e its honorable mayor, to whose character we would pay all
deference--would not for conscience' sake scruple to hang a man for five
dollars. We make no exception for color or crime. A qualification might
be called for, more adapted to our knowledge of it as it has existed for
the last four or five years; but we are informed by those whose lives
and fortunes have been spent for the moral elevation of the city police,
that it was even worse at the time referred to.

The reader may think we are making grave charges. Let us say, without
fear of refutation, they are too well known in the community that
tolerates them. As a mere shadow of what lays beneath the surface,
we would refer to the only independent speech we ever listened to in
Charleston,--except when self-laudation was the theme,--made by G. R--,
Esq., in one of her public halls a few weeks ago. Mr. R--is a gentleman
of moral courage and integrity, and, without fear or trembling, openly
denounced the corruption and demoralization of the police department.
Even the enemies of his party, knowing the facts, appreciated his
candor as a man, while they denounced the publicity, (for his speech
was paraded by the press,) lest the fair name of the queen city should
suffer abroad. A beautiful farce followed this grave exposition. The
board of aldermen, composed of fourteen men of very general standing,
remained mum under the accusation for a long time. Its object was to
show up the character of a class of officials, whose character and
nefarious arts have long disgraced the city. But in order to make a
display of his purity, Mr. C--, a gentleman entitled to high moral
consideration, chose to make it a personal matter; yet, not content
with a private explanation given by Mr. R--, he made a call through the
press. Mr. R--responded in a proper and courteous manner, acknowledging
the due respect to which Mr. C--'s private character was entitled;
thus increasing the ambition of the board generally, who, with the
expectation of Mr. R--making a like acknowledgment to them as a body,
(not excepting their honorable head,) made a demand in joint-officio.
This being duly signalized through the columns of the Courier and
Mercury, Mr. R--met it with a response worthy of a gentleman. He
referred them to the strongest evidence of his assertions, in the
countenance which they gave to a class of officials too well known to
the community for the honor of its name and the moral foundation of i