National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-06
d NEW METHOD OF INFL UENC
ING JUDICIAL ACTION.

The Democracy of Louisiana, defeated
by their opponents in the late State election,
have lately resorted to new methods of re-
covering lost ground, which it is tobe hoped
will not be initiated in other parts of the
country. A little more than year ago a
large delegation of citizens of that State
arrived in Washington for the purpose of
appealing to the President against the action
Of Federal Judge in their State, in issuing
certain interlocutory order which he had
in his discretion thought proper to make in
a cause then before him. Failing with the
President they escorted to the Judges of
the Supreme Court and in an entirely IN
precedented and informal way. The readers
of THE REPUBLICAN cannot have forgotten
that Judge Campbell, the chairman of this
delegation, sought for and obtained o pri-
vate interview with the Judges in the con-
sultation room of the court for the purpose
of asking them to interfere with the action
of Judge Duren, in the case of Kellogg
versus Yarmouth. They had, as we have
said, asked for the interference of the Pres
ident, and their special request of him was,
that Associate Justice Bradley might be
sent to New Orleans to supercede Judge
Durell. Being answered by the Executive
that he could not undertake to influence,
much less dictate to the Judiciary, they
abandoned their indirect attempts to obtain
redress from that branch of the Government
and went straight to the Supreme Judges
themselves. OF course 1t need hardly be
said that their efforts to move them were
equally unsuccessful. The irregularity,
nay, the improperly of these proceedings
were too palpable, and one would have
thought that the lesson would not have
been lost upon the gentlemen compos-
ing this delegation and the political party
whose interests they represented. But
it seems the lesson has been lost, for
late New Orleans journals contain the re-
port of an interview granted by United
States Circuit Judge Woods to 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 be half this intercession was
made are accused of having conspired to
murder, and having actually murdered, q
large number of citizens of the United
States residing in the parish of Grant and
the neighboring county. They are'accused
of having been concerned in what is known
as the Grant Parish massacre, in the month
of April, 1873, when about seventy negroes
were literally butchered by white men of
North Louisiana, claiming to be civilized
and Christianized. Indicted by the authori-
ties of the United States for this crime,
these conspirators were tried before Judge
Woods and jury last month, but the jury
having failed to agree q mistrial resulted,
and they are now held to answer additional
charges made against them by the prescott:
ing officer of the Government, and their
trial upon them has been fixed for an early
day in May next. This detention is re-
garded by the law-abiding Democracy of
louisiana as an outrage, and an effort has
been made to induce Judge Woods to re-
lease the accused on bail. A motion
was made by their counsel In open
court to this effect and argument
was heard upon It, but the motion was
overruied the offence not being bailable
one. Dissatisfied with this decision of the
court the Democracy determined to resort
to an extra judicial proceeding in the form
of petition to the Judge, which appealed
merely to his feelings and sympathies as a
man and not to his judgment as an admins
traitor of the law. 1t set forth the hardship
Of the case. but contained no legal reasons
why its prayer should be granted. This
petition was signed by three or four hundred
citizens, among whom prominently figured
the Archbishop Perche) of the Roman
Catholic diocese of Louisiana, the Bishop
(Wilmer) of the Protestant Episcopal
Church, DR.. B. NJ Palmer, pastor of the
First Presbyterian church In New Orleans,
and other divines. Bishop Wilmer was
designated to present and urge the petition
upon the judge. The latter, as was his
duty, declined to grant 80 extraordinary q
request, but said he would give the accused
a trial on the second Monday in May, and
added that if the prosecution was not ready
to proceed at that time he would then grant
bail and release the prisoners. The peti-
TONERS expressed their belief that If the &C
cused were granted bail they would return
from their homes to stand trial at the time
fixed by the court.
These facts speak for themselves, and it
is need less TO comment upon the irregu-
larity of such proceedings. We call the
attention of our readers to them only for