Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-02-26
MODERN DESPOTlSM.
n. O. Morning Star.

.espotic power apparently conferred
by law. The Roman Emporors, like
lhe Gar OF Russia, were visited with
very arbitrary authority, but we
doubt if anythipgon the statute book
Of any ether nation than great Britain
con equal in despctism the infamous
measure which is now being hastily
rushed through her Parliament, gen
orally known as the Coercion Act"
The following extract gives an idea
Of its scope
ANY person who is declaredby war
rnnt of tho Lord Lieutenant to be
reasonably suspected of having
either before or after the passing OF
this act been gulity as principal OF
accessory of high treason, treason
felony or reasonable practices, wher-
ever committed, OF ofany crime pun
ishably by law committed III a pres
cribed district, > may be ar
rested in any part Of Ireland and To-
gally detained during the continuance
of this act in such prison in Ireland
as may be from time directed by the
Lord Lieutenapt, without bail or
mainprize, and shall NOT be discharged
or tried by any Goun "ithoht INC
direction OF the isord-Lieutenant.
The Lord Lieutenant is, therefore,
the absolute master of personal liber-
~ in Ireland. He has but to point
his finger and any nan in the island
will be cast into jail. Not only so,
but he must stay there until tho same
potent will that put him in shall see
Gt to set him free. No preliminary
examination is necessary; tho Lord
Lieutenant gets his information prI-
vately. No facing tho aceuser is per
mitted; tho sly malicious enemy can
turn irformer, poison the ear OF pow
er and work out his scheme Of ven
geance in deadly secrecy. No relief
is possible no jury can be lmphnel"
cd, no court can presume to brilS
the accused before il Or hear his case
He is absolutely subject to the a'bl-
trary whim of one man--the L0rd
iicutea0nt. Can despotism 90 tNrtheT
1t is true that the bill does not pro-
pose in 50 many words to give that
one man power over life, HIS war
rant can conGgD any one to imprlSon-
meut for two years, but not to the
scaifold. This isl distinction without
II difference, however, for the place OF
Imprisonment, its mode and circum-
stances are all under the same arbi-
trarv will. He can make its condl-
ton so rigorous that death would be
the natural and inevitable c0nse
ouence. Not only can malice put its
handouts on the wrists of the most
innocent man, but it can do far worse,
leave him at home and remit his
life to some prison the terrible Sc
crecy of which is impenetrable, Or
it can vary the ingenuity of its torture
by wrestling q child from its frantic
parents and immuring it among
thieves and fclons.
The infamous enormity ofsuch dcs-
potism can not be surpassed. NC
affidavit of guilt, no charge of crime
even,--oniy suspicion--no indict-
ment, no bail, no counsel, no habea'
corpus, no jury, no trial at all! Tho
most abject slave in our Southern
States could have never been ire aztec
so arbitrarily.
Such brutality might have been
submitted to in the days of Paganism
but can civilized nations, processing
some principles of Christianity, stant
by and witness the outrage without
protest; without giving unmistakabl'
signs of Indignation and horror
Silence in such Il case is approval
The man who hears of these thing
and says nothing is particeps criminis
He would not be far from adoptin!
the same system, if he were in power
for he appears to find nothing strang
or reprehensibIe about it.
We are convinced that this will no
be the case in America. When one
the monster, which us yet exists j
theory only, has become a Living
practical fact, when hundreds and,
necessary, thousands of honest me
have been put i'll chains, merely
strike terror into peaceful organic
ton that is quietly and legally work
inc for It's end, when once our Poop
~ Al. L., III CT, t,,i