The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1871-05-11
MESSAGE PROM rHr oovrRxoR.
To he Senate and

To The Senate and
House Of Representatives.
GFSrLEMEN Our statistics of crime
have recently come before me In direct re-
lation TO our moral character and material
interests. The actual facts embraced ~
those statistics are. l am glad 10 say, by no
means so shocking as they have been made
TO appear, but they are, nevertheless so
painful as TO demand at our hands, earnest
consideration, with view 10 remedy.
some OF the murders committed since the
Inauguration of civil government Ia this
state are. | have no doubt, chargeable 70
the cowardly bandtti known as ku kluN.
Having found the powers conceded nc the
last session. insufficient 10 bring the parties
engaged In the crimes of those assassins. 10
punishment, L call your attention, earnestly.
10 the fact that you have not yet supplement
ted those powers, by giving me authority,
in certain cases 10 change the venue, and by
giving me further powers asked for Ia my
annual Message of last January. ! trust
your honorable bodies viii not fail 20 pass
before your adjournment, such laws as shall
enable me to draw the ku-kluX assassin
from his hiding place, and when so drawn,
TO hand him over to certain Justice.
An Act of the Legislature Of this State,
approved 10Th ofDecember, 1861, undertakes
10 amend the law of evidence with the usual
common law. This statute enacts that
"when two or more persons are Joined Ia
an Indictment" leach SHALL" IL counsel so
demand, ..bc a competent witness for the
other" BE the disposition ofthe Code what
it may, | recommend that you repeal, iIn-
mediately. the Act of December 10, 1861.
entitled IAN Act TO amend the law of evil
dence in criminal eases"
Another source Of the amount of murder
in this. State is, AS IL is in all other States,
found in the dram shop.
A more painful source OF capital crime ia
this state than either the ku klux or the
dram-shop, is undoubtedly the custom Of
carrying deadly weapons. The suppression
of the pistol and knife will do as much la
Mississippi as the suppression of the sword
did in England, for asserting the sanctity
of human life.
We pledged before the people to punish
men who go prepared for assassination by
carrying concealed weapons. As candidate
for the Governorship of the State pledged
myself and my supporters 90 the preven-
ton OF that practice In the following pas
sage ofmy published address, on the 10Th of
November, 1869.
The painful exaggeration Of the capital
crimes committed in the State have directed
my attention TO the above recommendation
and /, therefore. now again bring il before
YOU as one reaching what mas ever been
fruitful cause fprecipitating the ordinary
alteration In well regulated societies. into
your honorable bodies will see to it before
your adjournment, that the cause which
Outrages our civilization and supplies "a ba-
sis, in fact, for a misrepresentation, 40 once
injurious to our interests and wOunding To
our pride, shall be subjected 10 the arrest
of severe legislation.
To meet one of the causes of the failure or
Justice in the cases covered by the foregoing
remarks, / recommend that the prelimna-
nv examination of parties accused OF hOmi-
eide or Ku kluxism shall be held before
either a Chancellor or a Circuit Judge. /
recommend further that until that eXamina-
ton shall have commenced, the accused
shall be held in the county jail to the cx-
cusion Of any application Tor his enlarge
me mt on bail. This will remove cases of so
grave "A character, from the good nature or
the timidity OF an ordinary magistrate, 10
n magistrate whose learning will prove a
foil TO that of counsel and whose dignity OF
position will overawe the agencies OF intim-
idation.
A further cause of crime amongst ms. lies
in the ridiculous practice Of posting"
Such mock heroism might very well have
passed away amongst people educated Ia
the stern chivalry Of war. II, however. the
manliness Of public sentiment has not
learned TO laugh to scorn, this routine of
cheap gallantry, the law must come 20 the
rescue Of, at all events, our decency and or
der. BlooGlcss though this posting" usu-
ally Is, il adds sometimes TO our list Of vio-
lent deaths, and as it should be dealt with.
therefore, in examining the sources Of the
of crime, ] recommend that, being
in some instances, an overt act of felOniOus
intent, 1t be declared in express terms,
crime punishable by fine and imprisonment. !
j. l.. ALcoRN, Governor.
Executive Office, May 4, 1871.