New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-03-06

wholly careless of the wounds he has in
aicted on the constitution Of his country
or Of the additional and unnecessary
bloodshed and misery he may be prepar
ing for one OF the sister States Of The
} Union.
/ PAYING FOR THE DANCE OF BLOOD,
| Certain parties in Grant and surround.
ing parishes have reason 70 fee! the force
of the old proverb. 1.-THE way of the trans.
gressof is hard 4 grea: outrage. re-
sulting in horrid crimes. was instigated
and perpetrated hearty q year ago.
and several persons accused Of being
actors in the bloody scenes have been
brought to trial. Also. al the same time,
cloud Of witnesses for the defense are
invited to accompany them. The United
States pays for the attendance Of witnesses
the District Attorney requires 70 establish
the case for the government. but has no
specia! Interest in those who can only
swear they neTer saw anybody do any,
thing that was wrong nor any yeco.lec.
ton abou: anything a. all. This is an
economical provision. For if the witnesses
for the defense we're put on the pay roll,
there would be more OF them than could be
heard during the presen: generation.
From all we can learn business is hot SO
lively up in the Red river country tina.
several hundred young men could no: be
readily spared for any enterprise tina:
promised mileage and per diem. With the
law and the practice agaius. this pecuni-
airy advantage. then. the prisoners are
forced to rely upon such volunteers as can
afford the expense Of 4 trip to New Or.
leans. When the actors in. and aiders and
abe.tors Of the Colfax massacre went into
the dance. they did no. frs. sit down and
count the cost. Perhaps they though.
it was tree blow. in which everybody
could join without further risk than that
OF receiving stray sho: from one Of tie
besieged. Totheir imperfect minds there
was to be no hereafter, no calling to &C.
count. 10 reckoning Of any kind. 4 year
has undeceiyed the unfortunate prisoners.
who can not be. in our opinion. any more
guilty than many Of their witnesses. who |
egged them On to the work 0: death. Nor |
are the people of Grant, Rapides, Gaia.
houla and Franklin scarcely more to blame !
than the parties in New Orleans who were !
SO prompt to respond TO the celebrated !
call for action! action: We believe the !
whole disturbance originated in this city,
md the country people have been al!
along the poor dupes Of our sel:.styied
'espectables.
There has been some very easEes: en-
reaties published addressed to the chari-
able for contributions 70 secure tor the
Unfortunate prisoners ''fair trial"
While entertaining some doubts as to the
accuracy Of this form Of expression. we
DIN in the request that all the proceedings
'e entirely fair. and that every prisoner |
AVE chance Of clearing himself from the
harges against him. an innocent .nan !
ourts fair trial and has nothing to fear
rom it. On the other hand, the guilty
ear nothing so much as fairness and JUS.
ice. But we doubt whether any allega.
ION Of 'tnfairness could be sustained.
We have not even heard Of such except by |
implication. As o general thing these ap- |
eals tor money have failed to bring satiss
actory returns. One man thinks he has
aid enough already. another tina: he |
ANTS 90 &c: clear Of the whole business.
S j: was badly managed speculation.
hat did not turn out well. ! third has
o patience with men who permit them.
elves 20 te found out, while others want
le government: 70 pay for witnesses to !
reals down its OWL case. The Committee
Seventy have more than they can DO 70
spair the other damages their ilI-adyised
elton has cost. So there is nothing but
rnn!athy left. and q very poor quality a:
lat. Tor the unfortunate prisoners and
aeis scarcely more fortunate witnesses.
begins 70 look as though the trial IS to !
g terribly fair. unrelentingly just. and
g result iiscreditabie to many whose {
,mes have not ye. been mentioned in
with the case.
Iha example may prove saiytary to
lose who come after US. The successors !
the people now living in the disturbed Il
arishes may learn from the history of L
is trial that any community that per- J
its wrongs to be perpetrated, and at t
mpts to screen law breakers, will sooner b
later come to grief. And the unhappy b
en- who are here on expense, some of 81
EN- IN great peril, will be taught that it g,
not always safe to follow bad advice, no =
after how high degree Of respecta- u
lity the advisers may claim for them. c.
Ives. .s zs1-l. "