Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1851-08-21
ErThc rapid inc ,ease Of Crime i


murders and all Other. crimes would be
Of frequent occurrence, In consequence
of the extraordinary temptations there
existing to arouse all the covcious al d
base passions Of mans heart, and to
urge him on TO fearful deeds, with the
hope Of gain, which he would in
shnctively shrink from in an older and
more civilized country. But then, com.
paratively speaking, il was rare to hear
Of u theft even so unexpected Ting
was the topic Of general remark and
newspaper comment all over the coun-
try. But now, after the lapse of three
years, when the country has become
we'll settled when there 10 q regularly
organised judiciary, and all the elements
Of refined life have been introduced
there, and great many Of the original
temptations to deviate from the path Of
duty have been removed, we hear of Of.
fences being constantly committed.-
Much Of this is, no doubt, owing to the
fact that in the fret instance, men of
upright, honest characters, only, emf
grated there. Murderers, rogues and
thieves did not care 10 go so far from
home, on a somewhat uncertain mis-.
sion +; they preferred to wait, and ascer-
tain ifall that had been said about the
abundance Of gold was true. And after
this was ascertained, they commenced
travelling to that far distant land of
riches. Consequently, this has measur-
ably increased crimes Of all kinds still,
all the appliances for the administration
Of Justice now as abundan,ly exist in
California as in any Of the other States
Of the Union. Yet, the people do no,
seem to resort to the properly author
ised ministers Of the law for the trial
Of any Of the offenders, or for their pun
ishment. In San Francisco, sett Of
men have banded themselves together,
under he name Of "Viglance Com
mittee," and whenever they detect a
person in crime, male or female, they
60 through with the ceremony Of n
trial, and if the suspected one is ad-
judged guilty, he or she is forthwith
hung. The officers OF the law are COM
PEELED to stand and witness these scenes,
without being able to prevent them
This is truly u fearful state of things
Every one Of this self.styled"vigilance
Committee" is guilty Of murder, in the
first degree, every time they try and ex-
ecute human being and no law, IL
the laws should be enforced could save
them from the gallows. Such conduct
would be excusabe where society was
in it's original, unorganised state, and
where no social or civil compact had
been entered into but In the p. cscnt
instance, il matters not how prevalent
crime may be, there is not the sigh,cs,
possible shadow OF an excuse to palliate
the enormity OF the conduct of,his "vig-
ilancc Committee" If their object was
1imply to detect those gully OF crimes,
and to deliver them over to the proper
officers Of the law for trial and punish
ment, they would be doing acis worthy
ofpraise,-but as il is, their hands are
as deeply stained with, human blood,
and their characters are as blackened
and polluted by the deepest sins, as are
those whom they are numbering. Not
withsianding all this, the press OF Cali
fornia dare not speak out as il ought, in
regard to the matter, because the "Vig-
ilance Committee" is said to be compos-
en- Of some Of the first men" in the
place.
We are aware Of what is said in just
fication Of such conduct that crimes
have become 80 numerous and the pro-
cess Of the law is SO slow and uncertain.
that many rascals escape their meritcd
punishment. There is, undoubtedly,
much truth in all this,-yet il is no pal
lia,ion for the offences of thls Vigilance
Committee" Upon the same principle,
another Vigilance Committee" might
be constituted, composed OF murdere: 8,
thieves, &C., and their friends, and they
might try and condemn and execute the
members Of the original vigilance
Committee" for their crimes the last
committee contending that the first have
violated the laws, and that they are not
punished for il, and consequently they
will take the law into their own hands,
and meet out such punishment as they,
in their excitement and wrath, may con
slider due.
This is all wrong, and il requires
some powerful corrective to regulate
such diseased state Of things. There
is n" safety to society, unless the law,
in its calm and dignifed majesty, is per-
mittcd to assume and exercise all it's
proper functions. untcrrifcd and unin-
terrupted by men who are guilty OF any
modes Of crime.
II 10 true that we are at great dis