The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1856-08-08
The San Francisco Vigilance Commit.
tee.

1 bCUs
The following extracts from letter writ.
ten by member Of the San Francisco bar
to Lowell gentleman, will be found inter-
csting. Itseems that there was no other
way Of exterminatins ruihanism and loco.
foeoism from California except that taken
by the Committee. The letter says:
"Before our government got fairly in
working order, lot Of scoundrels from
Tammany Hall and the prisons of the East,
got into the Offices, and seized tho reins, and
have kept possession and control ever since.
There has been regular organization to
hold the Offices among themselves, and di.
vide the spoils. For instance: take tho
three Offices of Sheriff, County Recorder, and
County Clerk. Each ofthesc Offices is worth
Tor was) 100000 per annum. A man
from their crowd is nominated, and stuffed
through at election; but mind you, he Is
not elected, as officers are at the East, to en-
joy the emoluments Of the Office; he is only
put in there to collect the fees of the Office,
which he is to hand over to the clique for
distribution. All the deputies arc appoint
ed from the organization, and those who rc-
ceiv' no appointment are paid out Of the
fund regularly from $50 to $3.50 per month,
in proportion to their efficiency at the polls
and the number Of trained voters they can
control in their particular wards. These
fellows have contriyed to drive the city in
solvent, and that, too, when taxes have been
five cents on tho 500; and there arc but
few public improvements to show about tho
city. After the election is over, they turn
their hand to gambling nights, and are al
ways standing about the streets during the
day, ready to get into a fight themselves or
to assist in driving some body else in. They
are ready to sit on juries whenever any Of
their clan are being tried, and, IL necessary,
to manufacture any kind of testimony re.
quircd to clear them. No rascality can DO
imagined too desperate for them to engage
in. The laws here arc just and good but
where over five hundred murders in this
county have been committed within seven
years, only thrco executions have taken
place in persuancc Of law. Perjury has
done the work, and the scoundrels who aro
now scattering before tho Committee have
been the instruments. Hell could not pre-
sent anything to compare in blackncss with
tho annals Of crime, perjury and blood
here during the short existence Of this city.
Yet the good people East may perhaps
say, why do evil that good may come Why
not correct tho evil in the legitimate way
through the ballot-box? Let them read
what has been done with the ballot.box and
they will find an answer. The hounds have
always elected themselves judges and inspect
ors Of clcctions-stufhing in votes to do It.
They have had boxes with false bottoms and
sides, and have done everything to impair
the purity Of elections. II ha, been their
business, their study; and It mattercd not
how many votes were polled by good citi-
zens, these rulfans were sent TO stuff enough
to elect their own men. What could we do!
One after another Of our best citizens werc
shot down in tho streets and the scoundrels
would swear an assassination into an act Of
self-defencc on the part Of the murderer,
and he would get clear. What could We
do, l say? Had not this state Of things ex-
isted long enough, or were wc to watch and
pray few years longer! No! When
King tho pure man and tho champion Of
virtue, was shot down in broad daylight,
tho great heart Of the people beat convul-
sively, and the scoundrcls were set upon
Their day had come - they had pushed
things to crisis. Tho murderer fed 10 jail,
for the sheriff here was for four years
brother gambler and keeper Of the famous
Osccola House; and his deputy, tho Jail
keeper Mulligan, (who has since been sent
into exile,) was also brother stuaer and
gambler. lie expected protection as Others
mad been protected before; but tho people
rose in their might and after three days they
marched with three thousand muskets TO
the Jail, and took the assassin out, and in o
few days hung him up by the neck. Then
they commenced to gather in the ruiEans
who had deserved hanging years ago, and
scnd them into exile. Up to this time,
(Junc o. they have sent out some twenty
hvc-thcy have about as many moro to send
before they dismount their guns. They
have made war on mono bu. the worst Of
men. The Committee Is made up Of the
best Of men in the city-men who entered
into the regeneration Of the city with 50
much earnestness and zeal that many Of
them paid as high as $1,000 each to buy
arms and pay the expenses Of the orsani1a-
ton. They now number 6OO0, and thero
are at least 1000 men in the city not con-
nocted with them who would assist them II
they needed assistance. But they won't TO
quirc any outside help. They have thcsy
pathy Of every citizen whose sympathy Is
worth having"
| g., c,.,..,-, -Tho postor Advo~t;.