The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-11-14
VIGILANCE COMMITTEES.

1t is to be hopeu MofSanS
charge to the grand jury, last week,
relative to Vigilance committees, will
nrove their death knell in our parish.
Hereafter, those who join such organl-
cations, will do so with their eyes open
and with the full understanding that
there win be no truce between them
and the officers Of the law. Against
them will be waged a legal war of re-
1eutless determination ; in which they
must sooner or later succumb; as, IN
the event the legally constituted 5au
tlorities of the parish should prove
equal to the emergency, a power VIII
he appealed to, an attempt to reslSV
which will be worse than madness. .'E
We had hoped that no such laWless
organizations would be attempted In
this parish; because there was not'
neither will there be any necessity Tor
it. In our sister parish Of Vermlllon'
We are told, the excuse for organizing
srch a committee was, that no thief
cnuld be convicted, it mattered not
what was the proof against him. Here
for three years past, the reverse has
bpan the rule. Instead of there being
ro convictions, i'm almost every case
tried by a Jury the thief has been con-
yieted, as an inspection OF u criminal
Docket viii show. Our officers are all
competent, energetic, fearless and faith
f,,l. and orr iuries never fail to be III
accord with them. And we venture to.
assert without fear of contradiction
that in no parish in the State Is the
criminal law SO rigidly enforced as IN
onr own. Such being the case, these
"knights of the rope'' have no excuse
for the murder of Benoit and Thlbo-
daux at Point Legef in Mermento Cove,
whom they dragged out of their houses
an the 18th of last month and hung
without Judge or jury. We but ex-
nress the wish of nineteen tWentleths
of the people of St. Landry, when We
hope that ere the first day OF January
next. every individual who took part IL
hanging these men, may be brought tc
trial. convicted and hung, strictly &C
cording to law. Some of them are al
iuaadyi in custody, Others probably soor
viii be: and sooner OF later they vii
have to face a jury and standa prosecu
fion which will teach them there is con
siderable difference between ropins
and branding a calf and hanging q Cit
zen of our parish, under the pretext tina
he is a thief, without giving him eVel
the semblanee of a trial. We are un
~acnuainted with these self-constitute'
hangmen, but if we are rightly In
formed, amongst them are parties o.
whose backs can be found the trace
If many q stripe inflicted, Whethe
Justly or unjustly we cannot say, by tn
vigilance committee, for the sam
offence, as.far back as 1859; and prob
ahlv. il Benoit and Thibodaux wef
COW thieves, when brought to the plac
of execution, they recognized amongS
their hangmen, more than N old COZ
federate in crime. When ~jayhawkel
hand together, to hang thieves, Y
think il is abouttime honest men shoul
begin to reflect upon the consequence
Such a state of things may do IN som
marshes. but not in u parish. VI
1,arish and district officers are all IN a.
cord and determined, come what ma,
ia enforce the law regardless OF COS
ar consequences; and they will emple
nh legitimate means to crush these 0
carnations. Every man connected WI
any such organization, directly or i
directly. is an enemy to law and orde
and each and every m~emberwho parti
mated in the hanging Of Benoit al
Thibodaux, on the 18th ult., or who MI
participate in other deeds of the kin
Il amurderer, and will be dealt with
such by II Judicial authorities.
Whenever any OF the people OF q
parish, white or black, are distribute
Nv any Of these organizations, tn
should come straight to O%pelousas, a
rcuort to the sheriff or district attorne
who viii surely give them protection
Parties who have any idea Of joint
such organizations should reflect W
and ponder thoroughly on the cont
ouences. Those who have alrea'
Joined, but have not yet imbrned tl'
hands ia the blood Of their fellow CT
zens, had better withdraw before T
commission DC actual crime. Tho
who took part in the murder of Ben
and Thibodaux are refugees from j
lice and liable to be hung for mnre
Or sent to the penitentiary for life.
There Is a method prescribed by i
Tar the disposition Of thieves and OIL
criminals. and the judicial authorit
II this parish do not intend that t
method shall be changed atthe pleasi
III vigilance committees. Il they
4einpt Il. they do SO 1T their peril.
fore the Law, beth of God and nj
with their hands red with human bio
thev are far greater criminals u
Hose whom they murder arc even
legged to be. They viii DO prosecit1i
ID criminals more Tgidly i anythi
than other criminals, because they y
not only ba guilty of the particular
OF acts of crime charged against ths
aut because they will have asslaIi
without authority d light the functll
&c law. set at defiance tbs regula
constituted legal authorities, ofgapl
So subyert law and order IN civil soci'