The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1878-02-02
Communication. J
Abbevile, January %, 1873.

Abbevile, January %, 1878.
Editor Meridional Sir, l published
an article in your last journal headed
'Abbevilfe Post-Ofice Robbery" I had
occasion to say few words about the eff
cheney, strict, courteous and polite man.
ner the postmaster and his clerks, were
keeping the Office ; but. cactus non facit
reum, nisi mems sit rea." AS MI. Jos. L.
Labit, might miscoDstrue this maxim OF
Roman Law, as he has done with the ar
ticle referred to, I will explain : ''the
act does not make q man guilty, unless
the mind be also guilty"
Mr.. Jos. T. Lablt knows better than
any one else, that my mind was not guilty,
towards him vel if my words were not
couched to his comprehensibilitv. In the
course of my remarks, about the general
Encouragement of the post Office depart
ment, in this section of u country, /
said : she (Jos. T. Labit) seems to be
very much %aggrieved, at such things ia
king place at his Office" Further on, l
said ''that these two letters, which were
valueless to the Thief, had been SO parti-
marked and alb distracted, etc.
I will here remark, that Mr.. J.T. Labit
was highly offended, at my using the
word thief in that phrase he poured
upon me a volfey Of his boisterous guns,
in the store of MI. Eaborde, and in The
of Abbevi'le Sunday morning i;
making a grand display, in the flourish
ing attitude of an acrobatic and garrulous
old lady, mounted on her hobby, when
she is in a good threatening and earnest
humor, for a fight. But knowing that my
old friend Joe, was meaning what he did
not say, and was saying what he did not
mean, in his impetudus and rather hasty
ratiocination.
l kept my steam within the density of
safety-valve. But, for a while, l thought
that his propelling powers and pronomics
emerging from the boiler, should have
caused too much compressibility and my
destructibility at the same time. / am
now, too old, to commence teaching and
demonstrating the meaning of a discourse.
The most learned gentlemen of the town
Of Abbeyille, knowing the author Of he
by its apocripAal name, are now,
under the impression, that I had made a
high and %extraneous eulogium Of MI. la
bit and his clerks. in that communication,
and that | was paid for so doing, besides /;
and Mr.. Labit's eulogy, for the faithful
discharge of his duty, is paid back to me
with the money of ingratitude above des-
Mr.. Labit, denied that such things
had taken place at his Office, it is simply
ridiculous ; when the letters were mailed
here, the starting point of that robbery,
vas from Abbeville post Office to New
orleans. l never said, or induced any
body to believe that the abstraction was
made at the post-ofice of Abbeville.
I never said as Mr.. Labit construe it,
hat the thief wa at Abbeville ; when I
aid that these two letters which were
'alueless to the thief; does not mean at
IL, that the thief's residence or where
bouts were designated !; it meant simply
hat there was q thief somewhere, and /
ould not give him another nam than a
hief, or an honest man, to whomsoever
distracted the two letters. I say, and
naihtaia, that be was. thief, and could
lot give him the speculation Of honest
nan !; most undoubtedly not!
I here deny and r~etract, of having ever
lad the least or remotest ideas or inten-
ions, to cast the slightest reflections on
he postmaster Of. the town of Aobeville,
IL his gentlemanly clerks.
The object in view was to open the eyes
# the Postmaster General at New Orleans,
md credit in the course of my comments
he postmaster, Mr.. Labit and his clerks
If what they justly deserved. But, I was
badly misunderstood by Mr.. Labit alone,
and in his Tightly imagination, only.
Few weeks past the Sugar Bowl of
IBERIA was complaining bitterly of the
on the mail route, from
hat place to New Orleans, and about the
'ame time the Franklin Enterprise, aaid
hat Mr.. Frere had q letter containing
$3.50 distracted from the Franklin mail
bag to New Orleans. Some think, that
'.Abbeville'', the author, of that fatter-
ing and complimentary exordium, has
been paid to write it, but, this is simply
an error, I am not in the habit of getting
paid to grant to Caesar what justly be-
long to him.
Justi6ably and respectfully submitted,
By ABBEVILLE.
TTIE JnI,IND DEGTCTY1D