Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1866-10-25

registered voters OF 1000, winch they usef
instead of the list of this year, thus taking
a double means of DISTINGUISHING thousand
of the best citizens. Citizens were alst
arrested for peacefully insisting upon thei
right to have their votes placed in one Oh
the other boxes provided by law, and were
not released until after the election and
finally, the ballot-boxes were opened pr
vately and the votes thus counted.
/ We publish to-day from the special cor
respondence of the Richmond E.caminer
the alarming condition in which this matter
now stands, and the threats held over the
heads of the Governor of Maryland and the
President of the United States by the Rad
icals, as appears from the correspondence
of the Philadelphia Press, if the former
proceeds against these Commissioners as
the laws of the State authorize and require
him to do for 80 official misconduct in the
recess of the Legislature" or if the latter
aids him in suppressing riotous resistance to
authority. The mere fact that a committee
of the citizens of Baltimore have called
upon the Governor and represented the
"official misconduct" of the Police Com
missioners and asked for legal inVestiga-
ton, which authority the Code gives to the
Governor, making him the judge of the
facts, and the promise given by Governor
Swami that the investigation shall be had,
has terribly excited the whole Radical wig
wan. Fearing the investigation will not
only convict the Commissioners, but also
lose them Senator and several members
of Congress at the election next month,
they are determined to resist with arms any
attempt to deprive such valuable officials of
their Office. 1t will be seen by the articles
published elsewhere that Pennsylvania is
warned to be ready, as the Union (Radi-
cals) will drench the streets " (of Balti-
more) with blood" "The brave Gen
eral Denison and the gallant General Wool
ley have both offered their services to the
Mayor, and the returned veterans of the
Union army are ready to fight.
Those who have kept pace with this diff
Guilty as telegraphed to us, have seen that
the Police Commissioners refused compro-
mise offered by the friends of the Cover
nor, to the effect that the Commissioners
should appoint one judge and one clerk in
each ward from the Conservative party, and
had also refused to appear in person be-
fore the Governor, but by counsel denied
his power to try the charges, and at the
same time declaring their readiness to meet
hafO nf
Jurisdiction. On Monday the counsel for
the Commissioners appeared before the
Governor at Annapolis, and represented
these views, when he decided that he had
the jurisdiction, whereupon the counsel re-
tired declaring their mission at an end.
A telegram in another column informs US
that the excitement continues, and that the
Governor, by rigorous measures, is prepar-
ing to enforce authority and suppress vio-
1ence.
One can see at glance how imminent is
the danger. On the one hand is firm, de-
termined officer with the law in his favor,
and under the obligations of his oath re-
CURED to carry it out, and in the honest
discharge of his duties compelled to pro-
tect peaceable citizens against the frauds
and outrages of men who are basely pros
tituting official position and power for par
ty purposes and on the other are corrupt
and equally determined officers, who are
backed with the conscious strength of an
excited people, ready and willing to 60 any
length to insure party success. Should a
conflict ensue, and the Governor of Mary
land be compelled to call upon the Federal
authorities to preserve order and vindicate
the majesty of the law. who can foresee the
end ? The streets of Baltimore, which was
the scene of the first conflict of arms in the
late war, may also be that of the first strug-
gle in contest in which the life of the
may be even in more jeopar-
dy than it then was
This cause of excitement may pass away.
Order, law, the elective franchise, may all |
be sacrificed to prevent collision, and |
Maryland may yet remain the battlefield |
of party tyranny and usurpation and Mis-
souri, continue to be controlled in the in
terests of the Radicals by violence and
blood and the entire South be denied the
right of representation, and compelled to
pay most onerous taxes. But how long will |
it continue ? How long must the welfare
Of the country and the happiness Of the
people be sacrificed in order to insure
the continu ed ascendancy of party
This Government, great and powerful as
it is, cannot remain free, and yet be pros
tituted to the base purposes for which it is
now used. If republican form is main
tanned, it must continue as it was founded,
upon the love and respect of the governed.
The continued encroachments of the Rad
icals and the gradual giving away of the
Conservatives, to prevent a conflict, will re-
suit finally in the entire destruction of the
liberties of the people, Or different course,
in order to protect the Constitution and
save the country, will lead to bloodshed and
war Between these alternatives, it would
seem that the people of the North must
quickly decide. Events are occurring in