Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1859-10-25
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= --">- =. - s''SoS WhtSS tSub1 hU oiNtClO
from the New Orleans Della Of the 10Th
OF last month, giving an account ola con-
flict between the Vigilance Committee Of
Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, and com
parry Of what are there termed "Odtlaws."
Will the reader turn to the article and ex-
anime it9 We have other details of the
transaction, but this is sufficient.
What must BE- the stale of society
where such scenes are possibIe? Eook at
it. First You have tl,e 8 Tig;lones Consnsit,-
tee" as a Thing existing, without question
or Objection. And what is \ Vigilance
Commute? Simrly anorgauizel band Of
sslf-constituted regulators, who, wi,hou,
law, and agains, all law, assume and rx-
ercises the powers of absolute desputism
over the,ronmuniy in WHICH they liye.--
They seize whomsoever they please, on
Whatsoever pretext they please, and in
fict on them Whatsoever punishment they
please, from whipping to the cxtremest
torture and death No man dare utter q
word against them or their proceedings.
The officers Of the law are paralyzed, ard
any attempt to hold them accountable for
their crimes would be punished with in
stant death, yet every man against whom
they direct their revenge, s, in their Va
eabulary, an "outlaw.'' The citizen. or.
any number Of citizens. who attempt To
enforce the law, at once become them
selves. outlaws, by that very fact, and are
dealt with by the "VJgiidnts." W -"
Mex is the startling fact, that an the
old. populated and wealthy parish of La.
fayette, there exists a rendezvous of des-
p-radues, who had robbed, p.undered, /,
passed counterfeit money, and murdered
with impun,ly!" That this single baud
Of desperadoes numbered moe than a
hundred and fhy nsen--that they were
encampp ppd-fortiti-d, and deGed the power
OF the Vigilance Committee. .t
Tn. next noticeable feature is that "fve
hundred susH mounted men could be en-,
rolled and in immediate service by this
Vigilance Committee, AMI that they were
EQUIPPED as a regular mill ary force, and
that st,lming ihe fortress of the ,Outiaw>.
they killed number OF them. and took
SERENITY prisoners, in regular war style" ...
Then comes the vote, which lacked bu
two of a determination TO murder, in Id
b ool. lhe whole 10. But "by two ma
jolity it was determined 10 i,Itlicl The pad
die punishment, and Miny!sir hundred
blows were administered"
NV. al! this is transacted and recorded
as coolly. and lar mole cooliy, tl'an the
editors would described buffalo hunt
There appears 10 be No effort made TO en-
force the laws. The Vigilance Commit
tees say, in Justification ol lhelr acts, thai
the country is .ull of outlaws and de' pera-
does-lhai the public authorities are lesgurd
with them. and tia, there is no way 10
protect lie and property but to arrest and
punish the offenders without law. But il
is easy 10 see that no mans life is sale ioI
a mom9nL under the reign OF terror" in
augurated by these seit-styled Vigilance
Cvmn,i tees. v.,s
1t i, pregnant fact that these "Visi,
lane Comm ties exist III many parts 'f
the South, it not in every section Of 1t.
Blu; how bong can The rms Of a free
government be maintained when all re-
ep-cl lot law las ceased, snl mems lives
hang houIly upon the capiice OF mob?-
Every body, ol all parties. admit that New
Orleans, Louisville, Baltimore, and other
Southern ci.ips have been ruled for years
bv mobs-lhat their elections have been
the mercst taices, and that posts OF honor
and truSt, are only TO be reached through
crimes. .ultma ing in assassination and muir
der. Aud every person knows equally
we'll that in all the slave Sales The mob
spirit rules supreme, and il the law is re-
sre TO 1t is but to use it's forms 10 carry
out the re-derermnaIioh Of the NIB spirit
Hence, while the freedom ofsprerh AMI
the press is secured IN The phrasenlosy OF
the paper cons iutions OF every Soullern
State, il il non Tor moment tolerated in
one OF them Tho law will not punish
the citile rtx"rcIsIng the lighs, secured
10 him by The constitution, and therefore.
the institution Of Vigilance Committees g.
i'ut j, j. wholly impossible that such
sIa If sm.le J ,'an be permanent. Tie
de>pot'sm ot a 'ylant Ii loss sibility. MS
t.e his ~; pi ali the past proyrs, auI the
d,,po'ism Of 'he mob is bu' preparing the
way for thai of the mnnalcl.
Tile Way 10 Works. -'s @
The Democrats IN The last Legislature,
f,r the Iurt,is,. as Ihay honed of naklup