The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-12-24
The JACKSON county REGULATORS.

The Jackson County Regulators.
We are in receipt of nd-bill adj
dressed to the 8 People of the United
States" from " Headquarters In South
ern Indiana" and signed by order
of the Vigilance Committee. We
presume the document is what it
claims to be, -pronuneiamento on
the part of the murderers who, with
eowardly cunning rivaling the North
American savages, sneaked into New
Albany during the dark hours of the
night, waylaids and shot the Sheriff
and murdered, in cold blood, four
men who were there confined in Jail.
under the protection of the law. We
say we presume the document is
all that it claims to be. 1t only
lacks TIE imprint Of the New
Albany numerical to remove al
doubts as to us commences. Head
quarters Southern Indiana, Vigilance
Committee" is the pompous caption
to this very interesting document
By this we are to conclude that the
Vigilance Committee proposes to re-
ulate the administration of justice
throughout Southern Indiana. 1t no
longer confines itself to the limits Of
jackson County. The successful raid
upon New Albany has fred its ambi
ton to deeds Of still nobler daring,
and the people of any county may be
thrilled almost any morning by an
announcement that during the pre-
ceding night it was invaded by armed
men, under leader with flashing dia-
mond ring, its civil officers shot,
and the helpless prisoners confined
within its prisons murdered, although
their crime may have been no greater
than petit larceny or robbery in which
no loss of life was involved. We
respectfully inform the jackson
County Regulators, that they do not
represent the sentiment of Southern
Indiana. a large majority of the
people of this part of the State re-
pudiate their lawless proceedings a,
New Albany with horror and disgust
They regard them as not only lawless
but cowardly. If the RENOs and
their accomplices were so well known
as " thieves, robbers, murderers, and
desperadoes, who deied law and
ORDER" why did not the gallant
leader of the diamond ring muster
his forces and exterminate the
whole gang long ago? Such
a procedure would at least have had
the merit of display of courage. But
to meekly submit to all the acts com
planned of until the ch-abused law
had seized upon the criminals and be-
come responsible for their protection
until they were tried and condemned,
and then sneak in, concealed by the
darkness of night, and murder the
prisoners, is not only an outrageous
violation of justice, but libel upon
the courage of Indianians. The Jack
son County Regulators have added TO
the Nervousness of their crimes by
grossly slandering the people of South
ern Indiana, in thus attempting to
create the impression that their action
in the slightest particular is Endorsed
by them.
The " Pronunciamento " Of the Reg
ulators Chat is the name they give
their document) pretends to deplore
the necessity which called their or
ganization into existence, but asserts,
in justification, that the laws of our
State are so defective, that, as they
now stand on the statute books, they
all favor criminals going unwhipt of
Justice This. of course, is false.
The laws of the State, if fairly exc
cuted, never fail to punish crime.
That they were not enforced in Jack
son County, is the fault Of the Regu-
lators themselves. They elected their
officers of Justice. They composed
the juries who tried the criI.sinals.
IF justice was not administered, the
people of jackson County can blame
none but themselves. We presume
their Constables, Sheriffs aud Judges
are representative men. Will
the Vigilance Committee admit that
a majority of the people of that
county endorsed the RENos and their
operations and would do nothing to
thwart them? Yet they must take
this position before they can rightful-
ly claim that the law is impotent to
punish crime and protect innoceney.
Were a majority of the people of that
county outlaws. call upon the Gov
ernor of the State would soon recon-