, 1867-05-10
Citizens, Mectinr.

DtO"ui Jas. " NIX hno W n. Dali "eTe eP-
pointed committee to prepare an address ex-
pressive Of the sense of the meeting.
The committee reported as follows
When, in the course Of human events, BY the
action Of any body Of men. claiming to represent
political party, the name and strength Of that
party 10 made subserveat to any other purpose
than the maintenance Of its political principles,
and such party, by the combined action of men
who claim its name and profess its principles,
Is required to endorse, aud s.ppc-t for onice
men who prostitute such party to strengthen
| organizations and carry out designs which are
unlawful In their intentions and purposes, op-
| posed TO the constitution Of the United States,
| the laws Of the land, the rights of citizens in
life and property, and the peace and tranquil
| ny OF the people, it becomes the duty of all
good aud law abiding members of such party
TO maintain its integrity vindicAte its principles
and purge it of all association with such unlaw-
ful organization, its purposes, interests, aud in-
huences.
Believing that the political parties in Walla
Walla county have been brought within the in>
| hurnce and, to some extent, controlled by an
organization known as Vigilance Committee,
Ia body OF men banded together, VINO have set
at naught the laws Of the land, ana have bid
i defiance 10 courts, laws and justice, a control
| which has been insidously galurd by Ariful
demagogues, who have aroused and worked
| upon the prrjudices and fears of the people by
deception, Misrepresentation, and hisehood, IL
order TO crafty their own personal ambition,
aud to accomplish their own selfish purposes
but which all honest, law abiding men will re-
| pudiAte aud condemn we, the undersigned
| citizens of WallA Walla County and Valley, do
| hereby enter our solemn protest against the
| prostitution of the name and influence of any
party representing great political principles, TO
| the maintenance and support OF secret and
| unlawful organization.
| In order to demonstrate the workings and
| purposes of the said Vigilance Committee, WE
| propose TO show some few things which have
| IranspIred during the past two yeaIs, in which
| it has exercised n controlling influence, To AS,
| sert our firm conviction that two years since, II
defeated the democratic candidate for Sheriff
| and had cOnspired to do so at the coming elrc-
| ton, by stultifying itself, and voting against its
| nominee, in case a vigilante could not he nOmi
mated; and we lurther assert our belief, thai
| the SAID party has secured the nomination, on
| the democratic ticket, of meu who have either
| directly or Indirectly cOoprrated with, or en-
| dorsed them, in order that said vigiante party
| might be maintained aud strengthened IN its
| organization, and its unlawful purposes carried
| out without either danger, or fear Of legal re
| straiut, or punishment.
\ LIST. The said Committee in its organization
| is compact by which each and every member
| becomes either principal or accessory to what.
ever lHwless act The leaders may commit.
| a.. NrR have been slaughtered IN cold blood
| without even form Of trial by their Lynch Law
| code; have been hanged without any Prrclama
| uon 10 the word, Of the nature Of tue Udcnses
| with which they were charged, and hSSe been
| bA nisbed FROM the Territory, either upon har~
| suspiclOu OF guilt, Mt the inStgation of sguir
personal enemy, member oftne Cnmnitref.
| 81. man mas beea trlrd by sad 90 Hmitter,
| nganst whom AL the te,ti nouy ia the case was
| brought 10 bear, and failed 10 couv'ct of. any
| thiug more than insult TO female virtue.
| without personal violence, aud, after having
been acquitted at said trial, was seized by mem
| brrs OF the band, emnsculAted, and afterwards
hanged, aud his body left prey to the ele>
ments, and the wild beasts, aud the said com
| mIttPe tHcitly endorsed the act by throwing
| every possible obstacle in the way Of ierreIug
\ out the criminals.
4th. The doors of opr county jill have been
opened, criminals Of the darkest dye set At
nberty, aud pros!ded with means for making
| IheIr escape.
5rh [ has exercised an influence in the Sc
lection of Grand Jurors in order to protect its
| uHA members.
9th. 1t has sent threatening letters to the
| press, in order to suppress the publication oI
the truth.
| eth 1t has by its secret and iusdous work
Ings; 80 far insiuuated itself into political parties
| AS to slndeavUr to obtain the control of all
county officers, by which it might streugthea
| iiself OF protect its mrmbers-
| All this Catalogue OF crimes have gone uu.
whipped of ju- tice, and citfzeps have been de-
| trrred, through tear of personal danger, from
attempting to bring tie perpetrators to irinl.
| As honest men, believe that we posses.
! githin the pale aud operation of the law, ample
| protection aBd safeguard by legal measures
| against every caSS Of crime, and that the ex
| isteuce in our midst of,an organization inimica
| TO the laws, is an outrage on society, hn injury
| 10 public prosperity and that it is the duty Of
good men to aid in suPPressing it.
| While repudihte in every sense the course
| pursued by this committee, yet believe that
| many good men have been induced to enter ;ntn
it with view only to protect themselves in
their rights aud possession of property, we do
not believe that they endorse in iul the crimes
| which have been committed, but are now held
IN membership only by desire to protect them
selves from the consequences of their assOci>
alton with those who have committed acts
which they do not endorse or justify and from
this fact, and, in the present condition of so
ciety. We do not deem it polite to enter into i"-
veStga.iOns of the past, nor to prosecute, perse-
cute, nor prescribe any man on that account,
and we pledge ourselves neither to investigate,
enter into, nor couutenance any legal inveSti
cations or proceedings against any vigilante tor
any act which has been committed, bat we do
eaEnesily and sternly demand protection, secu>
rity, and maintenance of order, under The laws
in the future we counsel the Vigilance Com
mttee to disband its members, and cease to
operate or take any part in political Issues, MS
a body, and we conjure them, in the name OF
law, Ia the name OF humanity, in the name OF
Justice, to abandon their organization, to be-
come law abiding citizens, aud aid US in carry
ing out the design for which majority OF them
Joined the organization, namely the good OF
society, and suppression Of crime, by working
with US for the election of honest men, who
can take the oath of Office without moral per
jury, and who will impartislly discharge their
duties, according to the laws Of the land.
Ia making this declaration of principles, we
are guided solely by desire to restrain vice,
suppress crime, bring offenders to justice BY
constitutional aud lawful means, promote the
public peace and security, establish law aud
order, in place of moboeracy and lawlessness,
and last, though not least, to purge political
psrties of all connection with unlAw:dl pur>
poses, and to maintain the integrity OF their
principles in their purity and, to these ends,
we jointly and Individually pledge ourselves,
in the full confidence that the popular vote at
our next alectiOn will virdica;e our motives aud