New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-04-19
THE KU.KLUX AND JUDGE THOMAS
>. CRAWFORD.
The Late Judge of the Twelfth judicial
District of Louisiana.

District of Louisiana.
BY A LAND OWNER IN, AND OLD CITIZEN o
NORTH LOUISIANA.
The recent murder Of this remarkabl
gifted man and able lawyer and jurist, t.
gether with that of the accomplished, amii
BILE, popular, but fearless district attorney
while on their way to hold court in and TO
the discharge of their official duties, has n
parallel for its atrocity and shamefulnes
during all the past bloody decade, SO full o
the worst of crimes. But beyond this it ha
significance that should cause our civiliza
ton to blush with shame and our Demo
cratic or Republican government to blancl
with fear and the hearts of all lovers O.
justice, of freedom and of law to quail.
No tongue can tell with sufficient force
no pen can paint in colors too strong ever
aside from the victims tLemselves-the
awful and portentous meaning of this deed
1t is the elimination of doubtful struggle
that has been going on in North Louisiana
between law and justice on the one hand
and crime and violence on the other, at leas
since 1867. The desperadoes and their alb
bettors have at last triumphed by striking
down as pure. fearless and incorruptible a
Judge as ever sat upon the bench-the
abbettors themselves being Judges. As a
sign and example of what may happen to
our democratic government, it is the red
beacon of despair.
Judge Crawford was one of the finest and
noblest types, both in his personal appear
ance and the constitutional elements of his
character, of true Southern man--hospi-
table, magnanimous and courteous. Being
honest and just and brave, he made no
ostentatious display to secure the favor of
rich or poor, high or low, through policy
word not in his. voca bulary. He never
used it. and never acted it. He had a
deep, sympathetic nature. His love of
mankind was based on broad and
sure foundation. For their good he sac
rifced his life. His domestic and social
qualities were of the very finest and high
est order, and here lies the secret of his
obscurity, for there was no civil position in
the gift OF the American people that he
would not have honored but he loved home
aud Its eEdearments as man rarely loves it,
Here his character shone out with unwOnted
lustre, and rarely has it fallen to the lot of
husband and father TO be more fully appre-
ciated and more dearly loved than he. He
was modest and respectful, but, being
brave and good, he called crime by its right
-
was about him was what arose from his
purity and integrity. Penitence in cri1n-
mails had great power over him, but the
law greater, and he would not infringe upon
its requirements. He preserved all his |
distinctive characteristics in perfect and |
equal equipoise during all the war and |
during all the storms that have swept over |
the country since the war.
This unique, paradoxical, vet consistent |
and rarely endowed man is very difficult of |
description. He was wanting in the elo-
quence OF Patrick Henry. but had all his
patriotism, bOldness and penetration. All
tue school training or instruction he ever
had was eleven months, and yet he traced
words with facility and precision to their
original roots in the Greek and Latin Ian
guages. There WAS scarcely department
Of knowledge that he had not explored or
was exploring at the time of his death. He l.
had powerful and philosophical memory
that gave him permanent hold upon |
events and their causes. He was familiar
with the Jewish Scriptures. and entered
with eager interest and confidence into the
of Christ and his apostles.
Judge Crawford was known to be no par
tisan or politician, but pure and upright
Judge, his enemies themselves being judges
Many times he was warned Of danger. He
only looked a little more carefully to his
weapons, and sternly faced it.
III the spring of 1869 some of the citizens |
,t this same Franklin parish, the parish
,ite OF which is Winnsboro, the parish
which had given him more trouble than any
,ther parish in his district, concluded that
re was afraid to come and hold term of |
'ourt their reason for so thinking was not
known to him then, for he never had
omitted being there at the regular terms,
Whether he held court or not. Often there |
was little done, as the parish sometimes
lad officers that either could not or would |
lot perform their duties property, so they
sent a messenger to him with letter,
signed by some of the citizens, offering him
1 guard. The following is his reply TO |
them, which shows exactly how he regarded |
The matter.
COLUMBIA, La, March %. 1862
K. Hendry; |
GENrLEMEN-Your favor of the twenty ,
econd instant by the hands OF MI. Logan,
cached me last night, IL which YOU say:
The citizens of the parish of Franklin
ave TINS day held meeting with the view
1 organizing a volunteer militia: and hav- I
AZ learned that You had said you would I
ONE and hold court in this parish if the q
itizens would give you a sufficient guaran. | I
for your safety, the undersigned have !
cen appointed to inform you that a com. r
any OF twenty five men, composed of our I
est and most reliable citizens, Is now q
eng organized and propose to meet you at | =
lch time and place as you may appoint. | a
tho will protect you to this place, whilst |
ere, and to your home again, if you de- o
re it 4
while we do not believe there exists any
ecessity for the escort, yet our community il
ish the court to be held and are willing to "
AXE any sacrifice that you may feel en- ii
rely safe Please inform US by the bearer Y
neither you desire the escort or not "
In reply, l must say at the outset that y
lagine you have heard Of nv SAYING