The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-05-22
Letter from Goyernnor Kellorg.

JILL LII CutCOk2uA NAStCAC 4PAO21D4VN
in the Times of yesterday, headed Poll
teal Troubles" the following paragraph
occurs:
"In illustration of the necessity of pru-
dence and of the mischief which a. few
men a produce, either in political or
moral felony, we may point to the re-
suits of a miscalled executive clemency
extended to fifty or sixty of our State
| Penitentiapy c0nvicts. Since their en-
largement, burglary, robbery and arson
have become almost nightly oGcurren-
ces, and until they have again been re-
tired by the solemn edict of society, no
household in New Orleans can be con-
sidered safe.".g &s,s& a# III .,f.+,s =.
There are erroneous assertions and
differences contained in this editorial
| which ! think it my duty at once to re-
flute ; the more so as statements of q
| similar character, quite as erroneous in
fact and apparently much more so IN
intention, have been extensively fcircu-
lated of late by persons who, in order to
make political capital, do not hesitate to
| malign the community in which their
interests areE0r should be centered, re-
CARELESS of the damage thus done to the
material prosperity of the city. LIDO not
| object to criticism of my. official acts,
however severe that criticism may bet
but since it seems that the reiteration of
| a libel is taken as a proof OF fact, l. feel
| it incumbent on me to publish tile fol-
lowing explicit statement with regard
to the alleged carnival OF crime IN
connection with the exercise of the par
doning power by the executive. 6Attthe
same time, / desire to AIDA few words
| of warning, which / trust will be care
fully weighed and regarded. 95.5,a- III
! FNI4,a Inr hnar $40 cxrnIR N SIN IUnH nj
crimepi i'm the city of New Orleans for
the last few months as is charged. /
have caused careful inquiries to be made
| of the officials who have the records Of
crime in their possession, and am assur-
ed that, while there has been @ slnalIin-
crease, in one particular class OF crime,
Offenses of a serious character have not
been more frequent in the city of New
Orleans during the last six weeks than
during the corresponding period OF pre-
vious years. Official reports and detail
ed statistics proving this fact will be
furnished you for publication, if desired.
The truth is, that of late every crimi-
nal episode, whether trif1ing Oh serious,
has been so magnified and distorted by
sensational head lines in a portion Of
the newspaper press OF this city, that @
totally false impression has been creat7
ed, both at home and abroad, with re-
gard to the prevalence OF crime in New
Orleans. In some instances long sae-
counts have been published of garrote
roberies and other grave offensesl which
had no foundation In fact. zHativ 5sft h
There has been no 4 avalanche of par
donsn as has been asserted, and there is
no proved connection between the crime
existing and the, paRdons issued but
exactly the reverse. During the sixteen
months / have held the. office OF Cover
nor / have pardoned t~Wenty-one crimi7
nails sentenced by the courts of New Or
leans. A list of these offenders has been
! prepared, with the reason ivenfoIt their
pardon, and the names of those who
have recommended them, to executive
clemeney. Two or three of these con-
| victs have been rearrested by the police
in the exercise of q wise discretion as
Migrants, or for minor Offenses, but
none of them have been shown to- beim-
plicated in the gTaver crimes which have
been so industriously blaZOned abroad.
In my Judgment the sensational prom
ine1ce given to police court items BIZ
some of the journals of the city has done
more to cause an increase of crime than
any 9snliscalled executive clenency.1 ,sz
/ have reason to believe. though ac-
caTate data is not before me, that the
number of criminals pardoned during
the pastyear throughout tile State was
certainly not greater than the number
similarly released in previous years.
The, greater prominence that has been
given to the pardons latelylissued arises
from the fact that / have Eobeyed what
I conceiyed to be the strict letterfof the
constitution, which seems to, me to re-
Quire that pardons of all criminals sen
fenced to the Penitentiary should be
~concurred in by the Senate According
ly, [ laid before the Senate, atilits last
session, all pardons / had issued or pro-
posed to issue, and all the facts were
thus made public in the official journal.
This had not been the general practice
under previous administrations. zsEf t
The list of persons alleged to have
been pardOned by the present executive,
which has been so much paraded, in
cludes ON pard0ned byGOvernOr War;
moth and Acting Governor Pinchback
before my term of office commenced;
some pardoned by Acting Governor
Antoine during my absence from the
State; three whose pardDns were not
concurfred in by the Senate at all, and
quite ainunlber whose terms of sentence
had expired, or nearly so, andWh0,t their
offenses not being such aus tOFender them
unfit to discharge thelduties of oitiZgnl
ship, were paraOned in order that they
might berestOredato their civil rights
after they had UNDERGONE the penaltyy
which tlleslaw imposed upon them for
their Offenbes,E ti0s U4
1T may De that Id some instances exl.
ecutiye clemetieg has been misapplied,
though no effort has been made to prove
that this is the case. Should such be
the fact, however, i venture to assert
that INVESTIGATION will show it was pre-
| ciseIy in those cases that the strongest
representations were made by officers
ofsthe judiciary and by prominent res!
ponsible citizens to secure the executive
pardon. tlt55 . s.a. l5a8s
am informed that certain designing
persons, for sinister and selfish purpog-
es, are attempting to- nlakethis pretend
ed increase OF crime q pTetext for the
organization of mob law, under; the
guise OF vigilance CONN ttees, aals Fa
This must not be. Ihe courts are
diligently working convictions
certainly and speedily secured thauaerer
before the lurIes dTa IN under the new
law are tho best New Orleans has5eVer
had, and under the rule adopted by the
executive, no pafdons can be granted
except when Senate lie in session. The
police, though, in obedience To an inn
perative demaIldformunicipal retreneh-
ment, their Iorce has been reduced In
numbers, have shown bhemselves Eigi-
liant and efficient in n high degree, and
fully competent 30 maintain order.
Should d necessity arise, they will be re-
infoTced by tried and experienced sDls
pernumeraries, II Ii EtauaEc read tQagam
enter the service. BY