New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-08-29

AH0 Ao-lO"Aub are Tue principal SoClioAs
of the act No. Z of 1873, known as the
riot act:
SECTION l. That if any three or more
persons, being armed with clubs or any
oIher dangerous weapon Or weapons. or II
any ten or more persons shall unlawtUliy
assemble IN the city OF New Orleans, or III
any town, city or parish within the State
tor any unlawful purpose, or with intent to
disturb the public peace, or TO cause public
disturbance, the persons so assembling
snail be deemed guilty OF a misdemean0r,
and, upon conviction. shall DE punished by
fine Of not less than one hundred dollars
nor more than i've hundred dollars, and by
imprisonment not less than three months
nor more than six months, al the discretion
o. the court.
SEC. g. That whenever knowledge of any
such rIptous or unlawful assembly shall
come to the Governor, il shall be his duty
to Immediately take such steps and pro-
ceenlngs as shall or may be necessary TO
suppress the same, AMI arrest all persons
engaged therein, and for that purpose shall,
1t III his Judgment II is necessary, order
into service ali the militia and armed forces
OF the State; and any officer or private in
the militia who shall uniawfully neglect or
refuse 20 obey the order OF the Governor or
any superior officer. when ordered to assist
- 5tAtu dSSSLAt!l u arrest
ing any offender or person lawfully con
nected with such unlawful assembly, Or
aiding or assisting the same shall be deemed
guilty OF crime, and upon conviction
thereof shall be punished By Imprisonment
tor term not less than three months nor
more than three years.
SEC. 7. That any sheriff, deputy sheriff,
constable or deputy constable, coroner. oifi-
Ger, non-comfnissio1ed officer or private in
a Nfns a 49,
State, who Is charged by law with any duty
or authority to assist in the enforcement of
the law and maintaining public peace and
order, Or members OF the General Assembly
OF tle State who shall be voluntarily pres
ent at any such riot0us OF unlawful assem-
bly,. assembled for any unlawful purpose; Or
s2ait act with or participate Il any such
assem- bly,, or who shall aid, countenance or
abet such assembly, shall be deemed guilty
OF mlsdemeanCr, and. upon conviction,
snail be punished BY imprisonment for
term not less than three months nor more
tnan tnree years. Nothing il this act con-
tanned snail be SO construed as to abridge
the right OF the people to peacefully assem-
bic. and to petition the government tor
redress o. grievances.
The first section above quoted defines
what constitutes an us!n9gM assembly:
that is, when three or more persons armed
with dangerous weapons, or ten Or more
persons assemble in any town, city or par
ish, "for any un'asgfu! purpose or with in
tent to disturb tie public peace or to cause
public distlrbance This law has been
most tiagrantly violated in many parishes,
whare large numbers of armed men have
proceeded to the officers Of the parish and
demanded the resignation Of their offices
or their lives, or that they should leave
the parish, and where they have notified
carpet-baggers and scalawags, as they
choose to designate their victims, to leave
the parish. All such purposes are ua'at0-
fNL, calculated to disturb tie public peace
and to cause public disturbance, and such
has been the result in many parishes,
prominent among which are the parishes
Of Natchitoches and Lincoln. All the
men who have been engaged il these IN
lawful assemblies have committed grave
crimes against the State, for which tley
are liable to fine Of not less than one
hundred dollars and imprisonment for
not less than three months.
The sixth section Of this act directs the
Governor to suppress such unlawful as
semblies, and to cause the persons engaged
therein to be arrested, and to enable him to do
SO, Unnecessary, to call out the whole militia
and armed forces of the State. This is
an important duty required by law of the
Governor, and by law passed at the last
session, which Las been recently signed,
the parish in which such disturbance took
place has to bear the expenses Of the az
Test and trial of the prisoners, and an
other act passed at the last session, which
has not yet been signed, but will likely be,
the Governor can order the change of
venue to New Orleans OF any other parish
for the examination of the case bv the
grand jury and for the trial of the &C.
cused. This vests sufficient power in the
Governor to put down such unlawful as
semblies and cause the arrest and trial of
accused, and if resistance is made to the
lawful authority of the Governor in doing
SO, it would be rebellion against the
State, and in such event it becomes the
duty of the United States, Oh the demand
of the Governor, to suppress such rebel
lion.
The seventh section of this act de-
nounces penalties against ali officers whose
duty it is to preserve the peace of the
State who may fail TO discharge their
duties, or join, aid Or assist the voters
This applies partic ularIy to sheriffs, their
deputies, constables, their duties and
coroners and such.
Every act Of the White Leaguers is in
of this Or some other criminal
law Of the State, and it becomes the duty
Of every officer, and particularly the Gov
ernor, to cause them to be arrested and
brought to trial
When public speakers advise the people
to do the acts denounced by the law re-
ferred to in the above quotations, what
punishment should be meted out to them?
TIE DEMOCRACY AND EMANCIPATION. |
The Bulletin claims, il the name of the |
Southern Democracy the credit of having |
passed the thirteenth amendment to the |
constitution. It is well known that no |