Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1850-07-13
The Hulmbussery of Law.

I ilate, IL has Il strange way OF nanlfes'lng itsei
+ in certain ATTITUDES or sections. We have hear,
much of the humbuggery Of criminal law il
the SoutEl-in Louisiana, if you please-an'
we begin to believe there is a good deal o
truth in it. Unlike any section at the North
a capital offence here is not unfrequently a yer,
easy matter to settle, if the accused is able t.
raise a few hundred for the pockets Of sagaciou:
! and influential counsel, and has a thousand o
Two as security for some friends to 90 his bail
While, at the same time, a hog thief, or a petty
I purloiner of eight or nine dollars, must rot il
the loathsome dungeon, uhich nas thought tot
injurious to the lungs of one mho stood charged
aoiM a capitaz and heiaous offence against society
and the Mws Of the hna! e.
4 What must the people think Of our judges
and our courts, when practices such as these
1 alluded to above, become as ordinary as the
commonest circumstances of life! The sacred
bar of Justice, through such acts, becomes a
mockery-the judges who pretend to admins
ter justice, the weak and imbecile puppets Of
cunning and scheming counsel.
We may thank our God and our system of
|Go%vernment, that through the widespread man
Tile. of intelligence and education, and through
the popularity and the power of the press--the
lever which exposes to the face Of day the base
and corroding taints of corruption and infamy
the people, from the highest to the lowest
walks of life, are able to judge of the acts Of
their public men, and apply to them applause if
they merit it, or censure and disgrace if they
have done ought to deserve it.
Bat no class Of public officers have hitherto.
Been further beyond their reach, or more indie
pendent Of the peoples sentinel the press, than
our judges. In most States they are appointed
for life, or while their duties are properly ad-
ministered, and cannot be dismissed from
their high and responsible situations, unless
through an impeachment and trial before a Lee
gislature, where their expulsion, no matter what
the offence, is next to impossibility, from the
corruption, and party influence, which prevail
to a more or less degree in every State Assem-
bly,. But we have cause to bless ourselves for
some an,elioration of this monarclical custom
of life appointments. In this State, according
to the new Constitution, the appointment Of
judges are limited to six years. If he is a dis
honest or a weak man who receives an appoint
ment through party influence, he has but this
short space (but by far too long) to make ille-|
gal and outrageous decisions. Not getting his
appointment from the people, he is not so apt
to regard their rights, or be so nice as to his|
W acts. if, through some reason or other, he
is disposed to. depart from the straight line oil
law and justice. s..s, ST. q
. We call upon the ~people-upon the press
to answer, how many judges, who now sit upon
ton, if they had to get there through the ballot
boxa If such a course was put in force at this
moment, their ranks would be decimated, and
but one solitary specimen of an honest man,
ike the proud oak that lives through the hur-
ricane, would be seen here and there, as sad
V
relics of Gubernatorial wisdom and Legislative
Partially. -.
It behooves every editor in this State boldly
to stand out in defence of right, and of the
peace and order of society. tits their peculi-
ar province to do SO, if we understand the
and privileges guaranteed to the Press
BY the people. The laws have been too weak
y administered in the country, and it is high
to awaken the people to a sense of this
fact; and when the Press does its duty
n this respect, public opinion, like the broad
of Achilles, will bear its broad front to-
the enemy, that The arrows Of malice fall
harmless at its feet.
But why is it that the administration Of JUS
is more loose inethe country than in the
ity! We can easily answer the question. In
he small compass of q city there are many
newspapers, and any dereliction on the part Of
fudge would be heralded through every nook
corner of its vast population, and cause
Iuch a tumult to arise in the community, that,
ofty and irreproachable as is his position, he
not dare, by any overt act, to brave such
Of the people. But ia the
there is generally but one newspaper
d each parish, which is not 50 much to lie fear
d as . host Of able and influential journals
Ind we are constrained to say, that for many
easons, which we forbear mentioning. c~ountry