The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-05-31
,pstspsC1As REFORMS.
Necessary to tbs speedy Administration
of Jussice In Louisiana.
PAPER No, /,

Editor I,enocrdtL Now, that home rule Ia
restored t. Louisiana II behooyes her Sons to
make her government as perfect as human
wisdomsan devise, and az human weakness
can permit
Nov that we have time and opportunity
Tor rslm and cool reflection, IL is well II we
sddfeea ourselves TO the consideration OF
questions calculated to improve the efficiency
ia proper functions, and to make 1t do, In tho
heat manner possible, the work for which 1t
was adapted and designed.
The fret, II not the only object for which
government Ia formed, the rdtsoh defre. is 10
administer justice. Man created in the image
of God has an inherent right to the perfectly
full and free exercise Of his faculties 20 far aa
this exercise doea not infringe the like exercise
OF oil his faculties IL the only true definition
of hapnneas. This alone Is liberty, and with
this limitation is liberty regulatedby law. Tho
more nearly human governments succeed IN
applying this rule, tho more nearly do they
accomplish the object Of their existence, and
approximate perfection. In order to guard
and protect this full and free exercise OF the
faculties OF every man. and to prevent ag.
gresson by our. persons on the rights 81
others, courts of justice are established. IL
liz their duty to hear and weigh evidence OF
every alleged aggression by one individual
against another, and 10 redress and repair the
wrong-,if one is found to have been commit
ted. and can be redressed-and to inlet such
a penalty as the legislator has thought AIDE
auate to prevent tho repetition of the
wrong.
In The class of aggressions denominated
crimes, because of their atrocity and the IN
jury Il is supposed they do society at large
beyond wrong inflicted on the Individual in
jufed, the State THAT ts, society with Its gov
ornamental machine.l undertakes the entire
charge of the investigation, and aifxes such
punishment or restraint as il supposed by
the Legislature to be sufficient to protect So
ciety against such aggression, either by the
offender or by others who may be deferred by
the knowledge that the offender Is being re-
strained or punished.
In the class of aggressions denomiuated
GIRL s,,isries whether delicto or contracts,
society, through the Legislature rs its instru-
ment establishes general rules to classify tho
different private relations and rights growing
out of them, to define and limit them, and to
regulate the proceedings for their protection
and vindieation. by which its tribunals are to
be guided in their search after truth and JUS
tce.
Having erected and opened her tribunals
she then leaves it 10 each person injured to
pursue the aggressor, and makes 1t the duty
OF the tribunals to compel the aggressor TO
repair tn, wrong as perfectly as Imperfect
human instruments can do it. 1t follows.
from these considerations and other obvious
reflections upon the laws of the human mind
and of society: /. That the more speedily and
certainly civil injuries are redressed, the
fewer and less atrocious will be the crimes
oohiuitted. =. ihe SiSani eho w, o',h.y 'iiu
expedition with which the criminal is re-
strained and punished, the less frequently
will the crimes I've repeated, and the more
safely and more perfectly and surely, will
each person be able to exercise all his God
given faculties, without aggression by others,
and without committing any act of aggres-
sion ON others.
Wherever the execution of the talcs. the
rules of human justice, are not enforced, or
are long delayed, or themselves are in OPP
nosifion to natural right then Justice is
frampled under foot, respect for justice is
gone. and wrong, oppression and crime run
rampant. The most superficial exalaination
of the history of the race demonstrates that
crimes do not decrease in number, brutality
severity Of the penalty. But they do de-
crease IN greatly increased ratio whenever
there is a speedy. certain and cheap Judicial
relief for the redress OF civil injuries.
This alone affords that protection To person