New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-01-21
TIE RESPONSIBILITY FOB CRIME.

zens of New Orleans, it is admitted that
in this State ''crimes of violence are COM
mon" The application of this confession
consists in the allegation that Repub-
licsn State government has been, is now,
and will continue to be, too weak, physic-
ally, to enforce the laws. 1t is true, with
the whole Democratic party appearing in.
the field as the apologists and champions
of certain class of criminals, it is very
difficult for the officers of the law, such
as are provided for the State on peace
basis, to bring the hired retainers of that
party to justice. Generally, offenses great
and small against the Democratic party,
have been punished, especially in the
country parishes, with a ruthless hand;
bare suspicion of cotton stealing or hog
running is, in some places, sufficient to
Justify the execution of from one to
dozen human beings. In Texas the other
day about dozen men attempted to steal
twenty-seven horses. They failed, were
captured and hung. The attempted larceny
shocked the community" The cruel
murders that followed were accepted as an
act of justice.
We venture to say that among the gen.
tlemen who sign this srraignment of the
State government, not one of them would
have obeyed a sheriff's summon to assist
in the capture of the man who shot at
Governor Kellogg. Nor would one of
their political friends in the country lend
the slightest assistance against any Demo-
crat accused of q crime of any kind
against Republican white or black. The
Democra tic party has captured public
opinion, bound the hands of the State
government and turned its criminals loose
to make as bad case as possible. In no
country, except the most powerful and
despotic, whose monarchs have large
standing armies at command, does the
government enforce the laws against
crime. This is the duty of the people
themselves. The government can furnish
the ministers of justice, but the people
must furnish the information. 1t is the
theory of free government that the people
themselves furnish the grand inquest
| charged to inquire into all offenses against
the law. They furnish also the prosecu-
ton and the jury to try the alleged ofenses.
Can it be, then, an argument against pop
ular government that crimes should go
unpunished2 There have been cases where
a band of criminals we're stronger than the
the people. Would it, then, be proper to
reproach the people with their inability
to bring those criminals to justice 1t
would be as we'll to argue against Chris
tianity that sin stalks abroad in arrogant
impunity, while virtue weeps in secret
for the wickedness that she can not con-
troll. We may very well imagine q gov
eminent in itself righteous yet unable to
execute the laws. History is filled with
depIorable instances of lawless insolence.
Here, however, we have the intimation
FRhat while the Republican administration
can not maintain the law, White League
administration could. Does not this ad-
nit completely with the offenders? Sup
pose a man assaulted in the presence Of
bystanders unable to protect him. Is not
the inference proper that the bystanders
sympathize with the men of force? Per.
haps they may have been too timid to in.
terfere, but when these bystandsrs secure
the men of force and compel them to sur,
render the object of their violence, is il
not obvious that the bystanders NIGH
have preserved the peace had they chosen
to do sol
The duty of the Dem ocracy is to sustain
the government because it represents the
law. To stand by and see the laws set al
defiance because the Democracy is no
empowered to enforce them, is violation
of duty as citizens. Sailors or soldier
ordered to suppress mutiny, and failing
to do SO, have committed an offense agains
the military authority. No officer car
suppress the disobedience of armed mum
bers, and if those assigned to execut'
their orders stand neutral, and even ait
the mutineers, the authority of the service
is at an end.
To charge the Republican administra
ton with an inability to suppress Grim
which the citizens of the State conside
themselves under no obligations to brinl
to Justice, is to acknowledge that sucl
citizens do not admit the obligation of tn
laws or the allegiance Of the citizen to tn
State.
This responsibility for crime imputet
to the Republican government is the re
sponsibility of the officer in command 70
q shipwreek where the seamen have re
fused to obey orders. The Democrats
refusal to aid in executing the law is Blu
part of that disafection to law tina
prompts the non-payment Of taxes AMI
the intimidation Of people weaker thar
themselves which has marked the cours
Of the Democratic party throughout th
entire South. We trust this responsibiIit
viii be confined to bandying arguments
Il might assume o more serious aspect
Suppose raid upon the propert
of our citizens, or the destruction
Of public buildings BY mol
The Republican government Of ID
State or city might be wholly unable t
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