The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1877-09-12
Judge Billings.

HIS rulings as Judge lie has never be-
trayed either heat or impatience of
temper--no anxiety to give any liti-
CANT an unfair advantage wish to
dwell on trifling omissions-no ami
mostly whatever. He has only been
DESTROYS that the truth was discovered
to apply the law. His speaking, his
conduct, his manner, are all unexcep-
tionable, all suited to his ability, his
kindly nature and genuine modesty.
Before his appointment as judge he
had large practice in this city, which
made him familiar with every class of
cases. Pride of every kind is as alien
to his nature as vanity, and having
eschewed politics, he has become just
y popular with our people, New
Orleans Picayune. re- ;.s .se+, j; ~
This is the language which the
Pscayyatne employs in an editorial of
yesterday on the Calcasieu case. If
the statement be true that Judge
Billings has become popular with our
people, we are the meanest and most
degraded community on the face of
| the earth; if it be untrue, the asser-
ton is an outrage on the just pride
and self-respect Of the entire State.
Justly popular Judge Billings never
can be in, Louisiana; justly odious
he must be wherever. there is any
popular esteem for whatever is man
", honest and Of good report. 1t
can never be forgotten that in the
midnight of December 3, 1872, Judge
Billings drew up the order directing
Packard, the then United States
Marshal, to take possession of the
State House of Louisiana, to hold it
until further orders from the court
to prevent the assemblage therein of
the lawful members of the Legisla.
ture, and to apply to Gen. Emory
for the necessary force. 1t will be
remembered forever, and with advan-
tages, that he aoas the arch conspira.
tor in that ,atrocious crime against
the peace and majesty of this COM
monwealth, and that by virtue of
That very act, which commended
him to the insolent and vulgar tyr
amy of Grant, he became the sue
cessor, and the fitting successor, Of
the drunken judge into whose hand
he thrust the pen. which signed at
once the doom of this State and the
fate of him who sealed it..
| For this wrong no 4penitence can
atone; for this outrage, conceived
and executed with deliberate fore
knowledge of its tremendous conse
quences, there can be no pardon
while liberty endures. 1t not only
made possible, but insured, all the
long years of servitude, and spolia-
tion we haye since writhed under.
1t gave to the strong arm of Federal
oppression under which we groaned
the semblance Of legal right, and
steeled the hearts and blinded the
eyes of our Northern compatriots to
the justice Of our appeals and the
Righteousness Of our struggle. 1t
made possible the larger but not
more damning fraud Of the Electoral
Commission, and Judge Bradley was
the Legitimate offspring of Judge
Billings. They are linked together
by community Of crime which will
not fade from the memory of man SO
long as free institutions exist. -,
Doubtless Judge Billings will have
his parasites. That he has been and
will hereafter be "praised by mem
bers of the New Orleans barr we do
not question. Proud as the bar may
well be of its noble record in the his
tory of human freedom tyranny has
never, in any age or State, beenwith-
out it's advocates and supporters.
The splendid and triumphant de-
fence ofEnglish liberty by Erskine
was maintained against the dark and
desperate assaults of Scott and Mil
ford, only less unarmed than that
great protagonist. And this com
munity has not forgotten, despite
the life service of a venal or an in
sincere press, that in all sour sore
strait, from Warmoth through KEEL
logg, the advocates Of successful vii
lany have been easily retained from
among the foremost members of the
New Orleans bar.
On Judge Billings soul rests the
blood of those martyred patriots who
fell in our streets on the l4th of Sep
TENDER. If their murderer has be-
come 'justly popular while that
blood has scarcely yet exhaled to
Heaven let mo hypocritical semblence
Of worship mock on this coming an
niversary of their fall the solemn