The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1889-08-10
IS oct believed oy q majority OF the

is oct believed by a majority OF the
people Of Lafayette. Troops were
act aaeded an1 aot asea for making |
tic arrests, bct for%.hoidlng she pris-.
onefs alter arrest. Tie query OF the
H.cavune is Ee:v readily answered.
They co0it lave made the arrests
any time and might nave succeeded
il lodging the prisoners in Jail, but
they would not have remained there
- hours. u fact this boast was ire
s.Hent,y made before the arrests and
was generally credited. We believe
;hat The presence 81 a considerable
body Of troops under command CT
an officer Of high rank was the only
! thing Which prevented a very sefi-
oas loss of life. Sheriff Broussard u
Il brave and determined man, aud
will arrest aav: "a on earth It duty
requires. but no Han knows better
than he the people Of Lafayette par.
isA, n0rj what ceifrse TO pursue IL the
present emergency. We are as aux
ions 81 the pIcagune, and doubtless
more Interested, in shielding the fair
name of people Of Lafayette; and for
this reas;GG withheld c%otunent
on soae Of the recent occurrences
in the parish. Dpt. The people OF that
parish are uot5 sespGasible for the
outrageous iawiessaess If the mob
.rnm CareHcro, and do not feel that
their characters as good citizens
have been ~asIersed ty the mode of
procedure In arrestIug the leaders
toi tie mob aforesaid. On the cen
trary we hclisve that q majority OF
them calnlaen3 tie latest action of
the authorities as needsul and proper.
Acadia Sentinel.
The attempt of the Times Demo
icrat and other :soa-a9san5 law aud
'order papers. in attempting to class
Ifs the late lypciling OF u negro
prisone, in Lafayette. and the race
troubles which occurred some months
iagc :n the same town aud in Iberia,
as ofenses Of the same nature, de,
rserycs the most aup qualified condemn
alton.
Tie Iberia, Lafayette and Gretna
disturbances CT Tic early summer
Greg ont Of the insolent aud aggrcs-
size attitude Of the. negroes toward
ltEc whites; there were no specific
~c,iaes committed by the negroes
whieI. the luw could reach; but ,heir
altitude, their genera! turbulent, IN
! deccn, and and defiant behavior rem
dered it necessary, for the whites to
resort 10 the first law of nature, the
law Of self,preservation. By the pco-
pic Of these localities So lar as these
affairs are concerned we stand unre-
servealy and without qualification.
TAey did JUS: what they out 20 have
done. and just what the white people
in any other section Of the South
would have done under like eircum.
stances, But the lynchlng OF the &c,
gro Felix Keys, vas al entirely diff
ferent affair. IN THIS latter case, the
negro was accused OF q specific
orN:1e. he was in the custody OF the
officers OF the Law. and he was con
fined III a Jail from which there was
not the remoiest possibility OF his es.
GAPING. In this case the course Of
the law and the puul.hment 81 the
crimina. were certain, AID ibe poo
pie Of Lafayette ought to have per.
m;tted the law to take lis course. In
this matser Tue mob was decidedly
in the wrong, tEey were guilty Of .
clear violation OF the lazy 10 resort
ing &c lzwtess measures 10 euforce
iustice when TIE legal methods were
amply sufficient,
The action OF the mob 10 break
ing opcu the jail. Selling Keys and
hanging lin without a trial, We do
not, We say, endorse. and yet. We
are not prepared to rush headlong
jato u farious. denunciation Of tie
Lafayette moi. There are crimes
and crimes, and there are some
crimes Of SO brutal an9 diabolica' q
character, accompanied by 90 many
indications OF british ~deprayity aud
insensibility. that humanity %resolts;
the usna' punishment seems made
qua,e to do Justice, and men, il the
frenzy If .n0irnatinn. rise ~. tram.