New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1856-07-14
SAN Il E'rs, IN cIsc co.

The news Nv the last arrival from California con
Arms nj our previous antcipatons. The Vigilance
Committee still maintained its stand, with more, u
possible than its original il1nness, and was proceed
inc quietly and nflinchingly on the work OF reform
De 80 nobly commenced. The same GOODNESS, wisdom
and determination characterized it as at first and
IA We apprehended would be the case the appeals Of
The regular authorities to the militia of the State ana
to the Government troops have only rendered inc
authorities more impotent than before.
The murderers having been disposed OF III a man.
no less terrible than just the COMMITTEE had en-
gagged in the work Of ferreting out lesser CRIMINALS,
and striking at the source of the corruption that had
enabled murder to walk forth in the streets Tho re-
suit Of their investigations is, and will remain,
matter Of popular history. notwithstanding scheme
was laid entirely OPEN and the suffers made to suffer
the severe but just penalty of Punishment from
the State. 1t strikes there mercy in this last
proceeding terrible is the reputation Of the Com
mittee for summary justice We believe that had
those criminals been tried in the regular legal form,
before an honest court and jury, they would have
incurred penalties ten times severer than that OF BAN
ishnent. Tt must be remembered however, that the
Committee not acting upon the revengefu prncl-
pie. They do not hang this man or Danish that man,
merely as punishment to him for what he may have
done: they do it to inspire terror in the uncaught
i criminals and at the same time get rid OF them by
the easiest and shortest method Their object appears
to be not so much to punish crime, as to eSpunge It,
And when we consider what an invincible body that
Committee is, physically, and how prone large bodies
of men have hitherto been to run into extremes upon
matter which may have justly infiamed the blood OIL
each individual composing the body, we are lost IL
admiration of the uneNampled wisdom, justice and
dignity that have characterized all its proceedings
= The Committee have framed and adopted a consti
tutcn setting forth what they design to d. and how
they design to do it, 1t is brief and to the point il
the planest good old English, and breathes the spri
of honor and Justice no less than that of nvincbity
They have published an address to the people, il
which they set forth the evils that have called then
together and the necessity of the speedy eradication
i, Of those eyls--damond facts set in gold chain o
: argument
a we are fully aware that many good and homes
people think it improper to sympathize with move
) ment which completely nullies the laws that govern
or were intended to govern, community Thl
country more than any other owes its greatness AM
safety to that reverence for law which is the stinc
l. Of enlightened minds. Law is majestic; but it cal
never be more majestic than right, and it can be, an
is very often less majestic than right. When we fin
! the law degraded, therefore, we must look to til
a causes of that degradation, and applaud whateve
!. remedy the enlightened will of the people may appl
n to it,
Looking at affairs in San Francisco then, in thi
% light, and looking, further, at the inability of tn
regular authorities to bring any kind of military fore
j to their aid we must be permitted to exut in the W
rising and continued existence of the Vigilance Con
81 mittee 1t is simply an exhibition of the utter in
possibility of subduing by etherfaud or force, fire
and enlightened people like that of the United State