The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1877-09-22
THE lawless INSTINCT.

The readiness with which people
take the law into their own hands, and
assume 10 dispense justice without due
process, is something surprising. and
only proges now terribly demoralizing
Is saf. oar four years Of experience
has showed us that when once the bar
rieFs have been broken down and re
moved, that il is work of Immense
difficulty to restore them. When one
the people are taught that It Is possible
for them to take the redress of grieg
ances into their own haeds. and the
law superseded and the will OF the moo
supreme. and no accountability de-
maIided, by amy one FOR irregularities
aud intractions--they soon vote the
ordinary and usual restraints, irlssome
and burslensome, aud rhe end is anat>
chy, aud the reign of the worst pas,
sions Of the human heart. These con
ditions are not conducive to either
high moral Development, or TO the best
ends Of society or government. The
lawless instinct should be repressei
when exhibited by individuals or com ,
munities, whether ON this pretext or
that The law should be no respector
Of persons, the proudest and most pow
erful as well SIS the weakest and hum
blest should bs taught to respect Is
functions and fear its power and majesty
We take no part in the Van Zandt
controversy. We do not assume 70
say whether it was right, or whether il
was sound policy or not to move the
county seat from Canton to Wills Point.
We don't know if the thing was ao-
complished fairly OF not nor do we
care so far as the present argument fs
concerned. The fact stands out in bold
relief that the removal was made uns
der the forms and by the sanction of
the law, and the restoration, If made at
all, ought to have been done by and
through the same means. The people
Of Canton may have suffered great
wrong. perhaps did; but who viii un-
dertake TO say that they sought the
proper means of redress The records
were moved TO Wills Point in the fret
instance by the order of the courts, to
be returned properly they should have
been returned by order OF the same
power, by the same authority, The
best caiise on earth is always injured
b. urging it in ysoient, anreasons Jle
or unlawful way Besides that. If is
a false notion that mum bers should
prevail over law, Were but one man
in favor of Wills Point as the county
seat Of Van Zandt. and he sustained by
the courts and Of the country, he would
be much stronger than three hundred
armed men who, We are told, marched
on the village to demand the county
records for forcible removal
This whole matter is doubtless a
great grievance for the people of Cans
ton and that region. However, inst ead
of ar1ning for the conquest OF the coun-
ty authorities, and approaching the seat
Of justice breathing threatenings. hey
should have sought their objects ky and
through the courts. Should have forced
the people of Wills Point to show cause,
if any there be, why the county seat
should remain there, and if the
decision went in their favor, all right,
ifnot, digniiied submission was all that
was left 70 good iaw-atddiug citizens.
We sincerely depre,ate this action OF
our neighbors OF Van Zandt, and re
gret it exceedingly. We deplore il be-
cause it viii bring them no end OF
trouble, and viii not produce good re-
salts. We sincerely trust that the sos
Der second thought which always fel-
lows such excitement will induce them
to take a more reasonable view of the
matter, and speedily restore the people
of both sections of the county to their
,sontea good feeling and respect for the
law