The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1879-04-16
A REMNANT OF BAkbAhl'"
uur SOUTHERN CUSTOM OF CARRYING
' CONCEALED WEAPONS.

&C Mason and Dlxon's me, t''o c."
81 81 several homicides, among otne' -
o o,,eotiug ARRAY in Vickshurs, MISS oe
s sm"en Tespectable business men anu .ini
tween i'2 r. witch two of the parties
clt, cruz: in,otantly killed and the third
were I l,,SsIu wounded. A shooting
otfnsv ut Christiarshurs, Vagina, Tue
same day; though of a more e. ag'f im the
Character on one side, resui1 r, III l, ,mo
instant death of one man. no or s"
dav Thomas j. Wood was m e1nn1,:
wounded by a pistol shot at o'| fa I
,';IIa Miss. Every day or two !S,aa
So nf this sort are being chrohicieu
the deadly pistol at the bottom nue %,
Ino or, one Of them. A jury IS even
e .oTu being impauneled i'll Richmond
now H., o' tr;ol If Poindexter for shooting
~ rnr tie If the former had carried 10
o e'ia. t there would have been homicide
The shooting of Aston IN inc , "eI' me
statehouse has not ceased 10 snooN now .n
Southern people, and they seem n tns
~ last TO begin to be awake 70 lno
az" ~ i cause of these deplorable ARRAYS.
ir T canse undoubtedly is the ridieu-
,a nov not to say barbarous, practice so
gene General apparently at the South G is
genelM Concealed weapons. 1t is
s;m1Iv inexcusable for men In ciVihze"
onmn,unities, and where theT nave po-
Ice authorities, courts, and Jnfies'
intercourse with newspaper anu inn
roads and telegraphs-where tney a.I
nnder no compulsion 10 60 TO oeu WV" ona
their .spurs onto wear pistols ~ CIV
how;a knives as part OF tifeir daiiy
"o;,nent To wear them conceaieu 10
moreoyer cowardly in the last degree.
nor Ouixote, when he rose IN tle
morning and put on his tin harness
and his Membrino's helmet, eook n 10
lance in hand and climbed to the PACK
Of Rosinnate, intent upon knishsiy
Jaods in the name his Dnlcinea del
Toboso, upon windmills, Jacsasses,
and fiocks Of sheep-even Don QtiAo. :.
nsver thought of hiding stiletto IN
his hoot or tucking horse pistol De-
hind his breastplate.
Rut the doughty cheyaliers OF so'n'
norts If the South, and even here II
Marrland. in some cases, are IN I'LL
cnsrom of girding on their roVoiver
Lafora they tie their cravats, and the.
+raosnre their deringers above thei
watches and their jewelry. The fais
courage and genuine. braggadocio spli
it engendered by this praetlc;et Oh so I'LL,
about in the disguise OF walking arse
nails are the sources of nine-tehths
the ARRAYS, murders ana SMOOTH ,.,
which have so long and so DARK
attained the annals of the South--mu
ders and deaths which, rs every OF
feels who reflects upon them, must
strictly classed as 'spreyehttole.
They are such deeds as would not laN
beeH done bnt for the general carfyi'
of concealed weapons, one ol ,ho i.o
unwarrantcd and lnexcusao'o pl"
tices of the day. This practice is nc
II ia true, confined to the South, U
tbere il extends to those VINO WISH
he esteemed as respectable ana ote ~!
loving people, whereas IN our GU,
ona ot the North it is confined chlel
tn the rowdy class. Ii Southern SOC.
-, will Int consent to look at tile mi
ter in it's true light, and 70 treat eYe
ono as n rowdy who carries cohce
al weonon-and is he indeed any D
ter than q rowdy or a coward VINO .
about privately armed among pea
ful. law. abiding people tine prac'
will soon be at an end. In the ile
time. stringent laws should De ma
and enforced, making menace IN
woy by deadly weapons, either
cso,ed for the time or displayed,
Semcanor. punishable with fine or
mont or both, at the discre
IF the Court. The fact of the wea
hidden upon mans person shoui'
so construed as to throw upon
the burden of proof that he is not
- boring some felonious intent W. W.
not Comanches, nor are we 10 81 =,
or dangerous regions, nor we SOL
or policemen. Why, then, shoui'
IN armed il We do not contemplate
Gaming assassins? Would the men
o. carry bowie knives concealed at
hacks. pistols on their hips, or $
Comes in their hands, dare to wa
broad with these weapons open.
nlayedf Why, then, should tue
mt trent them ms intending Grim
if it finds them menaclng thelr it
citizens by wearing concealed wea
THE constitutional question,
aware, is often raised, as to the
of the citizens to bear arms, gu
certain that in no sense was tla
vision intended to authorize a W
disregard of the sacredness OF !
life and defiance of the laws and
fitness of and orderly and.we
posed community. Such q con
tion of the necessary right 70
arms in defense of home and c.
should not be tolerated, ana, y
the courts do not tolerate sue
struction when, in o trial tor m
they require that man shall oe
minent peril and "retreat to tli.
before he is justified in taking
of his assailant. Yet It is a "a
we see instances in the Sonth, nc
there, of such action rs would II
flat there are some persons the'
Inv their claims to certain stan,
society, regard themselves as OF
not amenable to the laws as al
men. The communities OF the
generally, though an arouse
healthy public sentiment and
of their courts, should promp
jnexorably teach persons VIVA
the contrary of this perverted
ment.-[ baltimore SUM-
n