Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1875-11-20
Ohiec.S OF Governments and Laws.

molto through life the golden rule,
ihcn we wuGid be Iii the midst Of the
apocnlyp'ical millennium, and there
wunld hc nu need Of governments or
laws Of restraint; 40 need of prisons
u gullows; no med of community
except for mutual Improvement and
eni"vmCn,. But unfortunately such
;S not the ease. We are all more or
hess selfish and prone to cvil-not
totally dcpravcd, as some persons
understand total dcpravitv, for While
we know that "man ly nature l. IL
sinner" we cannot think all are
ua'urally mUrtlrrcrs aud thieves
bat We do trIicve that there ard
inherent principle, Of good and evil
in every one, and that upon the cult
valion and suppression of enc or the
ether Of these principles depends the
tudI iCttl Vi tLt lu'liN lNaiti' w tt'O
believe. ar rather know, that the
prncirl" of evil Is more strongly
drvcioIrd in some than il utEcrs.
such persons, being neglected in their
training ana allowed 10 contract
vicious habits ard imG.hc erroneous
ideas from bad examples Of parents
aud evil associates, give loose rein
: 10 the base passions aud evil and
I selfish desires of their natures, aud
: become TO the human family what the
fcrocious and caruivorous beasts are
to the brute creation, ignoring all
restraint and the rights of their fcl-
low men to the enjoyment Of life,
liberty and property and prcviig upon
those who endeasor to live by honest
toll or lesiiimale business.
llrnca the earl V discovery Of the
necessity of combination of CONT
munities or Clans for mutual relief and
protection aud the later inauguration
nf governments and the enactment Of
laws for the Same purposes; not as II
means of gratifying revenge, nor yet
that The violatUr Of the law NAV atone
for his otltnse, but that the honest
aud peaccablc citizen may be protect
ed in property and life and that the
vicious may be deferred from encroach-
ing upon the rights of the v,r,uous,
from despoilins them of the fruits of
heir honest toll, VI from depriving
them of their life.
These are the objects OF govern.
menis and of laws, and when they
fail in the accomplishment Of these
ends they are useless aud courts Of
justice are SO many acts of farces.
or should not be, for the purpose Of
gratifying the revenge of injured
parties, but to deter evil doers neither
are governments inaugurated for the
purpose of gathering taxes from the
people for the support of officials, bu,
for the mutual protection and well,
fare Of the people, and affairs should
be conducted and the laws executed
solely with view to the accomplish
ments of these ends, and these alone
r Selfpreservation is one Of the fir,
!. laws Of nature, and the wise and
prudent man recognizes wbOlcscm,
laws as instruments or weapons o
! defense to him and will use them
a But it SO happens sometimes that the
devil and all his angels seem to leav'
y the dark regions of perdition and TAX
s up their abode in the hearts OF men
:, when the vicious become SO numerou.
s and so depraved, that honest men ar'
= driven by desperation to becom
y violators of the law in eelfdefeDs,
o and taking The law in their OwI
1t hands," as it is termed, infiict III
u most severe punishment upon IT,
:. ~ enemies of their race and thus purg
,e the community Of its most dangerou
b land destructive element Our countr,
as has been the stage of many sue
~ sceues, which, however much we ma
.s deprecate the resort TO such violer
-o remedies, we are bound to acknow
edge have often had salutary elfec
ur and it seems now to be in the cond
1t ton which has formerly driven Cor
We munities into such violent acts. b
lis we are glad to note that the officers
the law manifest a determination
&C discharge their duties, which on
q: requires the support and assistance
,st the good citizens in order that Il
at laws may be vindicated, crimIus
;uo punished and our country purged
lawlessness without any resort
violence. Let every ci,izen do !
a duty. for this is time when ST
as =" preservation requires that every go
bis citizen make personal self-sacrifces
the support Of law and order:
..sA e.