Richland beacon., 1873-09-20
''Let Justice be Done Though
the heavens fall!"

Lewis Robinson, accused Of being one OF
the assassins who murdered Mr.. Thomas
Archibald, is now q prisoner at the bar.
We have no desire to see the masses oil
our people bestirred to a degree of mad eX-
element that may result in violation OF law
and order. but we do desire to see them act
like men of sense and men of courage equal
to an emergency in which not only life, Iiber-
,y and properly is at stake, but civilization Is
threatened with destruction; and, for the sake
of their own best interests, in the name oil
all those sacred ties forming pleasant net
work of civilized society, and in the name oil
the ippocen, blood of our slain felow-men
now crying to us aloud and afresh from the
ground, we would earnestly call upon every
law-abiding and order loving citizen in our
Parish, to throw aside all timidity ranking in
and weakening the human heart, and move
in solid phalanx like men Of wisdom, de-
liberation and determination, in uphoding the
laws of the land The midnight assassin
prowls in our midst, harbored, fed and en-
couraged by an interruptions and groveling
band of mean and wiry associates who will
enter the halls of justice, kiss the Holy Bible,
and lay upon the sacrifcial altar their scared
cunsciences and perjured souls, for the liberia
ton Of guilty and condemned murderers.-
With these facts staring us in the face, how
vastly important that every good citizen
should do his duty, in coming boldly up to
assist the legally authorized officials against
the fabricated testimony Of false swearers, if
any such should intervene. The Governor,
in his proclamation, calls upon every private
citizen, without regard tc policies, race or
color-the echo Of which Gull we would take
up and make to resound about every family
fireside to which the Beacon finds its way.
II Robinson be innocent, we shall take pleas
nre in heralding his innocence abroad. Blu,
if he be guilty, you may rest assured that the
most falacious, ingenious and unheard Of
schemes will lie concocted and planned to
secure his acquttal before the law. Let all
cording to their honest convictions regardless
Of the consequence to perjured Witnesses
Without men who can swear 1.-THE truth, the
whole truth, and nothing but the truth" the
Judiciary must undoubtedly be "given over ,e
believe a lie." As to the guilt OF innocence
Of Robinson, we have nothing to say; but il
citizens will aid the officers in summoning al
witnesses known to be acquainted with an,
Of the facts, the case can easily be disposed
Of according to law.
The Monroe htslligcncer, in commenting
upon our article OF last week, very aPpropri
atey says that the killing of Mr.. Archibald in
Rcihand, and of Messrs Crawford and Har
ris in franklin, exhibits "a State Of affair:
which cannot be tolerated any longer. 1t is
useless 10 say that six, eight or dozen men
can be permitted to terrorize over three par
ishes like franklin, Richland and Caldwell.
We knor that these acts are dete.ted by all
the good citizens of these parishes, but they
seem to be paralyssd when steps are to be
taken to punish the outlaws. A system Of
espionage seems to exist by which the outlaw.
nre kept fully informed what movements are
being made against them, and who is making
them.
Citizens may say, "lfI take hand in thi:
don't know when my turn will come,' bu
has not the killing of Mr.. Archibald shown
that Is long Is these outlaws are permitted tc
roam, your turn may come anyhow!