The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-02-28
MESSAGE FROM GOV. BRAMLETTE.


EXECUTIVE OFFICE,
9FRANKFoRT, Feb. q, 1867.
Geubenaep of the Senate and House Of
Representatives: 81 ~
The recent outrages and murders
committed by lawless bands of men in
some counties, who set themselves ur
as " regulators" and execute = lynch
law, require that your attention
should be directed to the ineficiency
of existing laws to secure the punish
ment Of the: g criminals.
A band of these lawless men, claim
ing to number over one hundred,
thoroughly organized, and assuming
to take the regulation of society and
government into their own hands,
operating in Marion, Boyle, and
adjoining counties under the orders
of Judge Lynch" have become so
emboldened by impunity that they
publish their orders of Punishment
and of condemnation in the public
journa ais. Disobedience of their law
less mandates is followed with speedy
vengeance. Jails are forced by them,
and their victims ruthlessly torn from
legal custody and murdered. Those
standing on bail, who are obnoxious
to their murderous wrath, are dragged
from their homes and executed. They
condemn without hearing, and exc
cute without trial. The cold blood
ed atrocities of their cuelties and
murders must shock every manly
bosom, and arouse the indignation Of
all just men. Within the last few
days, during the session of the Boyle
Circuit Court, these murderers took
from the Jail of that county man,
therel confined to answer an indict-
meRts and hung him to death within
the limits of the town. Since that,
another. has been hung in the neigh
bOrhqod, who was standing upon bail.
Good citizens, who denounce their
lawless proceedings, are being warned
by them to leave the country, under
the penalty of their wrath.
In Marion County many outrages
have been perpetrated by them. Re-
Gently they burned the dwelling house
of an aged and exemplary citizen,
because his son had resisted their
authority, and made a successful de-
Tense against the party sent to arrest
him. A gallant soldier was notified,
IN one of their published orders, to
leave the country-his ofense being
an expressed determination to stand
by and defend a younger brother
against the mob that had ordered
him to leave, under penalty of death.
These are not the only instances of
many wrongs. This terrible crimi-
nality of organized desperadoes is
fearfully on the increase, and unless
arrested by the vigorous arm of pub
lie justice, will destroy individual
and public security, and overbear
civil government.
Under existing laws, no reward can
be offered for the apprehension and
conviction of these criminals, except
upon the petition " of the Circuit
and County Judge of the county in
which the crimes were committed. No
such application has been made AS
L cannot suppose that the Judges
sanction or connive at this criminal
lty, the conviction is forced, that the
fear Of personal danger, restraints
them from applying for rewards.
The laws should be so amended as
to meet this state of the case, and au
thorize the offering Of rewards in
such cases, without awaiting the pc
tition of the Judge. q - Z NOV
A fear of personal danger'restrains
the Judges from acting, and thus an
apparent sanction is given to this
form OF. crime S. tREs ~
There cannot be any form of crime
mores9 dangerous to Individual and
public security than the UNPUBLISHED
and unchecked criminality Of the
organized men, setting themselves up
TO regulate society, and punish
those whom they denounce as Of
tenders. = 10 1l..-.... -tt.IIIH~
Under pretense Of executing justice
they set the laws of God and their
country at defiance. All guarantees
to personal security are ruthlessly
OVERCOME. Every rule, sacred to
good government, is trampled under
1awless feet. Before the sweep of
theses organized mobs, none are Sc
cureyel Each man is, individually, as
sailed In his securities to life and lib
erty. The rich and poor, exalted and
lowly, the rash and gentle, the brave
and timid, the innocent and guilty,
are assailed by the insensate mob,
whose cry is Justice but whose
course is vengeance and murder.
- From the ravages of war, a country
may recover; from the sweep Of pes
themes, may be healed; from the
wasting of famine, may be delivered;
but from the shame and infamy of
permitting, unchecked, the reign and
rule of mobs, cannot escape, except
by putting forth all the powers of
government to crush such heinous
criminality.
Such organizations are rebels
against all good government, human
and divine, and are traitors to society.
In no form can human passion and