The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-05-07
CONDITION or THE STATE.

| ak unknown IneUs anus auobuel Aoa
rible chapter II added TO the criminal
records of Louisiana: and what is the
worst Of Il. we see no reason 10 hope for
| an early cessation Of crimes of this sort.
In all communities on the face OF the
earth II Ia necessary to restrict the ra-
pacity. ferocity aud brutality of human
nature by laws enacted for that purpose.
and enforced by honest and competent
officials. appointed or elected in accord
anre with tho law. Whenever laws are
udcious, aud are enforced with courage.
promptitude aud impartiality, there es-
sts that peace. and security of property
and life. which insure prosperity and
progress. Upon the other hand. in all
countries, or States, OF neighhorhoods.
where the administration of tho law Ia
inefficient where tho officials are
usurpers. holding without The sanction
Of the law and in defiance IT the will OF
the people. aud where those officials
are too cowardly to execute the law or too
corrupt to do 80. the bad elements OF
society. no longer restrained, become
turbulent aud aggressive. There is, at
! first, conservative public opinion.
which. for h,iime. even after the admin
istraion Of Justice L. relaxed. restraints
thesa elements. But. if the admins
trntion of Justice continues feeble and
contemrtihle. this opinion. gradually
loosee is power. and the turbulent
classes a. surely gain power. until. final
". they dominate society.
Such has been the case ia this State.
and we are daily witnessing or hearing
Of the results. For eight years we have
had government impotent Tor good
and vigorous only in its corruption a
governments, IN fact. which hos been
an organized systen Of plunder.
The. people have had no respect
4 for the creatures who Constitute
4 ita officials. and its officials
have not ventured TO enforce the law
and reprcsa the rowdies Of the State.
Nor In this tile worst The rowdies, the
burglars and tho murdcrous ruIians
have had friend and patron In the
acting Governor. Contempt for the
thieves or towards who have been Our
law officers has emboldcned the rnilian
TO murder. and confidence in the casy
praoticahiity Of obtaining n pardon II
hy some extraordinary chance he should
loo captured and convicted. has given
him nerve. audacity and coolneas
Almost any man In Louisiana may
cody shoot down his enemy. for there
In not the slightest probability that he
| will hr made to suffer. Tho police in
the city. aud the sheriirs IN the country
are not likely to interfere with him. or
II they do. n few earnest friends with
little money know how to get n pardon
from Kellogg. What wonder then.
that we have weekly murders in New
Orleans, and often such afraitH IA those
at Coushatta and Shreveport
For three years there was no court
held in tho parishes of Red River. De
Soto and Natchitoohee because Kellogg
was backing UP the spurious claims Of q
man the whole community knew wna n
dirty. cowardly thief. utterly ignorant
Of the law With the balance Of the
machinery Of government in keeping. is
IL strange that a terrible and law
lesa deed took place tbe other
day AT Coushatta For four
Years there has not been legally
elected sheriff In the parish Of Caddo
The Judge Of the district. d Republican
who d fcw days ago presided at a Nadi
cal meeting. has manifested tho utmost
consideration for criminals of NIL
classes. He has admitted men indicted
for murder to bail for insignitlcan,
sums, and convicted thieves have been
sentenced by him to the very lightes'
possible punishment. Is It strange
then, that men there have taken the
law in their own hands and wrecked q
fierce vepRcnce upon the murderer 81
| their friend
Let the country look mt the situation
before they condemn the people of Lou
isiana. In all the parishes and neigh
borhoods Of the State we find that tn,
Radicals have put corrupt, incompetent
and cowardly men In authority. anc
that. under the imbecile administration
of the law by these men, the bad Gle
ments of society are asserting them
, selves. The better classes Of the peopl,
I dcplore these things. but the power Of I
v conservative public opinion has a
. length bcen broken down. Wicked, In
famous, usurpatory official on th'
, one hand. and turbulent, ruffianly char
acters upon the other, are the result o
the sort OF government Radicalsm
backed by Federal bayonets. has givei
us during the past eight years.
Is not the remedy for this state o
] things plain TO every right-thinkin.
' man?
1,t,., 4, r,t .r,n 4, GraI N tha Cent on