The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-06-11
THE NEW oRLEANs v1GILANcE COMMITTEE


prom the New orleans buieun, June sth
The evils in the meanwhile kept constantly augment
ing and about week days before the last election
the people Mortified at the murders which al
most nightly perpetrated and the brutalities
visited almost exclusively upon Germans and Irish, the
inference became strong that they committed for
the sake Of intimdatng them. and thus keeping them
away from the polls the day of election This be-
the settled conviction Of the community and is al
most universally believed ; at the time, nobody
supposed for instant that respectable honest
who considered himself as belonging to the party
gave the least countenance to these crimes Within
week ten days of that election If remember right
ly, some eight or ten murders committed These
things being and there being prospect OF deliver
from these atrocious and awless deeds
few days ago set foot by of all parties to
bring out men for the city government who should not
measure amazingly popular and everything was
progressing finely when the community was again
shocked by the preparation of three four deeds
Of blood, being taken from his bed and
sinated! The old game of intimidation was again be-
lieved to be commencing. On Wednesday last we
derand numbers of persons went to register their
in order to make themselves qualified voters and they
found crowd at the ONCE to prevent them from gaining
admittancc!
We have advocated the independent ticket and still
advocate it from profound conviction of its necessity to
the good order and we'll being of New o. leans We
recognise engaged in the of all parties
and creeds whose interests here who have been
long among most respectable, intelligent and high
toned citizens men who have nj heart the prosperity and
the reputation Of this great southern metropolis But
these did not contemplate uyiaace coumit,-a at
least not until all other of reform had been
hated and found inadequate to accomplish the desired
ends. We do not think all other had been
hauxted, and therefore that extreme measure
not called for Such should be employed
except the very last resort and when the circumstances
of any become desperate beyond all human endurance
1t essentially revolutionary and revolution should be
the last alternative. When depart from the
established forms of law there danger that they may
nct the very evils they seek to correct There il
curty that they may stop at precisely the right point
There is danger that rashness prejudice mistakes
may occur with the best Intentions and that thus
injustice msy be done.
This Vigilance Copwutes must not be COMPOUNDED with
the EIscmle Cssssiae of the Independent They
totally distinct and the one is in responsible
for the doings Of the other We think the difficulty 10
regard to this Tgl0ns Losans may be done away with
by the Mayors enrolling its members special police to
preserve the peace of the city they surcndeng up the
arsenal to the proper authorities by their enrolment
by Gen Lewis superintendent of elections special
deputies In the time, suggest that all parties
restrain themselves LITTLE and take counsel Of their
sober, second thoughts