The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1877-09-19
TINE LAWLEss INSTINCT.

The readiness with which people
take tho law into their own hands and
assume to dispense justice without due
process, Is something surprising, and
only proves how terribly demoraliaing
ia var Our four years Of experience
has showed us that when once the bar
riers have been broken down and re-
moved, that II isa work of immense
difficulty TO restore them, When once
the people are taught that IL is possible
for them TO take the redress of griev'
ances into their own hands and the
law superseded and the will of the mob
supreme, and no accountability doN
monded, by any one for irregularities
and infractions-they soon vote the
ordinary and usual restraints, irksome
and burdensome, and tho end is anar'
chy, and the reign of the worst pass
sions of the human heart, These con-
ditons are not conducive 10 either u
high moral development or to the best
ends of society or government, The
lawless instinct should be repressed
when exhibited by individuals or com,
munities, whether on this pretext or
that The law should be no respeCter
Of persons, the proudest and most pow.
eriul rs well AZ the weakest and hum.
blest should be taught to respect its
functionsa and fear its power and majesty.
We take no part in the Van Zandt
controversy. We do not assume to
say whether it was right, or whether II
was sound policy or not to move the
county seat from Canton to Wills Point
We don't know if the thing was ac
complished fairly or not nor do We
care so far as the present argument il
concerned. The fact stands out in bold
relief that the removal was made UNI
der the forms and by the sanction o
the law, and the restoration, if made al
all, ought to have been done by ant
through the same means. The peopl,
of Can ton may have suffered grea
wrong, perhaps did; but who will un
dertake to say that they sought tn
proper means of redress The record
were moved TO Wills Point in the frs
instance by the order of the courts Il
be returned properly they should hay
been returned by order of the sam
power, by the same authority, tn
best cause on earth is always injure,
by urging it in violent, unreasonable
or unlawful way. Besides that, it
a false notion that numbers shoulc
prevail over law. Were but one mal
in favor of Wills Point as the count,
seat Of Van Xandt, and he sustained b
the courts and Of the country, he woul
be much stronger than three hundre
armed men who, we are told, marche
on the village to demand the count
records for iorcible removal.
This whole matter is doubtless
great grievance for the people of Can
ton and that region. However, instea,
Of arming for the conquest of the cour
ty auth critics, and approaching the sea
of justice breathing threatenings, the
should have sought their objects by an
through the courts. Should have forceO
the people OF Wills Point to show cause
il any there be, why the county sea
should remain there, and if til
decision went in their favor all right
if not, dignified submission was all tina
was left to good law-abiding citizens.
We sincerely deprecate tins action G
our neighbors of Van Zandt, and re
greet it exceedingly. We deplore it be
cause it will bring them no end o
trouble, and will not produce good re
suits. We sincerely trust that the so
Der second thought which always fol
lows such excitement will induce then
to take more reasonable view of tn
matter, and speedily restore the peopl
of both sections of the county to thei
wonted good feeling and respect for tn
law.