The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1865-09-02
Vigilance Committees in Idaho.

We are not among those who can find ns
justification for the creation Of 4 Vigllancl
Committee under any state Of c:seumstahces
There are evils which sometimes secanulaIt
alnti they can no longer be borne for whfct
there is no redress, and to which there is ap.
parantly no termination. The right of revo.
luton, the last recourse Of society as Tx
right of self-arfense. is of the individual
under such circumstances may then be re.
sorted to, and be jusii6ed.by themorar sense
of the community. But it is seldom, except
in those remote, unorganized, societies over
which no law practically extends, or in those
communities where the IS due operation Of
law is mpeded or distorted by those officially
empowered 10 execute it, that resort to this
last process for preventing or furnishing
crime can be. excused When the fountains
ofjustice are corrupted and broken up, and
eouitsgand officers become the accessories of
crime and criminals land those whose duty it
is 10 maiulain and execute law, become its
destroyers, thentf few among honest citizens
can object if the people take the, matter in
their own hands and reinstate law TO its pro-
per supremacy - :. -
Such a state of things does not prevail in
Idaho Territory Crimes1n urdefs and rFob--
beries--7haye been perpetratedei it is true, but
they, are perpetrated in every coEnmunity,
however vigilant or stringent courts and off,
GERS may be-. Toia certain extent they are
from all communities. They be-
long to human nature. But when we con-
slider the aomher otlouf GPqpularioh, the d.
versities of men hastily thrown together from
every portion of the worid-the nomadfc
habits, and restless, roaming characterof the
people-the amountof crime perpetrated in
this Territory during the past year, has not
been disproportionat ely afge.g 0nfthescon-
trary it has been less than in any other Ter
ritory similarly situated Nearly every paper
we take from Nevada Nontana,or Utah con
tains more. or less details of outrages, which
from their frequency appear to be takec as
the natdratand expected occurrences of each
day or week. We have had Tess of them
here, than any where else. and less during
he past year than at am, lime previous. 49,.
But we are told, few are convicted, and
40 one hung. That remains to be seem Ow-
ng to the delay in organizing the Territory,
md the absence of two ofthe judges assigned
o this district, the District Court, until re-
Gently, has been open for business only atm
ersalss Many cbargsdvis 6pubiic offences'are
till held awaiting their trial Judges are
low here, and hereafter theregqlar ERIN of
he Courts will be held. Qfthe officers there
5 no just cause for complaint. They are +
rompt and vigilant, and have performed +
heir portions of publ1cl duty with fidelity. 1t
no portion of their functions TO tryor con-
let individuals. It's their dnty to diligent-
7 ferretsodt the perpetrators Of crime, and
ecure the arrest Of suspected parties. That +
ley have been successful in this, the num- u
er now in Jail isthe best of evidence. 3atlf f.
AS long as we have both courts and ofi9f t
ers ofthis character there is no necessity II
II resortto extra-jddicial remedies for either II
al Or fancied wrongs, s The duty. Of every !
God citizan is plain, Its tofaith fully and. =
npartiaAy performshisl own part of public b
uties. This is not done by asking to be ex-1 q
used from service every time he is sum t
oned as d Juror II is not done by leaving
# Others to do what it should be his busir Q
sss to perform, Butitis done by exercis- n
g for right, for justice, for law, for order, "
i tranquility thatinh nence3 which G cd and d
en- hayesgiVen him. Let. every man who ~
sslfes 4 reformation and a s!better-state Sof tS
Iings, do this, and there will never be any 0
ecessityi for Vigilance 5Committees,in Idaho 0