New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-01-07

hcr, 70 demand that Justice SHOULD be done
tn thcse men. do not ask that they should
he liberated. or that they should not DC
nup;,,,et for any otFcnse they may have
committed; but asl. that they he carried 10
4 paris, where they can get justice: ana
that they may not be forced to stay
there to be slaughtered. for almost every
man in the parish is determined TO hahs
these men because some other mel nave
been killed there The men that these par
ties have been charged with killing had 1917
INV house only hall an honr before 1hey
were murdered. and one of them was my
bosom and political friend He was one oi
NV best friends, and would not sta1d here
and say anything ia favor OF these
prisoners if l thought they were MS
murderers. stand here to vindicafe
the divers and the Fishers, because L
know they are innocent. | know that
public opinion vii! not permit a fair IN
vestigation of tine case. aud SIMPLY want
them removed to another parish where law
and order prevails to such an extent tiat
public opinion will not sway the prejudice
of the i,rv I do not want these men to be
let loose without trial hut want them
to be brought before tine court as American
citizens. and to feel that the law Ill tins
country guarantees them equal rights WIN
other men. do not wish to see them hung
"
mere fact that theyare charged with this muir
der. | know that thi, bill has been introduced
mt the instance Of the attorneys OF these
men. because they know frat the tcehn2 Is SO
treat in the parish of Ascension that they
dare not 30 there to defend them. Ii this
bill is not passed. thes" prisoners VIII pe
tried tomorrow without even lawyer, De.
cause their lawyer j. afraid 10 go there; ana
he is one of the leading lawyers at the bar
= z I 1nl;u tt,,. tnnlInU
Sc great in that parish that the District
Judge himself would be afraid to
allow a change of venue. believe that
the Opinion of the people OF the parish
is such that if a jury was 10 be drawn there
to try that case. they would be afraid TO eX-
press their honest conviction. DO not De-
Iieve that any rule, or any constitution, can
be SO unjust as to discriminate IN any case
so apparent as th;s-that mems lives cam DE
so sacrificed, or that any constitutional or
legal nuibble can delay any measure that
would secure Justice to an American cru
zen. [ hope. therefore. that the bill Will
pass to its second reading.
Mr.. Todd said it would be much easier to
impeachthe Judge ifhe does notido his dut
Mr.. Hunsakcr said: l will state to the
Senator that would not move tor the nm
parchment of the Judge merely because he
il a Democrat. believe he is i pretty tair
man. but l De!le|e lnat plipiiC olhiiIoA toA,
trolls him ia this matter. l would not ask
for this special legislation if l thonght that
these prisoners had any chance under the
sun in that parish. Public opinion has been
so strong in this case. that these men have
been denied almost everything. l
have never seen. in ali my life,
so much prejudice shown i'll
an II case as in this one. 1t Is not prose-
cution but persecution. The very tact
that they are accused would subject them
to insult and almost to violence. l go fur'
ther ana state that if any person should say
+ in that parish that these men did no: have
anythin: to do with this murder. i: would
subject him to p,.blic insult. These men
can not get any attorney to go there to de-
fcnd them who really desire, to see them
acquitted l hope Senators will CONSIDER
this matter properly.
fro BE CONf.NVED.: