The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1870-01-29
COMMUNICATED.
Tnfhss fir n. Tie UpstSIsus Journal.

II me tt,FFaoY If the dttyystH5asas Joarna,. |
We propose in this, letter, through your col
umns, to make soma Observations in refer
ence to the events of December 3lst 1869,
The public mind has had time. to cool. We
are prepared to form unbiassed opinions in
refetehce til thai nufortanate affair.
'Dufinr ne night If Deeember 3oth a body
al arnsd men in tie intereseof.C Capt. James
d. Hayes toSx possession, OF fhe Court house:
On the morning of the 3Tst they were joined
by reirfprcements, posted either at the Court
house o., at Capt. Hayes Hotel facing the
Court house square. In reserve, jus. beyond
the limits Of the town was held a numerous
body Of allies prepared to assist IN case OF a
fight. Il W. !, .,',tI
These men, both white and black, were
armed with shot guns and side arms lhe'r
object, to asset Capt. Hayes IN taking iorcaoie
possession of the Parish jaa
For SON time past the Sheriffalty OF SAINT
Landry las been in litigation. At the last
election, James e. Hayes, Democratic candi
date for the office, having received majority.
of the votes cast. was elected and commission
ed Sheriff, Subsequently an act was passed
by the Legislature requiring all the othce-
holders of the State to subscribe and lille at
the Office of the Secretary of State, within
thirty DAYS from the passage of the act, a new
oath OF office Parish officials Were informed
il due time Of the existepce of this law, Capt,
Hayes amongst the number. Most OF them
complied immediately with its requirements
Capt. Hayes however failed OF refused to do
So -.,.. 4...sfrrH 81 = t.. 50 III
The friends of Dr. Brooks finding that the
| Governor Of the State had declared the Sher-
IFS office for our Parish Vacant, and fear
ing that it would fall into an worthy hanrs,
succeeded after much persuasion, ia prevail
ing upon him to, accept the position. On his
demise, Col. Thompson was, prevailed upon TO
become his successor: Both BROOKS and
Thompson were men who had heldsoffice IN
this Parish previously, accounted amongst the
most esteemed anu public spirited Of our c!tl-
gems, they suffered no loss Of reputation with
their friends by this acceptance OF an office to
| which; another had been elected. & g. 5i'.j ,
| The reasoning was simple enough. We et,
Their had to take such. men as Brooks and
| Thompson, or else have some carpet Dagger
sent to us from the city with a squad OF sol
diers to uphold his authority. ,-a'"
| Capt. Hayes since his election from Office
has been litjgating his rights in the tribunals
Of the country This was all as it should be,
and he carried into the contest the sympathy
of the community Atpopuiar man, the eset
Of the people, ousted by an odlous law e,iae-
ted tor partisan purposes, every one wished
him SUCCESS. The case was on appeal and re-
turnabe to the Supreme court on the 1eth OF
January, aud was entisled to be tried aud de-
| cided by preference and a final decision ,ex'
pected in a few weeks, which there was no
reason to doubt would be in his favor.
One would suppose that under such favorable
| circumstances Capt. Hayes would have been
| anpfaptaI To aryoift tho AaeiSian tt tEa ST-
preme court Quite the contrary however
was the case. At the head Of an armed force,
sufficiently numerous to carry out his designs
he proclaimed his intention to tahe the Jail or
die in the attempt. .,,u.s 4; -gn. !! Etl
By the advice of the District Judge, and in
order to avoid the %efusion of blood, no armed
resistance was made as will be seen by rett-
renee to an agreement, published in your Jolp'
nal Of January Sth, and Capt, Hayes took for
chile possession Of the Jail, Is. i. .i... ..,.e.
To this act Of violence on his part we pro-
test our bitter opposition. ''SN!'"
1st, Because it was in violation Of laws,
both State and Federal, fos whirh the people
Of this Parish may be held responsible. l,,.
I'd, Because it was in contempt of the au-
thority of'the court, which although IT had
deciued in his favor, yet had granted a
suspensiyef appeal, and recognized Thompson
az being in legal possession of the Jail until a
final decision. ~. ...L...,
Sd. Because it violated the Peacs Of the
Parish, and assisted in keeping up abroad for
us a reputation fot lawiessness from, which We
are all interested in pu. ging ourselves. 7
,4th, Because such scenes OF mob law are
calculated to deter any but bad characters
from imnigrating into this country - ?
5th, Because IL WAS an act of ~vioIene: on the
! -ork sc fb,c, ~ " . tbnra,y, mot nm anrnftp r
CT any public giffAvance but for the benefit Of
a 'single individaat.' II : '"~ '' , go,
9th, Bseauserit placed i'll jeopardy the lives
ofmany citizens. ,a, tits srr1. Fs@,i
ATerrible surmises We're started as to the
Object. aud intentions Of the rioters. But as
they originated mostly ii the heated inragilas
Iitions of persons who@cunceived their lives
weEein danger, are not susceptible proof
and were probably erroneous. We shall not
repeat them heres but simply hint at their ex.
isttnce' as one Of the odious conse quences of
the oitbfeakt"ti ja.I} #a]J"1" II fE~ e. 49,
This was not the first time Capt. Hays had
threatened the peace OF tae community About
a month previously he had attempted some
4 thing similar, but desiste4 either from the adj
vice of his friends, or from inability at the
time to raise the requisite force and We
understand that under cfrtaip circumstances
he proposes repeating his, performance: Ia
the mean time timid people don't like to
discuss this matter. Men who in secret he.
probate Hayes cebduet do not think it per-
fectly safe to do sopubiiely, The Parish is
under cow 1t il high time we. should feer
ourselves 7faom' this system of terror and dis"
cass Capt. Hayes conduct fteefy,.2' When his
armednlen took possession ofthe Courthouse,
the citizens of our town refused to join him,
4 al. ,,.,,I1 tbau o,.,.t Al, (Nu,,t,I1, b ~
| ganize a force for the purpose Of preventing
Let them fight it eutfH seemed9te be the most
genela al feeling ~. .{,azrT ,v,t, = t.s
It aoas ali affair of politicians up to the time.
| one side made use of force and arms and then
it became in our opinien an affair of the AZ
most Importance to the whole Parish. ziJ4Af
We are over twenty thousand people, white
| and black, all deeply interested in quiet, peace.
| and good order, and IN our good name and
| repatatien.s It can make bat httla differences
| to- most of as whichtenes of the contestants OBJ
tains the Sheriffaltys Beth gentlemen hsyeI
heretofore enjoyed our esteem and respect.
W. know that Hayes was elected, Bit we also Ala'
know thai Thotbpsou's eonrse meets with the
approval of many of our most inteHigent
citizens totally; ~uneennected, with, political
cliquies and rings, and who would not for any
consideration infringe npoi' the rights Of Capt.
Hayes.s q, .as5a 2oaII sf s~attH2@* @5Ht
Ii is idle to- speak Of either DR.. Brooks or
Col. Thompson and their friepdsas s~ealawags,
to be dealt with sy lynch law, They
consi itute sor1e of The best Citizens IF
our Parish; the majority of those. who were
elected on the general Parish ticket at the last
election, all the members. of the. POLICE jufy,
all oar Democratic d~elsgation to the Legisla-.
tulrte, and We think a majority Of the bar. It is
high time that there ashodld BE 4 fearless eexL
preston ofPublic opinion otherwise we sub
IIect ourselves TO a repetition Of the offenees
"A counter, .organizatieu' for purposes Of self.
protection and. the rn~aintenanice Of the law
beeofnsssanAobjjecs Of necessity, and In the end,
a LIS. Gmrris0nodj 81 hsftsa1lqa. a'5d@!j a@a
Capt Hayes has introduced the element Of
force. and violence into ,onr politics, and we,
do hot like IL I'VE fear, ifeontinueed,' it will