The Opelousas courier., 1874-02-28

We make the following extract from an ar
ticle in the New Orleans Republican of the
I'D, headed Executive Clemency," in which
that journal undertakes to justify the recent
shameless abuse of the pardoning power by
the Acting Governor:
I'VE know, however, that applicants for
pardon generally come well fortified with sig
natures, frequently having i'll their favor the
names of the Judge, prosecuting attorney and
. majority of the jurors who convicted the
criminal. The Governor naturally depends for
advice upon parties who are familiar with the
case, and properly allows their recommends
tons great weight in passing upon the ques-
fion OF propriety in issuing pardon"
If the article in question Is intended to jus-
tify the Usurper's wholesale delivery of St.
Landry eOnviets from the State penitentiary
recently, it has fallen into a serious mistake.
We doubt whether the signature of a single
officer Of the Sth District Court can be found
to any of those petitions. But we know that
ii his Excelleney" will take the trouble to
refer to the letters Of the District Attorney of
this District, he will find that nearly twelve
months ago, in view of the abuse of the par
doning power by his predecessor, Gov. War
moth, he was specially requested not to grant
pardons to convicts from this District, in the
future, until he had first required statement
of the facts of the case from those of all others
the most conversant with them-the District
Judge and the District Attorney-in order
that he might not be imposed upon.
He will also find the same request embodied
in the annual report of our District Attorney
to the Attorney General of the State, made in
the month of December last.
We defy contradiction when we assert that
neither Warmoth nor Kellogg ever depended
for advice upon parties familiar with the
ease, in granting pardons in cases from st.
Landry. On the contrary, they have been,
and it seems insist upon being guided by the
representations of friends, who have every
reason to conceal the real and actual facts of
each particular case from him who dispenses
the pardoning power. Nor can Kellogg screen
himself from the just indignation of all lovers
of law and order, because the applicants for
pardon came swell fortified with signatures
How many of these signers knew what they
were asking for How many of them knew
the facts of the case, proved on the trial !
How many Of item affixed their signatures by
making their ordinary marka How many
we're induced to sign by representations actsl-
ally ut war with the facts of the easea These
are questions which mnst necessarily present
themselves to every mind. And this may &C
count for the fact, as stated by the Republican,
that many of the signers to these very petit
fiona are now damning and enrsing the Execu-
tive for granting what they prayed for.
If numerously signed petition be the only
condition precedent for getting pardon, then
there is not convict from St. Landry in the
penitentiary who cannot congratulate himself
that the day Of his deliverance ID near ut hand.
Every one, at small cost, can get mp such .
petition. Three persons out Of four to whom
Y u presented win sign It without even trou-
bling themselves to read it.
In conclusion, If the dictates Of right, reason
ahd common sense are TO be discarded by the
&c faeto Executive in the exercise of the par
aoning power, wisely entrusted 10 him by the
organic law, not to screen the guilty but to
protect the innocent who have been unjustly
sondemned, then indeed might we as wen nm
soek fhe doors Of our State penitentiary, pull
aeWa our jails. close ouF District Courts for
sae transaction of criminal business, shut up
.ae sheri6 Office, abolish the office of District
fas'ofney, and say to cur people: .Take care
= soafseisea and your property as best you
ssa 'of there Is nc longer any law whose pro-
'ssf'an sou ean invoke 20 pnnish the guilty.