The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1874-10-31

morning these threats were carried ont
In a measure, and warrants were
served upon our fellow.citilcn9, hI.
jacobs, j. j. Koran, e, \, Pike, w. l..
Ford and j. q. McWilliams. Three of
these gentlemen, Messrs, Jacobs, Me-
Williams und Pike, appeared before
LeViscp, the United States commits
sloner, aud through their counsel,
Messrs. \. Il. Leonard and Il, AleNan-
der, demanded IN immediate trial
this request was positively refused ny
the commissioner, who said he would
hear the cases Monday at ten o'clock,
and the parties were dismissed without
ether giving bond or personal recog-
niZAnce, or parole. Indeed the COM
missioner seemed very much excited
and alarm sd, and manifested eNterna!
anxiety to get the matter oil his hands.
He was ind!sposed ut first to show the
anidavits against the persons on which
he had issued the warrants; but on
being urged to do SO by the counsel, he
produced it from his safe.
This remarkable document was
against ninety Of our citizens, mer-
chants, professional men and property
holders, and was signed 10y Lewis Mer-
rill, Il major of the United Stmes ar
my, commanding tins department.
Levjsee was then asked why only five
persons were arrested on the affidavit
when ii was against ninety. This
question rather staggered the commits.
sioner, but after some hesitation ana
trepidatiOn, he replied that he did not
choose to explain or develop the policy
of the court.
4 tN l. xVtoI
right federal court or any other
court has to have apolicy that requires
explanation or development. The on
ly policy an honest and impartial
court can possible have, is the prompt
and impartial administration OF justice.
No court has Il right to discriminate
among persons accused OF The same or
similar offences, and select few vic
tins out Of the many accused, upon
which to vent its vengeance or work
out its policy. Every one of the nine
Ity signers OF that card were ana are aS
guilty rs the five gentlemen arrested
and when the commissioner Issued
warrants for five Of the accused and
failed to issue them for all, he grossly
violated his duty, and showed that he
was ignorant Of his duty, or that he
was engaged in something other than
the administration of justice. when
lie Uursuul this remarkahlecOurse, he
proved to the community that the,poli-
cy OF the court was the Intimidation Ql
the white people of this community
in the interest of the radical party and
the election of A. b. Levisee, United
States commissioner, to the legislature
of louisiana,
On being urged q third time to give
the prisoners am immediate trial, the
missioner again refused, saying he
was not prepartd to hear the case. 1t
was well known fact, however, that
all the evidence that applies 30 thecaSe
could have been got in twenty minuteA-
and that there were no legal reasons
why The case should have not been, as
the accused demanded, Immediately
tried, and the general opinion is, that
the preparation the commissioner de-
sircs to make, is the surrounding Cithe
court house by federal troops.
If ever there was cOntemptib!e
spcctacle presented to the public eye,
that spectacle was \. B. Lcvisee, Uni
ted States commissioner of the district
of Louisiana, cringimg before the in
dignation of his fclloW-c!tizens and
apologizing for and eXcusing the in
famous work in which he was engaged.
1t has been a theory of ours, that moth
ing created by God is deserving of con-
tempt, but yesterday we felt how trail
that thing was when we looked upon
man prosttuting the judicial powers
entrusted to his recent hands, TO perse-
cute his own people that he might ad
vance his own election to public
office.
We are writing late at night and
cannot pursue this subject further just
now. As to Major Merrilfs action in
this matter, we can only say that 1t
seems to us unauthorized, arbitrary
and presumptuous. If he carries on
this work Monday, we shall then DO
our best to pay fitting tribute to his
partisan services as an army officer.