Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1879-01-18
THE GOTERNOR,S IuESS-1GE.

Tho following is synopsis OF
Gov. Nichols message to tho General as
sembly of Louisiana:
Ihave the pleasure of reporting to you
that throughout almost the entire State,
the laws have been we'll observed and
that where violations of the same have
taken place they have been generally
punished. I reg ret, however, to say,
that in q few localities there have occur |
red during the past year some OF those |
acts of violence and lawlessness which,
in this State, as in other sections of the
country, occasionally happen, and which,
while startling and distressing the aass
of the people, are practically beyond the
reach Of the constituted authorities.
These troubles and disturbances arc not
referable to any ono cause. In some in
stances, the perpetration, or alleged per-
petration OF q crime of heinous charac-
ter, or the repetition of a series of petty
misdemeanors difficult of detection as to
their perpetrators, seem to throw even
good men into kind of frenzy which,
for the time being, sets Judgment and
reason at defiance in others, belief that
what is called tie technicalities of the
law may permit the escape of some one
generally believed to be substantially
guilty of crime, causes mon to substitute
their own ideas Of justice and methods
of remedy for the machinery provided
for the enforcement ofright and punich-
ment of wrong. So want of confidence
ir the honesty or impartiality of judges
and officials is sometimes made the basis
of and attempted justification for those
acts, which in the United States have
con,e to be known by the designation OF
| sLynch law" From whatever cause
springing, these acts are rarely punished
| in any portion of the Union. There are
ordinarily so many persons concerned in
! them that those who are cognizant of the
facts are either unwilling to speak, from
sympathy with the acts, or afraid to
speak, least they should involve them
selves in trouble. Evidence being the
essential basis of all judicial proceedings,
the want of it presents all insuperable
obstacle to officers whose duty it is to
seek out and punish lawbreakers. Some
months ago three men chaged with crime
two of them with the murder of white
man, and ono convicted of the killing O.
a colored man, We're forcibly taken from
the Jail at Monroe and killed. The mel
so killed were colored men. The mob
supposed to have been made up eithe
entirely or mostly of white men. Later
F a man by the name Of St. Martin, contir
. ed in the parish Jail of St. Charles Paris
on a charge of murder of colored maj
was taken therefrom by a large numbe
of men and murdered. The mob in thi
instance were colored men and the victil
t a white man. Both Of these cases hav
Q received investigation from the gran
= iuries Of the respective Parishes, and ye
t nothing has resulted from tho investiga
: ton in either case. I have 10 reason
: doubt the thorough sincerity, in eac
s case, of the officers conducting these ii
T vestigations. In one instance they wei
= Republican, in the other Democratic of
cials, 1t can scarcely be believed tn;
in these two affairs there are not person
u not legally responsible for the crime
- committed, who are cognizant of the salr
and yet hold their peace when it is the
u duty to speak. 1 can lay no blame 4
10 the door Of these officials. Even had I'll
y officers failed IN their duty (Which The
did not), being constitutional officer
l. they could not have been suspended
. removed by me.
le 1t has so happened that somo of tt
l., (xv1Ij Ijpl, 7
to and regret) have been directed again
Id colored men, and it is some times suppc
le cd that they have been so directed
al reason of their being colored men. III
I'll is not true The fact results from t
he circumstance that the greater number
d, the infractions of the law are necessar
k found in all communities among tho
Is, classes who, from ignorance or idlen'
to or thrftlessncss, fail TO understand
er appreciate their duties aud obligation
in and that, in this State, the mass of the
ST. classes is found among the colored peop
The fact of their being colored people
merely accidental and incidental. I
same acts would take place under
same circumstances, without regard
Nv color.
me Troubles do dot exist in Louisiana b
act ed on opposition to any man voting
me account ofhis color. The exercise of
OF right in Il manner different from t
MS wished by other individuals causes op
w. sition here, just as it does in Maine
inc Oregon. This sometimes results in |
ect sonal difficulties, and whenever matt
ent ro,ob that noint there sprinrs ND h