New-York daily tribune., 1856-07-15

yeItsd the eXpre Of their vii through the oao
box, and corrupted the channels OF iustice-nsve w
ar-en in virtue Of their inherent light and power. an
political religious and sectional difference ana i',a
have given way 10 the paramount necessity OF =
thorough and FUND amen'sl reform and punncspny, :,
the social sEd political body. The voice OF "hv'e %
people has demanded union and organization ae tue
only me ans Of making our laws effective, ana fogsn
ing the rights of free speech free vote, and puonc
safety. ,;,
For years they have patiently waited and stryen, IN
pean. able manner and in accordance With the iots
Of law 10 reform the abuees which have hsdo oui
city by.vord; fraud and violence have fooled every
effort and the laws TO which The people ookea -,
lection while dptored and rendered ef-te 10 pracuce
20 az TO shield the vile, have been nsed as powerful
engine TO fasten upon Us tyranny and msruie. u
AZ republicans, we looked 10 the ballot box as our
saf guard and .ure remedy. But go efeetuauy an
long was its voice smothered, the votes depo'eu ~
by freemen 30 entirely outnumbered by o.uos n
in tbrouth fraud midnight, or nuih'4d oy the ls.
count. OF Judges and inspectors OF elections al Ho
DAY, that many doubted whether the ua)o''J o' ''
people were not utterly corrupt 49,. 1919.
Orpspized gangs OF bad men, OF al poltlcaI PaIue'
or bo assumed any particular creed from ne esc:,
and corrupt motives, have paiceIeo OUT oui IN
smorg Themselves, or sold them 10 'ne n'e"
bidders. .o,, ~
Have provided themselves with convenient toos 70 70
obey their 3D. Clerks, Inspectors, and JUDGES
Election; ,s.h.o,s %
destroy tally sts by :orce and prevent pesce so'e c
zers fro ascertsning in lawful manner, the true
number Of votes pOled at our elections
Ard have usea cunningy contnyed oal9t,ooAee,
with false .ides and bottoms, 20 prepared that oy
cans of spring side spurious tickets, conc 'aeu
thee previous to the election could De mipseo WIN
genuine votes. .,,o oof,
Feons from other laLds and States, and unconvlcteo
criminals equally bad have thus controhed Pu9ic
funds and property, end have Of en- em,s.ed SUDDEN
fo,tur Is without having done an honest days wo'k
with head or hands, Thus the fair inheritance Of our
city hes been embezzled and squsndered; our .re,
and wbaves in ruins, and the miserable ehtaunehl
of an enormous debt will bequea;h sorroS and poverty
10 another generation.
The jury box has been .ampered with, and our Jury
riss bave be EN- made to shield the hundreds OF mur'
derer whose red haLds have ctmente tins tyranny,
and silenced with the bowie knife and the PISTOL n9'
Only the fee voice Of an indignant press But ne 80 lo
deiipg rebuke Of the outraged citizen.
To our shame be it said that the inhabitants OF dis
tan, LANDS already know that corrupt men In ONCE 81
We gamblers, shoulderstIlkers and othef we tooS
of unscrupulous leaders, beat main and shoot down
with impunty as well peaceable and uuonenaihg
citizers as those refomers who at the known hazard
of their lives, and with singleness of heart have
sought, in lawful manner TO thwar schenes Oh pun
| lie pluncer or to awaken investigated
Embodied in the principles of Republican Govern,
ments are the truths that the majority should rule ans
when corrupt officials, who have frauduenty se,nea
| ton of the laws ana avert punishment IRON the no
toiousy guilty, the power they usurp revers back 10
| the people fro m whom it was wrested.
Realizing these truthe and cOnndent tndt tuey meic
carving ont the will of the vast majority OF the citizens
of this county, the Committee of Vigilance, under
solemn OF the responsibility that rested upon
them have calmly and dispascionately weighed tue
before them and decreed the death OF some
and banishment of obers, who, by their crimes ana
yilaipies hac stained fair land. w Nlth those ths
| were banished this comparatively moderfe Pahsn-
ment was chosen, no. because ignominous dea'n was
not deserved, but that the error, any, might surey
be upon the side Of mercy to the criminal inere are
Others scarcely less guilty, against whom the same
| puI ishment has been decreed but they have been
aowe further time to arrange for their hnal departure
and with the hope that permission to depart voluntarily
| might induce repentance, and repentance amend
ment they have been suffered to choose within hinte
| their own time ard method OF gong.
have been and will be guided by the most consciai-
tious convictions of imperative duty ana they earnest
" hope that in endeavoriDg to mete ont mercIu' las
,ice TO the guilty their counsels may be SO guided oy
that Power btS6e whose tribunal we shall all stand
that In the ycissitudes after life amid the calm re-
Aectons Of old age and in the clear view OF DYING con-
science, there may be found nothing We wouu regret
| or wish to change. .
We have no friends TO reward no enemies to punish
| no private ends TO accomplish.
| Our single beartfel. aim is the pubic good; the
pule nig from community Of those abandoned char
aNers whose actions have been evil continually and
have finally forced upon US the efforts We are now
| making. We have no favoritm as body, nor shall
there be evnced any Of our acts, either partiaty
| for prejudice against any race sect, or party
While thus far have not discovered on tue part
of our constituents any indications OF lack OF conn
der ce and have 10 coub that the great ma
iory Of tue inhabitants of the country indorse our
acts and desire to continue the work OF wedding
| out the reclamabe characters from the community,
iave with deep regret seen that some OF the state
authorities have felt it their duty to organize force
to rest % not impossible for us to realize that not
only those who have sought place with view to pup
lie purder but also those gentlemen who in accept
ing Offices 10 which they honestly elected have
sworn 10 support the laws Of the State of California
find it difficult reconcile their supposed duties with
acquiesceDce in the acts OF the COMMITTEE OF Nlg
lance they do not reflect that perhaps more than
three fourths Of the people Of the entire State sypa
thze with and ndorse efforts, and as that al law
| emena.es from the people, so that, when the laws
thus enacted are not executed the power returns to
Il people and is theirs whenever they may choose to
| exercise il. These gentlemen would not have hesi
tated to acknowledge the selfevident truth had the
people chosen to make their present movement CON-
pete revolution recalled all the power they had dele
gated and Ie-issued It TO new agents under new forms.
Now because the people have not seen TT to resume
all the powers they have confded TO executive or leg
islave office it certainly does not follow that they
cannot, in the exercise of their inherent sovereign
newer withdraw hom corrupt aud unfsithfu servants
ihe authority they have used to thwar the ends of
| justice.
Those officers whose mistaken sense of duty leads
them 10 aiIay themselves against the deternined ac
ton Of the people whose servants they have become,
NAV be respected, while their may be regretted,
but none can envy the future reflections of that man
who whether in the heat of malignant passion or with
the vain hope OF preserving by violence position OBJ.
tained through fraud and bribery, seeks under the
color of law TO enlist the outcass of society hre
ling sodiery in the service Of the State, urges crn
na, by hopes of punder to continue, at the cos. Of
civil wsr the reign of ballot box suffers suboners of
wltnesses and tsinperers with the jury box.
The Committee Of Vigilance believe that the people
have ntrfted to them the duty OF gathering evidence,
ard after due tnal eIpeDg from the community those
rliaIs and sssSssirs who have long outraged the
peace ard good order of society, violated the ballot
bcx owe rriddon law and thwarted justice.