Pointe Coupee Democrat. [volume] (False River [i.e. New Roads], Parish of Pointe Coupee [La.]) 1858-1862, 1860-06-23
THE DE MOOR AT.
P. A. ROY, Editor.
Criminal Justice Alive,

+ No observer Of the late judicial pro
ceedlngs in this city can have failed t,
notice the salutary spirit which is nov
displayed III our Criminal Court Tha
tribunal, once the dcrision, is now the
terror of the desperate and the villain O
every grade and denomination. Vigor
j Gus prosecution by the representatives
OF the State is worthily seconded bv a
rigorous but impartial Interpretation Of
! tho. law by the Bench. Nor are iuries
guilty, as once, Of the cruel leniencv OF
the scandalous disregard of sworn duty,
which punished society for of1enscs
winch juries are empanneled to try. and
turned criminals loose to trample still
more rudely on law which they no
longer had reason to fear or respect. If
lmpunlty could have reclaimed crime
and the nonexecution of the law could
have superseded the necessity for the
law, this city ought to have been one of
the most peaceful and moral which it is
possible to conceive this side of the Mil
lennlum. The scale Of the experiment
was ample; so was the failure. Public
opinion was not needless of the lesson
1t saw that while no men are perfect and
many are vile and brutal, crime must
be punished somewhere and somehow
that the red hand must be disarmcd by
some means, for the preservation Of so.
clety itself, and that the best mode of
doing this is through the regular crimi
nal tribunals which stand between soci-
ETY. and the incorrigibc offenders against
its welfare.
1T is sjckly, pulling philanthropy
which regards prosecution of a capi-
tai offender as a question of life and
death to that one human being. 1t is a |
question of life and death to every good
citizen with whom that offender, if al (
lowed TO escape, may come in contact
Considered in more general view, it is
a question OF life and death to organized
society, to government, to civilization.
1t Is cheering to see that this false phi
lanthropy, which was becoming alarm
ng|y prevalent in this country, is being
eliminated from our criminal courts,
The execution, yesterday, Of Hues, the
policeman who murdered young Hyams
vas timely, wholesome and cdifvipg
went. Of all others, policemen ought
o De free from stain or suspicion of
rme or criminal propensity. But we
now, by melancholy y evidence. inside
md outside of the criminal records. that
his has not been the case, universally
ne case, i'll New Orleans far from il
indeed, bloody graduation, an educa-
ION IN nearly every species of violation !
I the law, has been in but too MANY !
Instances the road to appointment for
hose whose functions are to protect '
lie and bring violaters of the law to II
lstice
We trust that the fate of Hucs will
ave Its instruction for the future. We t
ave no reason to doubt that the incom- {
'g municipal administration will neglect |
s obvious suggestions. The police of q
1e city needs invigoration; it needs
ew zeal and efficiency; it needs a sort t
organization and discipline which it i
as never yet had We will not here t
g into details in regard to system of L
the need Of which to an t
Heightened Council and faithful and a
'mpetent Executive, ought to be sufli-
ent to suggest the mode of ACCOMPLISH. Il
g it. Delta y