New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-03-29
THE VICTIMS OF FUSION.

Like the dreams OF Virgil, the Eata1
swill Gazette, Of Shreveport, has two gate
from one of which issues the calumny
its opponents, and from the other tt
commentator Of its partisan friends.
is conducted on the old fashion unde
which the Democratic and Wing journal
OF Mississippi and Louisiana used, ik
Bob Acres, to ''kill man week, Will
to nangle character was a daily recrea
ton.
Recently it has pleased this pea shoote
to lombard with the most offensive am
munition in its magazines the decision o
Judge Woods in the matter of the Cola,
prisoners. 1t has also the aid and counter
ance of the Picaya.ne in the same enterprise
We venture to say that since his honor
Judge Campbell, then in the same station
with Judge Woods, was denounced for his
rulings in the case of Walker, the fill
buster, O more scurrilous article than that
Of the Shreveport Times was never ap.
piled to court OF justice. We have reason
to believe that this abuse came under the
observation Of Judge Woods, but excited
no other sentiment than that Of contempt,
and we may presume Invent to the proper
destination of such coarse and unprofes-
sional libel.
But few days afterward comes pro-
cession headed by clergymen Of all per-
suasions and presents to the court petit
ton for the discharge Of the Colfax pris-
oners on bail. The court can consider
nothing unless regularly before it on the
record, so this petition could have no
effect except to move the man who was
judge with the piteous story of persons so
unfortunate as to be held for an alleged
violation of law. Judge Woods well ex-
planned this, and any person except
clergyman or lady would have known
that the judge had no discretion to depart
from the mandate of the law. He in
tended to assure these prisoners the speedy
trial that the constitution guarantees, but
had no further power Of interposition.
He sat there to carry out the law, not his
own ideas of humanity.
But the Fusion organs begin to feel
their own responsibility for these viola
ions of the law. They remember their
sxhortations to the people to resist an ad-
ninistration which they did not like.
The Shreveport Times was published and
circulated among the very population re-
,ruited for raid into Grant parish.
There seems now to be two sides to this
conflict, one side in which the rough riders
# Caddo, Bossier and De Soto can install
he sheriff contestant of distant parish
y ''the strong hand and multitude of
'eople," even to the staying of such as re-
list them. The other is power
1ore distant and somewhat more
ilatory Of action. It comes with the law,
18th judge and with juries. 1t has reg
lar military force to execute its process of
lquiry, while at its back is the whole
over of a nation. Persons charged with
lis Colfax invasion and its consequent
rimes are arrested, imprisoned and
led. Of course, these prisoners suffer the
:dinary consequences of confinement
paration from families and from bust
ass, the injury to interests, and the pains
restraint. What do those who insti-
ted and encouraged these prisoners suf-
r? Certainly no loss or injury in their
.siness, no inhibition Of their rights;
It they continue to employ the same ,
use toward all with whom they differ
litically. They stimulate the people to 7
sobey the law, and when such acts occur Y
subject their followers to risk of life or G
IS of property, their unfortunate follow 4
are expected to stand fast while their +
visers use their sufferings as an argument
fresh agitation. This offending against 4
, law is more serious thing than the
pes of Fusion have been advised. In Il
tments with many counts, trials as D
ncipal or accessory to hundred or SO j
riders may occupy even an innocent u
soner for many months. By the time d.
s batch of prisoners shall have vim to
ated their innocence or expiated their III
,nse it will be found that as the king pl
long hands, so judicial, executive JUS re
, in republic will pursue offenders, re
| that a jurisdiction over half a con- in
ent can not well be eyaded or resisted. til
hould it be deemed expedient, there III
:, to terrify adverse voters by a raid of lie,
gh riders at or before the next election, alb
) safe to presume that the TRADES Of wi
Fusion press or the appeals of expcc- tn
candidates will scarcely induce these ar
oners, or indeed any of the Colfax ex- to
ition, to embark in another. by
ANOTHER pJcHMOND o