The Feliciana Democrat. (Clinton, La.) 1855-186?, 1857-01-17

"
mitted in this community for some time past,
are damnifyiug all classes Of citizens in Il yari-
ETY. of ways. In the first place, the good name
of the city is hlnckened, and lis fair fame made
the subject Of oboqny; il is also alleged that
the personal aud political rights Of individuals
are violated with impnnity, and that the right
of voting, the great distinguishing badge OF
Irccmcnli has become nothing more than II
hollow, worthless franchise: because, they say,
voters are deferred by menace and brute force
from going TO the polls Still again, society
! il represented Ms being so disorgnnizcd, and
that there is so little security Of life and per-
son, that discreet and prudent persons fear to
walk the streets OF nights, or TO expose them
selves to the chance of being taken for some
one else, at the cost of broken head, or an
experimental knowledge of the virtues Of II
sung shot, u pair Of brass knucklcs or u re.
volver All these things have telling effect
They are rcpca ed with the additions and cX.
aggcrations which all incidents connected with
the horrible are very certain to acquire by
circulation, and serves TO give us II reputation
which bears prciudcially upon every interest,
There is something wrong somewhere. The
frequent occurrence Of murders and other dia.
bolical cnornilicS is alarming enough; but the
most formidable and terrifying feature is, that
they are perpe,rated as well ia the broad light
oil day us under cover Of the night, aud the au.
thois of them are unknown There have bcca
reported by the Coroner Of this parish, some
fourteen homicidcs committed within the last
lew months by some person or persons I'm.
known. These facts canno, br concealed. nor
INC intelligence suppressed, neither would II DO
right TO keep them hid were il possible.
INC person or press who represents that thiS
is a well governed, quiet and orderly city, il
no more friend Of lis interest and prosperity,
than he or it is of truth We have Il bad name
ut home and abroad, and no one can ,ruthuIy
deny the fact, however diverse may he the
opinions Of parties as 10 the cause or source Of
the evil The existence Of the evil is undis.
putable; the daily reports in the city intci.
gehcc department Of our newspapers furnish
proof positive. These reports are read cyrrv-
where, and with that craving appetite that Thu
lovers Of the horrible are disposed 10 FLOAT 81.
cr sncl an unctous repa>t. There il not an
exchange paper in the State in which we do
not find leader by way Of comment on these
black lists of crime furnishing the occasion to
indulge in disparaging structures upon the con
dtion OF alluirS in New Orleans. These nrti!
clcs are copied far and wide through the conn.
try; they furnish startling intelligence ai.d
afford popular reading for the million. Snch
representations are attended with natural con.
sequences People abroad are deferred from
visiting the place, and those who are here on
business are under the impression that New
Orleans possesses no attractions sufficient 10
countcract the risks and dangers incurred by
exposure IN the streets ut night 1t is folly to
reason with such people and endcavor to con.
vince them that their fears are grouudlcss, or
at least exaggerated They shut up our
mouths at once, by pointing to the police re-.
ports, in which are related with minute partic.
ularIty the incidents Of some outrage whore Il
man was killed in the streets. not in lrny or
hot blood, but apparently without proyoration
and by some person unknown, This is the fra-
tnre attending all outrages Of late: there are
no arrests because 40 one knows the author Of
them
There is one fact connected with this turbu.
lent state OF society at the pres Mt time, which
seem to occasion more terror than ANYTHING
else; it is the belief in the minds of citizens rs
well rs strangers, that the police in their col.
lcctlvc as well as individual capacity. is no
protection against acts Of violence: this Inn.
preston prevails universally.
Now, is there no remedy for this state Of
moral and social disorganiMton, by which we
are all made to suffer in so many ways? Can
not the force Of public sentiment be BROUGHT
to bear IN some concentrated form? Publir
opinion cannot be outraged continuously and
forever with IMMUNITY; it must after awhile,
slow and late it may be, bring down rctribu.
tive justice upon those who have made them.
selves obnoxious to it,
The eliminating atrocity was the one com.
mtted last week ut the Horse Station For
several reasons we consider that outravc n If.
ting one to lnaugurate 4 system Of reform, be-
cause from the atrbcty of the offence and the
consequences resulting from it, the public at
at large are particularly interested in discover.
ing the offenders. In the first place the Rail.
road Company is immediately interested Up.
on any view of duty and policy they are bound
to use every practicable effort to move and
move actively in the matter. One of their
employees has been murdered, another is living
at the point Of DEATH and others SERIOUSLY in.
jurcd, and all while engaged in the DISCHARGE
OF their respective duties Again, the Com
pany. in the streets and through the public