The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-10-06
THE RETURNING BOARD CASE.

Il
its purpose, legislation and iurispru
denee would be simply system Of base
ness and cruelty; the administration
of justice instead Of protecting society
would tend to sink human nature &c
the level of brutalism aud ferocity
and 1t would be the highest and most
sacred duty OF Legislatures, governors
| aud good citizens generally TO interpose
their authority and influence between
the judicial tyrants and butchers of the
State and their miserable victims.
Under such system we could ac.
count for the solicitude that has been
entertained In this community about the
prosecution Of the members Of the Re-
turning Board, and understand the
public spirit Of those who have express
ed disapproval Of this proceeding. and a
willingness to see Tom Anderson, Mad.
Wells. and their two negro associates
In crime, set free without trial. But
the high purpose Of the law In defining
forgery, PERJURY, burglary and murder
az Infamous crimes, and declaring that
those who perpetrate them shall suffer
severe and rigorous punishment. is to
prevent forgers, periurers, burglars
and murderers from repeating these
offences, and to deter others from fol.
lowing their example. The higher the
social or political position Of those who
commit these crimes the greater is the
necessity OF the punishment and the
more imperious and solemn L. the duty
Of the officers of the government to try,
Tray pursue, hunt them down, drag them
to justice, and fix the brand of
guilt and infamy upon them.
Where duty 80 grave and solemn de-
wolves upon courts, law officers and iu-
ries, It seems to us little less than a
crime against society on the part OF
those citizens, who for any mere politi-
cal or polite purpose enter into sym
patty with the criminals, or fall to give
TO the civil authorities their full and
hearty appreciation and support. We
can readily conceive how d man Of kind
ly heart may sympathize with some
poor and friendless wretch arraigned In
the dock for theft or even for a muir.
der. Poverty, misery, insanity. the
frenzy OF intoxication, prompts many a
horrible crime, against which the law
denounces the severest punishment,
but for the perpetration Of which, cir
cumstances, often society itself, Is az
much, IL not more, responsible than he
who commits 1t. But what single cir.
cumstance can be mentioned to
mitigate the crime OF which Wells
and Anderson are gullty7 Not one.
They are men of wealth, influence
and high official position: they under
stood thoroughly the law they had been
Entrusted to carry out; they understood
the sanctity of an oath; they knew the
nature OF the crime OF forgery they
knew the penalty that the law de-
nounced against it, and they knew that
the trust they were charged with was of
the highest nature. And knowing and
clearly understanding all these things,
they deliberately defied the law and pub
lilo deceney and perpetrated the crimes
for which they are now to be tried.
We do not believe that the records Of
jurisprudence furnish many
such flagrant contempt for the law,
the ministers Of the law and public
The results of the crime COM
lnitted by these men are not less con-
spicuous than the brazeD insolence
with which it was perpetrated. The
civil disorders which 1t provoked, for
weeks and months unsettled all trade
aud industry; every class OF the COM
munity suffered loss, anxiety and dis
tress, while the working classes were
subjected to actual suffering. aud day
after day the State hung upon the
edge OF revolution aud bloodshed.
And this 10 not all. Upon the authority
and success Of the shameful business of
which the particular crime In ques-
ion was an integral part, rests the
Federal administration aud that ad-
is forced to indorse. APP
prove and support the crime, and
reward it's perpetrators by the ap-
pointment OF them to high official po-
sitions among the people In whose
midst the indecent outrage was COM
mitted. The whole country, except the
of the Republican party,
were ashamed OF this business; even in
Europe the story Of 1t was heard and
read with sorrow andidisgust. aud yet the
brazen rascals who managed 1t are re-
warded, nay honored by lucrative and
public positions.
II a crime such as this committed
lnder circumstances such as we have
iescribed--a crime 50 atrocious and far.
reaching that it holds In terror and
controls the Federal administration
Jan evade punishment, then we had
better close up the doors of the
SQUIRT houses In Louisiana aud return to