The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1885-12-26
. NO. 43
ExnouTfvn DEPARTMENT., }
State Of Louisiana.
Baton Rouge, Dec 10, 1895.

Baton Rouge, Dec 10, 1875 +
Hon: b. +. Jonas, Hon ID a. Pardee, All
bert Baldwin, ESQ, /. N. Marx, Esq.
Messrs Jurey s Glllis. Mesars. Katz 4
Barnett, Jas. I. Day, Esq, and Others:
| Gentlemen--Ihave received yonr dis
patch in relation TO granting further
respite to Patrick Ford and John
Murphy, for whose execution d war-
rant was issued from this Office to be
carried into effect on Friday, the 18th
of December, instant.
| have carefully considered the facts
and reasons which you have urged
for further delay, and Tho names and
high character of the citizens who
have made this application. ! have
received many letters from all portions
Of the State urging a further respite.
There is unqnestionably sincere and
earnest feeling in this case among a
large and respectable class Of intel
ligent and law-abiding citizens Of the
State, showing that there y some
doubt as to the propriety Of executing
the sentence Of the law on these mn
fortunate men.
II is not my duty to review the ae-
ton Of the courts, or to consider 70
what extent public opinion Influenced
the verdict. My duty Is to strictly
enforce the law and the decree of the
courts. / am without authority 10
grant pardons OF Communication Of SEN
tences without the recommendation Of
the officers named in article 90 Of the
constitution, now generally known as
the Board of Pardons. This article,
however, confers upon me, without
their recommendation, the power to re-
priove. There is no limit TO thestime
TO which i reprieye may be extended;
but al indefinite reprieye or one ex-
tended to an extraordinary period Of
time would defeat the very object con-
templated by article SO Of the consti-
tuition, which is intended to limit the
exercise of the executive action in re-
Loving conylcts from the sentences of
the courts, But | behave 1t was in
tended by that article to vest in the
Governor the power to reprieye, IN
the interests Of humanity, TO be exer-
cised when, in his judgment, the in
terests of society mauifestly require
it.
II is alleged in your petition and in
the communication which have re-
ceived from other sources that the in-
terests of society will be promoted by
granting a respite to the condemned.
The signers to these petitions are too
numerous, influential and respectable,
and they represent too large a portion
of the citizens Of Louisiana 10 be
ignored in their request. The In
terests of society certainly cannot suf-
fer by granting reasonable time for
the veriflcation Of the reasons alleged
in the several petitions addressed TO
me.
II is, under the circumstances, bet
ter to reconcile all the citizens of the
State to the enforcement Of tho penalty
in this case by giving an opportunity
to be heard to those who believe that
the execution Of the sentence would
be wrong to society, than to now
enforce the sentence, leaving the dis
satisfaction TO linger in our midst, and
probably leading TO q greater distrust
in the execution Of the laws.
| will, therefore, grant respite for
a reasonable time, With the positive
assurance that the law will be executed
and the sentence carried into effect,
unless, in the said time, the Board Of
Pardons, with whom the whole mat
ter rests, interposes It's recommends
tion for elemency,
In your petition II ID asked that a
respite DO granted from time 70 time,
This { will not grant, aa II would
be revolutionary, placing me In direct
opposition to the DEGREES Of the court,
and il would, by just Interpretation,
place me IN the position Of express
ing q determination not to execute the
law,
In granting the repEieye | desire to
be understood that II is exercised only
within constitutional limits, and that
IL is my fixed purpose 70 carry the
sentence into execution II, as | have
said, there shall be no favorable ap-
tion by the Pardoning Board on the
matter hereafter 10 be referred to
them, II ia expected that there will
bo no unnecessary delay In bringing
the matter set forth In your petition
before the Board in such manner that
il can take action.
Respectfully, yonr nbedient servant,
$, D, McENERY, Governor