The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1878-12-07
CHARGE
CHARGE
o! Hon. David Pirrson, District
Judge, 10 the Grand Jury.
December Term, 1878.

December Term, 1878.
The jnllnN ing is an extract irrm the
Written charge IF III, District ,)n!I" to
til" Gran! Jury at the prrsrnt tenn vt
the Court. Many othrr matters Of pub
lie interest were mentioned H. the elab
crate instructions Of the Judge. An hour
aud quarter havin. been occupied i'll
the delivery OF the charge:
You have been selected, empannelled
and sworn according to law. its tho Grand
.)ury of this parish for tn. present term
of the Court, and it only remains for
you to receive the charge of tn" Court
before entering upon tho discharge Of
your most Important and delicate duties.
The charge which l am required to give
you is intended to aid you in Your la
bors it will consist of instructions rs to
your general duties, and special 1irec-
tious as to particular Statutes And first
OF all, you should understand and ap.
preciate tho Importance Of yonr trust.
No body of men are brought together by
the commands of tho law upon whom
graver responsibility rests than upon
yourselves. Upon your faithful action
depends the enforcement Of the laws Of
tho land, and tho peace and good order of
society. All civilized communities have
found it necessary to adopt certain rules
Of action called laws. These rules in our
country arc made and published by the
people themselves, through Legislatures !;
aud hence whatever wo find upon the
Statute books Of this State arc rules
adopted by the mass OF the people for
their own beueft and protection.
These Statute books contain many laws
adopted from time to time as tho exegon-
cies Of the occasion required, and among
others, are certain Statutes called penal
laws-or laws which atfix and impose a
certain penalty or punishment to the
omission or commission of certain acts
1t is with these latter you have most
particularly to deal--you are constituted
a special tribunal to look after their
faithful execution, and to protect the so
ciety in which you live; and it is largely
LETT with you, under conscientious sense
of duty, as to who among your citizens
shall be arraisned and tried for their
violation.
You are selected by lot from among the
intelligent people, and summoned here to
investigate matters affecting your local
interest, charged with the duty of np-
holding society 80 far as tho punishment
Of crime can do it, The higest iucen-
tive to human action-your own interest
az citizens impells you to full and can
did discharge Of this duty. 1t is because
Of this interest and your presumed per.
sonal knowledge of facts that you are
thus constituted part of tho legal ma
chinery in tho administration of Justice.
Who else can he affected as yourselves
by lax and careless administration
who else can know or ascertain as you,
the facts and circumstances attending
the commission of crimei Again, upon
whom can so justly be. thrown the res-
possibility of enforcing the laws' Hence,
the important powers you have. With
out your presentment no capital crime
can be tried or punishment be inflicted.
In all cases involving life, the first step
towards trial must 10 taken by you,
and iD all other cases the law looks first
to you for an accusation. Therefore, it
lies in your power to make community
what you will have it be. If you simply
60 through with the forms Of duty-at-
tend Court, take an oath as Jurors, sit in
your rooms a reasonable number of DAYS,
make final report and return to your
homes, your parish may be afflicted with
turbulence, disorder and anarchy. On
the other hand, it will enjoy the bless
ings Of peace, good order, full redress for
every wrong, swift and sure punishment
for every crime-law will he respected
and obeyed, if you do your duty fearless
", faithfully, not only in the letter, but
in the spirit of the law.
As Grand Jurors, you are exercising
the very highest functions of govern
ment itself: 1t is mistake to suppose
that the public officers of the country
are solely responsible for the faithful OK |
ecution Of the laws, for whilst an officer
may by corrupt means, or inaction, pre-
vent Justice being done, yet, the most
upright and zealons4 officials are power
less to arrest the march of crime unless |
and: aided by good citizens
and juries. Alarge share Of the respon-
sibility rests upon the citizens To put
q critginal upon trial body of sixteen
citizens known as q Grand Jury, must
indict, and to convict and punish, anoth-
or body of citizens must unanimously |
pronounce his guilt. The power of the |
mass Of tho people over such matters is
sxamplifed iii the fact that q number of
laws remain dead letters upon the Stat
ute books for the want of execution by
juries. We have all heard Judges from
our boyhood specially charge Grand IN.
ries relative to the crime of carrying con.
cealed weapons, and yet, how prevalent
the practice, and how seldom is it pun
ished.
There are other ways in which citizens
can, and in many sections do assist in the
administration Of the laws, besides per-
service as Jurors. Prompt and
willing assistance given to the Sheriff in
tho execution of process, OF hot persuit
under the hna and cry, would prevent the
escape of the perpetrators Of shocking
crimes. Wherever the moral sentiment
Of community is shocked by crime, it
is rare occurrence that criminal e.
capes, and nothing deters evil doors 80
much as tho certainty of speedy punish
ment. Let it be understood in any given
community that any violation of the law
will DO promptly punished, and that
community will enjoy tranquility and
peace. These remarks arc made to illus
trato tho Importance of vigilance on
your Part. And now, gentlemen, as a |
new era has dawned upon our State AN
era in which laws are made by the poo.
pie for the benefit of the people them
selves, it behooves US as citizens, jurors
and officials, to enforce them, aud to ap-
peal to the tribunals constituted BY law