The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-07-14

The government forces have, yet made no hostile
movement, though they have gone into cam near this
Business dull and the city never quiet and
orderly. #@.
Address OF the Vigilance Committee.
TO THE PEOPLE OF CALIFORNIA.
The Committee OF GLANCE, placed In the position they
occupy by the voice and countenance OF the
10, ty of their fellow citizens, executors OF their will
desire to define the necessity which has forced this peo
pie into Their present organization.
Great public emergencies demand prompt and vigorous
dcspotsns which has inv lded their
their propertyusurped their Offices of trust and emolu
ment-endangered their iyeS.Teyented the expression
channels of justicehave now arisen In virtue of ther
inherentriht and power. All political, religious and
paramount nece 1ity Of through and fundamental re-
form and publication OF the social and political body.
The voice OF whole people has demanded union and or
ganlzaton the only OF rnakng laws eIe;.
tive and reganing the rights Of free speech free vote
and public safety.
For years they have patiently znscd ana s,rven in
peaccabc manner, and in accordance with the forms OF
law, To- reform Tho abuses which have made city
byword fraud and violence havr foed every effort and
the laws 10 which the people looked Tor pfytectn while
distorted and rendered eietc in r sce, 70 shield
the yilc have been used a a powerful engine 20 fstcn
upon ns tyranny and misrue.
A. republicans We looked 10 me '',Ot bo safe.
guard and remedy. iiu oHectually aud long
It's smothered the deposited Ia by free
entirely ounumbcrcd bv aois thrust IN through
fraud ~ ,nidnghi er nnlhhea ~ the iii-e counts oi
doubted whether the majority o. The people were not
utterly corrupt.
Organized gangs Of bad men OF all political parties or
who assumed any particular creed from ercenary and
corrupt motives have parcelled OFT our offices among
themselves, or sold them 10 the h,l hest bidders;
Have provided themselves with convenient tools 70
obey their nod clerks nspesors and judges Of eec
too;
Have emp Dyed bules and professional fighters to do.
stroy tally lists by force and prevent peaceabe citizens
from ascertaning, In lawful mvnner the rpc number
Of votes 10 led AT our elections;
And have nsed cunnngy confriced ballot boxes with
false sides and bottoms so prepared that by means Of
spring Side spurious tickets concealed there previous
20 the election could he mingled wsh genuine votes.
OF all this have the rsost inrciragahc proofs Fc
Ions from other lands and States. anil unconvccd crim
mails equally bad have thus controlled public funds and
property, and have often amased sudden fortunes with
out having done an homes days work with bead or
hands Thus tc fair inheritance Of our city has been
cmhezzhd antysquandcrcd-our streets aud wharyes
IN ruins, and ,he miserable enl smcnt Of an enormous
debt VIII bequeah sorrow and poverty to another gone
The Jury box has been tampe.ed with, AMI our Jury
rrls have bean made shield the hundred murderers
whose red hands have cemcntsd this tyranny, and 81
fenced with the Bowie knife aud the pistol not only the
voice Of indignant press, buihe shudderng rebukc Of
To our shamc be said that Inc inhabitants Of distant
lamps areadp know tha. corus men IN Office, well
gamblers shoulder strikers an other vile tools o
puuus leaders beat MAIN aud shoot down with mpuniy
well pcaccable and unonend ~ citizens as those
aos' aes VIII spseseS, II hear, ave sougs IN ssS
manner TO thwari schemes o. public plumber or 10 ava
ken investigation.
the truths that The majority should rule; and when
corrup, oeas, who have fraudulcntly sezd the rcns
authority desgncdy tbwarsthe execution Of tho laws
avert pnshmeni from the ioorousy guilty the pow
they usurp rcycri back 10 thr people from whaH
wrested REALIZING these truths and confident that they
we're carrying out the w Of the majority of the ci
OF tiLs county the Committee of Vigilance under
solemn sense Of the responsibility that rested upon them
have cay and passiouaely weighed the evidences be
forethe dccrced the death some and barhmcnt
others who by their crimes and vlanics bad stansd
our fair nd. With those that banisheds this
parati sely maderate punishment choson not be
cause ggominons death not deserved BIB that the
error any, might surely be upon the siSe Of mercy
and tSe criminal There are others less ssliy against
whom the same prnshaerA has been dccroed but they
hav been allowed further lime 10 arrange or their nna
dcArtnre and ith the hope that permit lion 10 depart
voluntarily might induce repentance, AID repentance
asensmcnt, they hcve secn suffered TO ohcase wi,his
Thus Isr sad throughout their arduons duties thsy
have been and will be guided by the most conscientious
ronvictous Of imperative duty and they earnestly hope
that In enasavorna ~ out mersul Justice 10 the
guilty. thsf eougsos may be 80 guided by that Tower
before whose tribunal We shall AL stand that IN he VI.
cssudss ol after ie amid the calm tho reflections of old
age and in the clear view Of dying Conscience, there may
be found nothing NC would regret q wish 10 change.
We save Isnds 10 reward, no eaerales to punish,
no prlyate ends " accomplish.
our single hserife aim Is the public good ,hc purg
ing from community of those abandoned characters
whese actions have been evil continually, and have final
ly forced upon ns the efforts We are now making. We
have fadcrtsm body nor shall there be evinccd
in any Of our acts either parally Tor or prejudice
against any race sect or party.
While thus tar We have no, discovered tho part of
our constituents any lack OF confidence and have
the county endorse acts and desire a. 70 continue the
work of wedding the Tcclamabic characters from
the community have, with deep regret seen that
some of the authorities have felt their duty 70 or.
paniye 10 resist II E not impossible for us 70
realize that only apse who have sought place with
ulew 20 public pvndar, but also shose gentlemen VINO n
accertng Offices TO which they we're honestly eetcd,
have sworn 10 support the laws Of the state OF California;
nnd difficult 10 raconcle their supposed duties with acqu
esccnce in the Of the Cosmcc Of siance since her
do no, reflect at perhaps than three fourhs of the
rcole of the entire Saie symrathao with and endorse
our e,ts and a. that all law emanatcs rom the people,
"a maj, when the laws thus cnaccd are not executed,
he newer seturns to 5e people and s theirs whenever
thew may choose 70 exercise These gentlemen would
80 hava bcitatcd 10 acknowledge the self evident truth
baa ,h pcoplc Aosen make their present movement
eom,1e rcvolston recalled al The power they had 10
ca,sA and re ssucd 10 new agents under fornas
~, because the PEOPLE have not 1T 10 no Al
,s ,Sweys they have conaded " executive shliy,
ca,ars certainly docs not follow that they Cannot,
be rssese of their inherent sovereign power withdraw
nom ,orrup, snd uufahul servants the sthory the,
i bare med 10 thwart the ends Of Justice
rrose officers whose mistaken u duty leads then
10 array themselves sg'ni pc determined acton " th