The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-06-26
THE REIGN OF LAW.

Gen. Sheridan's official visit to the
Felicianas will result in checking the
idiotic babble of the New York Times
about the lawlessness which prevails In
that portion of Louisiana and is said tc
have exiled those two noble pa
triots, Dula and Chapman, from
their homes. Gen. Sheridan's state
ments in q recent interview with a
representative OF the DEMOCRAT leave
no doubt in our mind that he
learned the whole truth and that he
proposes, in his report, to acquaint the
Administration with the facts. The
General found quiet, peaceable and
law-abiding people in both the Feliciana
parishes; he Is entirely satisfied that
the life of Republican Ia just as safe
in either Of them as In Jim Blaine's
county in Maine; that the courts and
civil officers are protecting the colored
people in their rights and that the bet
ter and larger portion Of the whites are
sustaining the courts and officials. He
isalso fully aware OF the fact that what Of
the spirit of lawlessness survives In those
beautiful sections Of Louisiana is being
rapidly suppressed and that 1t exists
not exclusively among Democrats or
Radicals, whites or blacks, but among
the vicious and brutal men OF both
parties and both races, who, under
Kelloggs imbecile administration,
acquired power and enjoyed immunity
for their crimes.
Gen. Sheridan Is and has always been
a staunch Republican: he has never.
we believe, attempted to be, or professed
to be, anything else. Wepresume, there
fore, that the Administration will act
upon his report In the matter of the
misunderstanding, and that the bloody
shirt element of the Republican party
will pay some respect to his assevera-
tions. We think, therefore, that the
Administration did well In sending Gen.
Sheridan on this mission.
But there are stronger and more
numerous evidences that vigorous steps
are being taken under our present State
government to crush out lawlessness
and vigorously enforce the laws for the
protection of life and property than
Gen. Sheridan may make note OF. Some
time since, in one Of the parishes, a
number OF those white rowdies who null
tiplied under the Kellogg government
as rapidly as did the negro thieves,
caught and whipped several col
ored field hands; the rascals who per-
petrated the outrage were promptly
arrested. and two OF them have been
sentenced to the Penitentiary. In
many parishes there still fingers class
of worthless rascals. born and trained
rowdies. who are disposed to engage in
this sort Of pastime; but In every such
parish there is q determination on the
part of the planters and other law
people to suppress these fell
lows, by arrest and conviction IL posi-
BILE, or IL not, then by a more
summary process. In no portion
Of Louisiana is there any antag-
onism between the white people |
and the negroes, though there is. in
some localities, very hostile feeling
up between the law-abiding
whites whose business, property and
trades require peace, and the white
rowdies who are disposed to give as
free vent to their brutality under
Nichols as they did under Kellogg. 1t
Is almost superauous to say that the
power OF the rowdies Is broken and
that they are being driven to the wall. |
Another and still more striking illus
tration OF the vigor of the present State |
government and the determination Of |
its officials to establish in Louisiana the |
reign of law and peace, is the execution |
Of several notorious murderers and the
arrest Of others. Under Gov. Nichols a
Of the most notorious and des-
perate murderers have been arrested
and several Of them executed. OF the
three murderers recently executed in this
city, one of them, Morris, had murdered
TWO men and woman; for the murder
IF the last he was executed. Louis |
Rousseau, who was executed in the par
sh of st. Landry. about three weeks
ago, had murdered five men. He was
he terror of his parish. James V. |
White. who is now in prison in this city
or safe keeping. was convicted few |
weeks ago in West Feliciana of the
murder Of negro in that parish in 1869.
His case has been appealed to the Su-
oreme Court, but his sentence will be