Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1871-08-12


prognosticated opinion among the
friends of preptisS that he would
not DO the last to, celebrate the
orgies Of Bacchus, and we have
reason to believe its prediction is
'hoGiy too often verified. A conso.
%lation, however, atfording but little
comfort and alas II melancholy
fact It ia, that too many are w0r-
shippers ut The Bacchsnalian shrine,
whilst there are many others to be
found who style themselves only
honorary, mtmters, who in truth,
might be Moro : properly termed
initiGtoTy' Numbers. r But notNith
standing tho little ind~iScretions in
cidont thereto, we have had All or
derby and all things considered, a
very respectable court. The Dis
trict Attorney, Col. Muldrow, has
been the most conspicuous person
ago in the forum, who, BY the way,
has proven himself very efficient
officer, indeed, fully competent, and
adapting his energies with yigor in
the faithful discharged his duties,
10 the entire satisfaction of every
ono, We believe, except criminals,
.t3 whom he,appcarS as a King OF
IT'errors.. We lake him to be a mar
Of sterling worth, and he exempli:-
tied his principles in brAvcly bran.
diShlng the sword in defense Of the
South during the late war. lie is
one of Gov. AIcorn'S> best appoint
ments. = " }''H'
The grand jury hAve evidently
had y laborfous session, but what
they have done, VIC do not'kmow.
We understand however, that the
Bigbee Valley rioters have been
instructed to 80 home, that they
did nothing worthy Of punishment.
We must confess that We do net
understand how this is. II we had
a proper knowledge Of the fnets in
the case, they were certainly guilty
of an Unldrt,d ASsrmbly if not of a
riot. 1t was certainly proven be-
fore the Justice of the Peace, who
committed them to custody, by a
score of witnesses or more, that
they did assemble, thirteen in num-
Dor, and each one srmcd with gun
and pistol, and that Bill Perkins,
che ring leader, stated, (in hearing
Of WitncISes) when asked whore ho
was going, that he was going to
kill II buck, and that his gestures
At the time were in a defiant and
mcnacing manner; and furthermore,
that they did 20 thus armed into
the State of Alabama, prctendingly
in search Of a dead man, who, they
said, was buried on the banks OF
tho BiYhee river, but when sGch ore
MA INTERCEPTED by the magistrate,
II any Of them carried u SPADE a
shortl Or hoe, the reply was mo"
Under this stSte Of facts ard the
law AZ laid down by Wharton aud
other standard works on criminal
ISw, We do not see upon what
ground the grand jury failed to
find y true bill against them. Th"
affair has excited so much interest,
and the action Of the grand jury so
much comment, that We have placed
ourselves to the trouble of examin.
i:g Wharton's American Criminal
LAW, as to the definition Of an
"Cn!awtul Assembly, or what it
takes 10 constitute al "Unlawful
Assembly," 1t IN as follows, to-wit :
"Any .tumultuous disturbance OF
the public pOacO BY three persona
or more, having no Ovowod, oStensi-
be, legal. or. constitutional object,
aH'emblSd under such cirtn instances
and deporting themselves in such u
manner M to produce danger tothe
public peace and tranquility; and
which oxcitcs terror, alarm and
conformation in the noighborhooa,
is an Unlawful Assembly" Am. CIR.
law Page 722. 1t seems to us
'ext to impossible that thirteen
men couM nssomblo' together with
guns and PistOls, and thu too upon
the public highways without dds,
turbipg the. peace and tranquility OF
the. people," and also without excl.
ting "tsrror and alarm" and even
Transformation lin the noighbor.
hood. There. is some mistake, OF
the witnesses must hapS sworn
! differently before the grant jury,
! from what they did before Justices
Rice and Bum, and We obtained
our information rs to what the wit.
neSHcs swOre before the magistrato'f
court, from. eyc-witnesScs, which
We prGsume,is substantially correct
However, a crowd Of business DO.
fore that body may have rendered
a more rigid investigation inpracti
cable, but we fear if the parties on
gagged in the offenrc, are guilty, and
thus sGtfsrSd to 60 scot froo, thar
the moral effect will be anything
but saIutary.' We learn, that true
bills have boon found against those
who made the assault on Bridges
We do not wish to be understood
as endeavoring to impagn tho mo
tives or action Of tho grand jury
or any member Of it, because W,
know almost every member person
ally, and know thom to bo gentle
men of integrity, and all who know
anything Of THE duties Of grant
iurOrs, know that it Is an arduou
and responsible Office. The Sheriff
and Clerk seemed to have thei
hands full, as did also their deputies
We have no disposition to com
plain Of the Governor in his ap
pointments Of county officers ; Will
q few dis-honorablo exceptions, W
believe he has done his vOry hes