The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1879-01-15
THEsGOVERNOR's MESSAGE.

THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
Governor Nichols sent in his mes
sage to the Legislature, on the sec
ond day Of its session, and we find
it, on a careful perusal, a plain, nm
pretending, business document, but
entirely too long to publish in these
columns. On the finances of the
State, the Governor writes at length,
and we think exhaustingly, but
leaves the unraveling Of the muddle
to the Legislature. Though the task
be a herculean one, let us hope they
will master the situation.
AS the bloody shirt of our old foe
has been waving extensively, all
over the State, and capital is sought
to be manufactured out Of it, we give
in full the remarks of the Governor
on the so.called Tensas troubles,
which seem TO US not only plain,
candid statement of the whole affair,
but q truthful one.
have the pleasure ofreporting to
you that throughout almost the en-
tire State, the laws have been well
observed, and that where violations
Of the same have taken place, they
lave been generally punished. I re-
greet, however, to say, that in a few
localities there have occurred dur
ing 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 distress
ing the mass Of the people, are prac-
ticaliy beyond the reach of the con-
stituted authorities. These troubles
and disturbances are not referable to
any one cause: In some instances,
The perpetfation, or alleged perpetra
ton Of a crime of a heinous charac
ter, or the REPETITION Of d series OF
petty misdemeanors difficult OF de-
lection as to their perpetrators, seem
to throw even good men into a kind
of frenzy which; FOR the time being,
sets Judgment and reason atdeiance;
in others, belief that what is called
The technicalities of the law may
permit the escape Of some one gem
orally beloved to be substantially
guilty Of crime, causes men to sub
stitute their own ideas Of justice and
methods of remedy for the machin-
cry provided for the enforcement Of
right and punishment Of wrong. So,
want Of confidence in the honesty OF
impartiality ofjudges, juries and Of
ficials is sometimes made the basis
of and attempted justification for
those acts, which in the United
States havs come to be known by the
designation Lynch Law From
whatever catss 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 OF
afraid to speak, less they sheuld in
yolve themselves in trouble. Evil
dence being The essential basis of all
judicial proceedings, the want of it
presents all insuperable obstacle to
officers whose dnty it is;to seek gu,
and punish Law breakers. Some
months ago three men charged. with
crime, two Of them charged with the
murder Of white man, and once
convicted Of the killing Of . colored
man, we're forcibly taken from the
Jail at Monroe and killed. The men
so killed were colored men. The
mob is supposed to have been made
up entirely or mostly Of white men.
Later, man BY the name ofSt: Mar
tin, confined in The Parish Jail Of St.
Charles Parish, on charge Of muir
der Of a colored man, was taken
therefrom by alarge number of men
and murdered. The mob in this in
stance were colored men and the vic.
tim a white man. Both of these ca.
ses have received investigation from
the grand juries Of the respective
Parishes, and yet nothing has result:
ted from the investigation in eithel
lease. ! have no reason to doubt the
thorough sincerity, in each case, d
the officers conducting these investi
cations. In one instance they were
Republican, in the other Democratic
officials. It can scarcely be believed
that in these two affairs there art