The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-01-16
CONTINUED FROM FIRST pAGE.1

from the most reliable sources whether
this gigantic undertaking is really to be
successful, and confer upon the State
the results promised.
In the meantime I recommend that
the four mill levee construction and re-
pair tax authorized by the acts of 1871, be
reduced to three mills. This amount,
am assured, will be amply sufficient to
provide for the construction of the levees
ordered, and all probable necessary re-
pairs.
RED RIVER.
When representing the State in the
United States Senate, believing that the
work was practicable, I urged success
fully an amendmentto the riverand har-
Dor Dill, making, among others, an ap-
preparation for the removal of the raft
from Red river and the improvement of
Tones bayou.
The removal of this raft by the United
States, and the closing of Tones bayou
with the same logs, has been a great feat
of engineering. What the actual result
Will be, IN respect to navigation and the
height OF floods, remains to be seen.
Referring to the Instructions presented
by the falls at Alexandria, together with
the probable closing of the mouth of
Old river, concerning which petitions
have been received, / will state that I
have sent these petitions to the State
engineers, with instructions to make q
special report on the subject. But as
these works appear too eXtensiv We for the
State III her present condition, and as
Red river IS a national river, bearing the
products OF several States, and 80 the
general government has shown a dis
position to improve it's navigation, it is
to be hoped it will continue the work.
| recommend that your body memorial
ize Congress in this regard.
CHEAP TRANSPORTATION.
The people of the State are to be con-
graduated upon the favorable light in
which the attention of the entire cOun-
try has been directed to the Mississippi
river by the prOpitious agitation of the
cheap transportation question in the
West. One result of this agitation was
manifest in the recent we'll timed visit
to our State of the Senate Committee on
transportation. There is every reason
to hope that this movement will ulti-
mately so strengthen the hands of our
der comparatively easy the hitherto
difficult task of obtaining for the State
that consideration from the general GOV
ernment to which it is justly entitled.
The universally favorable discussion of
the Fort st. Philip canal project is, |
trust, but the certain prelude to the con-
.structlon OF the canal itself. | recon-
mend that, without unnecessary DELAY,
you grant the right of way and expro-
pirate the necessary lands for the con-
struction Of the canal. It's completion
will be the signal for an unprecedented
influx of capital, enterprise and labor,
which must infuse new life into every
part of the State.
Maintenance of Order.
EFFECTS OF VIOLENCE.
To secure a permanent increase of
prosperity, obedience to law must be en-
forced, riots massacres and assassina-
lions must cease. Capital, naturally so
sensitive, shuns q community where
turbulence and violence are tolerated.
The tide of emigration has heretofore
stopped at Our very borders, though in
climate, prOductiveness of soil and nat
ural resources, Louisiana possesses ad-
Vantages over almost every Southern
State. Occurrences such as the at
tempted riot in New Orleans on the
fifth of March last, the massacre at Col
fax, the resultIess parade of resistance |
to law in st. Martinsville, and the n
punished assassinatiOns of officers of
the law and worthy citizens in the north
have spread the i'll name of Louisiana
far and wide.
VIGILANCE COMMITTEES.
The enforcement of the law is the sole |
safeguard of every citizen. Only by |
obedience to the law can he secure per |
manent and efficient protection for life
a nd npnnnrfxv TfIn-n ~ Az, - &a1, IL. |
gated for this purpose in every parish
of the State. If they fail in their Off
cial duties they should be held to al
strict accountability, and whenever APP
pointees of the executive I will GER
tainly do my duty in this regard as soon
as the facts are made known to me-. All
so-called vigilance committees should
be discouraged and put down. The |
violent melting out of punishment by ir-
responsible persons to alleged criminals
is often an act of greater criminality
than the otfense charged against the per-
sons punished.
THE COLFAX MASSACRE.
Among the worst deeds of ~yiolence
which have disgraced the State, the
at Colfax in April last, when
O. j awless and irresponsible mob with
out any authority whatever, slaughtered
in cold blood more than 100 colored peo-
Pile, stands out in bold relief side by
side with that other causeless slaughter
in New Orleans in July, 1855, which
shocked the moral sense of the entire
country. Proceedings have been taken
to punish the Colfax rioters.
DEFECTS OF LAW.
But the working of the present crimi-
nal law is defective, and needs amend
ment. ..- ,..s o.-.
Measures will probably be presented
to you providing for such changes of
venue and other judicial regulations as
will insure the prompt punishment of
acts of violence in the few distant par
ishes where crime and disorder still pre-
vail. | ask for these measures your
early consideration and action, SO that
peace and order may be effectually es-
tablished throughout the State.
~ MILITIA AND POLICE FORCES.
At the commencement of the year the
State militiawas in a d~isorganized con-
ditiOn, but its reorganization has been
actively prosecuted. The National
Guard or First Division, Major General
commanding, consists of
over 1000 officers and men. Other COM
mands are in course of organization,
which will increase the force to 5000
men, who can be relied upon in every
emergency. The State has received,
the year, from the United States
government Gatling guns, mountain
howitzers, Sprinfield breech-loading
rifles, Spencer carbines, and ammuni-
ton and artillery harness, enough to
cover the quota due the State of $780,
Ill 55, and has now a more complete
outfit of arms, equipments and amuni-
ton than for years.