The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1877-09-15
Judge Billings.

w Ni1O w Va Alt htH A''i'
praised by most of tie members OF
the bar they say that in his rulings
as a ,u'.-" he has never betrayed
either heat or Impotence OF temper
no anxiety to give any litiSant an "n'
fan adyantagc-n0 wish to dwell on
trilin. nmISslons-no luminosity what
ever. He has My been DESTROYS that
the truth was discovered to apply the
law. His speaking, his coudact. his
manner, arc all uncxccptionab!e, all
suited to his ability, his kindly ma
tue and genuine modesty. Before
his appointment as Il Judge he h'a \
large practice in this city, which made
him familiar with every class of eases.
Pride Of every kind is AS alien to his
nature as vanity, and having a<r''""-
ed politics, he has become justly pop
ular with our people. - y. q. Pc
ayunc.
To the above !ickspittlc compli-
mcut, the bc:a"rrat, the only paper
in New n.lraus that represents pub
lie sentiment, justly and Indignantly
replies:
This is the language which the {'ir-
oN"ne cmp,cyS IN an editorial OF yes
to-day on the Calcaseu case. If the
statement be true that Judge Billings
has become popular with our people,
we are the meancst and most dr"ra-
died. community on the face of the
earth ; if it be untrue, the assertion
is an outrage on the pride and self
respect of the entire State. JHv''N
popnlor Judge Billings never can be
in Louisiana justly odious he must
be wherever there is any popular rs-
teen for whatever is manly, honest
and o. good report. 1t can never be
forgotten that in the midnight of De-
! ccmber 5, 1872, Judge Billing, drew
up the order directing Packard, the
then United States Marshal, to take
possession of the State House Of Lou
isiana, to hold it until further orders
from the c0ult, to prevent the assem-
hlage therein of tie lawful members
of the Legislature, and to- apply tt
Gen. Emory for the necessary force,
1t will be remembered forever, and
with advantages, that he wus the arch
cunSpirator in that atrocious crime
against the peace and majesty Of this
commonwealth, and that by virtue of
that very act, which commended him
to the insolent and vulg gar tyranny OF
Grant, he became the successor, and
the httin. 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 pcnitcncc can
atone for this outrage, conceived
and executed with deliberate fore.
knowledge of its tremendous consc-
uucnceS, there. can be no pardon
while liberty endures. It not only
made possible, but insured, all the
long years of scrvitudc and SPollation
we have since wrthcd under. 1t
gave to the strong arm Of Federal op.
prcs>ion under which we groancd the
scmblanco of lcca! right, aud stcclCd
the hearts and blinded the eyes of our
Northern compatriets to the justice of
our appeals aud the righteousness OF
our struggle. 1t made possible the
larger but not more damning fran1 of
the Electoral Commission, and Judge
Bradley was the legitimate offspring
of JrAsc Billings. they are linked
together Wy u community of crime
which will not fade tro'r the memory
Of man 50 long as free institutions ex'
ists.
Doubtless Judge Billings vii! have
his parasites. That lie has been and
! will hereafter be "praised by mem
bers of the New Orleans barr we DC
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, been with
ont its advocates and supporters. Tho
splendid and triumphant defence ct
EnclicI. liberty by Erskine was main
tanned against the dark and desperate
assaults of Scott and Milford, only
less unalmcd than that great protas
oDist. And this community has MOI
forgotten, despite the life service Of ;
venial or an insincere press, that II
all our sore strait, from Warmotl
through Kellogg, the advocates O.
successful vilaiuy 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 thai
blood has scarcely exhale1 to Heavier
let no hypocritical semblauce Of wor
ship mock on this coming anniversary
Of their fall the solemn sacrifice they
made for us. Let that press at least
which lands the one pay to the Other
the decent tribnte of its silence.
No! Judge Billings can never b(
jutfly popular so long as memory holds
its seat in the brain of that people
whose liberties he once struck down
with the foulcst blow ever aimed a
the republics life. lie is and will be
while men have hearts to suffer anC
endure. a thing for the slow fho:ih!
finger of scorn to stab with social deatl
Let him pray for the charity of obliv
ion let him bcseech the kindness o
enduring silence let him wear ou
in ms-deed and III prayer the res
of that lite which he has SO dark!
cloudcd, and doing justice hereafter
and walking humbly among men
seek from God, who may pardon him
that forgiveness which man dare no
extend to those who commit the in
effacrablo sin against human free.
dom: