New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-07-26
The Attakapas Fanatics.

The '.sugar bowl of Louisiana is the re-
ceptacle of considerable sweetness, embrac.
ing productions and occupants of the soil
the planters of sugar cane and breeders OF
discOrd-courthouse pettifOggers and poll
tlcal fanatics. We drop INTO this tram of
reflection after reading the announcement
that twenty companies of vigilance COM
frolic and general consultation.
The vigilance committee is q barbarOus
exotic, springing up in semi civilized CON-
munitiee, and receiving nutrlment from
passions unrestrained and irreyerence of
the law and it's agencies. Whenever men
convince themselves by specious reasoning
that the taking of human lite by six or
100 men is more justifable than when taken
bv one in the moments OF unrestrained pas
sion, or after, cool premeditation, they are
ripe for membership of q vigilance commit
tee. and ONLY await the direction of a con-
trolling mind.
These irresponsible organizations at
tracing the worst elements of the commu-
mites whose better Judgment they defy, are
ALWAYS shortlived and partake OF the same
general characteristics. The history Of one
"a the history of all, save in the details and
the number of exploits. Beginning under
the hallucination that they are the elect o.
: providence to execute special inter. ..osi
tiong for ,n. r. -~uon of justlce, VIC.
launch out upon a career of 1ouy aS~ q IN
blushing crime. To-day they punil'n
chicken thief as highway robber: one IN
fraction of the law cmb0ldens another, sIi0
the suspected stealer is excommunicated
world. A state OF anarchy is reached, and
the good of society which served as the
original guide becomes overpowered by
motives of personal or partisan malice.
The organization as an instrument of des-
potic cruelty drives from it men who lay
claim to honor or virtue, and then society
awakens to the disagreeable knowledge
that it has suffered almost irreparable in
iuries in the loss of its good name, the
creation of bitter feuds to last beyond a
generation. and increased irreverence of the
law and the courts, whose province has
been invaded and prerogatives usurped.
But the twenty Attakapas companies of
vigilance committees are to meet and con-
suit, and elevate some General Blanket or
Tom Thumb to their lead for a purpose
best known to themselves. To say nothing
of the suspicious number of twenty, the
existence of one is not reasonably ac-
counted for, unless the near approach of
election tina be clue to their origin. The
Attakapas parishes are dominated by
social and political influences, with but
two exceptions, say St. Mary and Iberia,
and in all of them the courts are per-
fectly adequate to maintain peace
and order if the vigilance COMMITTEES and
their sympathizers so will it. Democratic
voters and office holders are in the lead.
There being perfect order in the Repub-
lican parishes, will Democracy confess that
in parishes under it's control il is the victim
of incompetency! II so, then let us have a
cessation of uncharitable Trades against
the Republican party on that score. The
confession would indicate deplorable state
of society, and suggest the union of the best
men of both parties to remedy.
What must be ones opinion of these At
takapas vigilance committees when as.
sured, as we have been, that they are not
representatives of any spontaneous out
burst of society to redress grievances, but
OF single race, a fraction of the people,
and even one political party! Should it not
us to be restrained from raShness by all
means known to self-defense and the law
Why not remove the mask of an assumed
name and inform the public that the White
League, military engine OF Democracy
has assumed such proportions as to threat
en- the peace and lives of political Oppo
nente and the reinauguration OF the hellist
atrocities of 1868!
1t this is an uni nst inference we respect
| fully remind the good people OF Atrakapat
that cloud of suspicion always attaches
to and follows the career of vigilance com
mitteee, and the political history of ou1
people for the past ten years warrants u.
in giving timely warning in advance O
their probable purpose. If peace is desir
able, and collisions are to be avoided. {
Just public opinion will disarm and dispers'
them; otherwise force must repel force be
fore order reigns in Attakapas.-Attakapa
RpujSIe).