New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-04-12


room as usual tomorrow evening. Entrie
tor Tuesdays races must be made on tn,
track Tomorrow afternoon at four o'cloct
The Late Petition in Behalf of the Gran
Parish Prisoners.
The Washington Republican of April 6
thus states its objections to the form of an
proach to Judge Woods in behalf of th,
Grant parish prisoners recently adopted by
tive or three hundred sympathizers:
NEW METHOD OF INFLUENCING JUDICIAL
ACTION.
The Democracy of Louisiana, defeated by
thelr opponents In the late State election
have lately resorted to new methods of re-
covering lost ground, which it is to be
hoped will not be initiated in other parts OF
the country. A little more than a wear ago
large delegation of citizens of that State
arrived In Washington for the purpose of
appealing to the President against the ac.
tion of federal judge in their State. in is.
suing certain interlocutory order which
he had IN his discretion thought proper to
make IN a cause then before him. Failing
with the President, they resOrted to the
Judges OF the Supreme Court, and in an en-
tlrely unprecedented and informal wav.
forgotten that Judge Campbell, the chair
man OF this delegation, sought for and OBJ
tanned private interview with the Judges
IN the cons ultation room of the court. for
the purpose of asking them to interfere with
the action CT Judge Durell in the case of
Kellogg VS.. Warmoth. They had. as we have
said, asked for the interference of the Pres;
dent, and their special request of him was.
thar Associate Justice Bradley might be
sent TO New Orleans to supercede Judge
DureiI. BENG answered by the executive
that he could not undertake 10 influence,
much less dictate to the Judiciary, they
abandoned their indirect attempts to obtain
redress from that branch of the govern
ment and went straight to the supreme
Judges themselves. OF course il need hard
~ DO SAID that their efforts to move them
were equally unsuccessful. The irregular
lty, nay, the improperly of these proceed
ings were too palpable, and one would have
thought that the Lesson would not have
been lost upon the gentlemen composing
this delegation and the political party
whose interests they represented. But It
seems tine lesson has been lost, for late
New Orleans journals contain the report
OF an interview granted by United States
Circuit Judge Woods to a delegation of
citizens OF that place, who desired to pre-
sent petition to him praying that he would
admit to bail certain individuals now in
prison there accused of grave crimes under
the statutes Of the United States. The per
sons in whose behalf this intercession was
made are accused of having conspired to
and having actually murdered. a
large number Of citizens of the United
States residing in the parish of Grant and
the neighboring county. They are accused
1f having been concerned in what is known
Grant iSh ~
'f April, 1873 when about seventy negroes
were literally butchered by white men of
North Louisiana, claiming to be civilized
md christianized. Indicted by the authori-
les of the United States for this crime.
hese conspirators were tried before Judge
Woods and jury last month, but the iurv
having failed to agree, q mistriai resulted.
md they are now held to answer additional
;harges made against them by the prosecut-
ng officer of the government, and their
rial upon them has been fixed for an early
lay IN May next. This detention is re-
.arded by the law-abiding Democracy of
louisiana as an outrage, and an effort has
'een made to induce Judge Woods to re-
ease the accused on bail.
A motion was made by their counsel in
pen court TO this effect, and argument was
card upon it, but the motion was over.
uled, the otienso not being bailabe one.
dissatisfied with this decision of the court. |
he Democracy determined to resort to an |
xtra judicial proceeding in the form of a |
etitio!l to the judge, Which appealed mere
to bis feelings and sympathies as man,
nd not to his Ggment as an administrator |
the law. 1t set forth the hardship of |
le case. but contained no legal reasons
'hy Its prayer should be granted. This pe-
ton was signed by three or four hundred |
ltizens, among whom prominently figured |
10 Archbishop fPerche) of the RomanCath-
lic diocese OF Louisiona, the Bishop (Wil- |
lerl OF the Protestant Episcopal Church,
II. B NJ. Palmer, pastor of the First Pres
yterian Church in New Orleans, and other
wines. Bishop Wilmer was designated to
resent and urge the petition upon the
dge. The latter, as was his duty, declined
grant so extraordinary request, but
I'D he would give the accused q trial on
le second Monday in May, and added that
the prosecution was not ready to proceed
that time he would then grant bail and +
lease the prisoners. The petitioners ex
essed their belief that if the accused we're
anted bail they would return from their
'mes to stand trial at the time fixed by
g court.
These facts speak for themselves. and il
needless to comment upon the irregular.
7 of such proceedings. We call the at
ntion OF our readers 10 them only for the |
irpose of saying that the citizens who
titioned Judge Woods in this case are of
g same political party and the same class |
those who have moved for the impeach.
ent of Judge Durell. The readers OF the
publican will know what weight to at
ch to the accusations which have been
ade against the latter judge, and will see
once that the motives actuating the Dem
rats of Louisiana are the same in both
ses, and that the proceeding to which we
IKE reference are part and parcel of their
scheme looking to the overthrow of the
ate government in Louisiana and the as.
nption of power by the defeated can s
iates at the election in 1872 for State q
ices. q
{ may safely be predicated that the new 8
thods of political action adopted by the I
mocracy of Louisiana will be as inef-
tual as those which they have already
I'd with so little success. They have at q
npted frauds at the ballot-box in the fur I
france of their schemes. Foiled in that, | |
y accused their opponents of similar d
ense, and then appealed to the federal :
.horities at Washington. These means | h
wing proved inadequate, they now seek e
escape the consequences of their blum. d
s and their crimes, and to protect from | !
nishment the ignorant and deluded indi- y
uals engaged in the Grant parish mas I
re. The latter are the dupes of their i
itical leaders, and it is to be regretted ! q
t the men who are largely respo nsible | Y
that massacre could not be held to an. | 4
Or for the crimes whose commission thew | a
inssigated. =