Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1854-03-18
OUR COURTS OF JUSTICE.

In our last We made some remarks upon 4
subject which cannot fail to be of interest to
all good, honest, and peaceably disposed citi-
zens. 1t was the subject of juslice-justice in
our courts. We were rot then. sufficiently
clear and comprehensive, nor do we know that
it is Within our power to be so, without citing
Particular facts and cases. We are satisfied,
however. if anything we say produces a SINH
lar sentiment in the mind of the reader, from
its bare truth, without the necessity Of sup
porting our assertions by occurrences of old
or recent date. Oar criminal code is doubtless
sufficiently stringent-sufieient'y broad and eff
fective to secure the peace and good order of
society were it fully and imA,rtialIy carried out
in our courts. But who believes that three out
of five cases which comes before the court (not
to mention the Grand jury are dealt with as
the law directs? Why is it that SO many ia
grant cases Of personal assault are suffered by
the injured party to pass unnoticed in this State?
Because he knows the utter impossibility of
obtaining redress by applying to the legal au-
thorities. Thus it is why the wearing of arms
has grown to be so fashionable of late-arms,
to defend ones self from the attack of the ru:-
fiain-the rulfian who takes the law il his own
hand, for the reason that he knows there is no
danger of his being punished by any judge or
jury for such wanton Iawlessness. Were as
sault and battery cases punished to the highest
extent, there would be fewer cases of bloody
deeds before our judicial tribunals, to be ex-
amined merely and then open the prison door
to give liberty to him who dared to strike hard
er than he who gave the first blow. But this
is right-perfectly right. If the court refuses
to punish for assault, it should allow the i'm
jured and assaulted to make whatever defence
he thought proper at the moment. Such is the
manner in which justice seems to be admins
tered in our courts in this respect.
Society is in dangerous position, when our
courts-misnamed courts of justice-adminis-
ter the law as above described. And as there
is no evil which does not grow and increase
with the practice of such evil, the time may
come when every man without distinction must
girdle on his arms if he is not willing to be
trampled into the dust. To prove that such a
state of things is becoming general here in our
own parish, we refer to the fact that the in
voices of our merchants show that the sale of
"bowies" and "revolvers"i is rapidly increasing.
Purchasers of these weapons are those men
who, while they are determined neither to in
suit nor assault any one, they will not allow
others to assault them with impunitv--and
thus they wish it to be understood, that he who
strikes, does it at the risk of his life. Our
courts, or the administrators of the law, may
Justly blame themselves for this unhealthy and
dangerous condition of society. The law of
libel, for SANDER and abuse, was allowed by
our courts first to be invaded and become a
nullity; and now the next step, the statute for
assault and battery, is being laid alongside that
of libel as a dead act also and the next in the
of personal offences or crime, comes
that which the sharp knife or the swift bullet
and it also, in the course of time, if
things are suffered to continue, will become il
mere nullity likewise in the criminal laws of a
people. And what then :? All! what
When the time arrives when personal secu.
rity is interdicted by the administrators of JUS.
tice-when crime and blood stalks about I'M
needed ard unabashed-when, through a vari-
ETY. of causes, the humble though innocent
stands in more danger of the dungeon than the
guilty, because of their wealth--it is then that
The people rise in their wrath, cry aloud for JUS
lice, and in their phrenzy demolish the edifces
have become the seats of the blacklist
wrong. Such acts have occurred in the history
If the old world. But in this age and this
country, where the Press is allowed to point to
evils of every kind, and where the
people are allowed to 60 quietly to the ballot
and put in Office men who will remedy such
evils, no such Qutbursts of popular fury can
prevail. Let US then insist that the law with
'egard to libel and the law with reference to
assault, SHALL be executed, by calling
he ballot box to our aid-and it will be found
hat there will be o dull sale for the instru.
nents of death, for few will then care to wear
hem.
Government. |,