint or unfounded persecu-
ton. For all this there is but one remedy-the
removal of the Prosecutor himself from the place
and the opportunities which he abuses. That re-
medy is fortunately in the hands of the grand jury
at present in session. With the energy and the
integrity which they have thus far manifested in
the discharge of their duty, we are sure they may
be relied on TO give to so deeply important mat
ter their earnest and speedy attention. We shall
take the earliest occasion to discuss the means
with which the law provides them, TO that end.