The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1872-03-01

From the Brandon Republican.
We alluded last week TO the outrage CON-
mitted by the fiend, Isaac Curtis. negro.
upon a white girl. and the fact that he was
arresteds tried and ordered 10 jail in default
Of bail and on the way attempted the life
Of one of the party who was taking him to
jail. and who instantly killed him. We also
alluded to the fact that Gov. Powers had seen
proper to address a command TO the Sheriff
to Investigate the matter and report to him,
etc. etc.
We now lay before our readers the letter
of Gov. Powers TO the Sheriff of Rankin,
who replied that the man who killed the
negro was not his deputy. Here j. the
letter:
STATE OF MISSISSIPPI,
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
JACKSON. Feb IL, 1872.
10 the Sheriff Of Rankin County:
SIR:-I am in receipt of information to
the effect that on last Thursday, the 18th
instant. one Isaac Curtis. employed on Mr..
GOodyier's place, was murdered while in
the charge of Mr.. Hemphill. one of your
deputies, that a Mr.. Tillman and Mr.. Nc
BRIDE were implicated in the murder.
This is therefore to command you to
carefully investigate the above charges and
arrest and bring 70 trial any parties found
TO be engaged in this infraction of the laws
OF the State, in accordance with the provis-
ions of Article V, Chapter 81, Pages 604 and
w. - r. POWERS,
Governor.
p. S.-You will report to me the action
taken i'll this case. r. Z. Z.
The Republican comments with de-
served severity upon this proceeding Of
the acting Governor whose intermeddling
with matters which do not appertain to
his office, has prostituted it to the basest
ends. If the officer committed a crime
in taking the life of the iend whom he
was conducting to prison under sentence
of a lawful magistrate, and in resisting
an attempt on his own life in the per-
formance of his duty-if the officer
committed a crime, its punishment be-
longs to the courts OF the State and not
- the Executive. But the conduct of
the Governor (so-called) is reprehensible
for another reason besides over-stepping
the limits of his duty. The effect of his
otticiousness is to encourage the commits
sion Of such horrible outrages as this
ruffian was guilty of. 1t conveys to the
minds of the ignorant and depraved of
the class whose passions and prejudices
have been the mere agents
and ministers of vengeance and
plumber for carpet-bag adventures, that
freedom means underlined license, and
that they will be protected by those in
authority in whatever vile deed their
brutal natures may prompt them to
commit.
If a partisan purpose was not to be
subserved-if encouragement was not de-
signed to be given for this description of
uncomfortable crime-why was this par
ticular case selected as one which espe-
cially demanded the notice of the Gov
ernor, in violation of his legal preroga-
tives-and why was the lawful act of the
officer in executing the command of the
Justice of the Peace to commit the of
fender to jail, denounced as .''murder?"
The Governor is fippant in his citations
of the Code but evidently he is as ig-
norant of the duties of Magistrates and
of officers charged with executing their
judgments, as he is of the duties of the
Office which he is temporarily filling in
contempt of the public Will.
Since the carpet-bag Governor has
thought proper to interfere in this matter
for the obvious motives already stated,
we trust our cotemporary of the Brandon
Republican will obtain from the Magis-
trates who sat on the preliminary inves-
tigation of the case certified copy of all
the facts, so that the intelligent and or
derby people of the State may see what
character of crime was committed by the
brute whose fate has elected this out
burst of Executive Indignation and who
paid its penalty by a Providential retri-
button brought upon himself without
awaiting the LAWS delay. From all we
have heard the case is of more shocking
and depravity even than
first represented.