Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1918-04-19

You have been selected because Of you
legal qualifications, and have become in
vested by your oatlS with certain impor
tant duties and functions, and are charge,
with certain grave responsibilities.
In the exercise and discharge of thcs'
powers and duties, you should let no i'm
proper influences weigh with you. bu
you should be gndcl and controlled 10y
nothing save the law, yonr conscience'
and oath, which | am quite sure yen vii
not offend, or violate. but will sacredly
ot'y and keep.
Your chief, ii not y .ur only duty, is to
investigate aud indict ior all infraction,
of the criminal laws of the State occur
ring in this parish. which you, Of your
own knowledge, may know about, or
which may he brlu,ht to your attention
toy informer>.
II Your powers and duties are briefly,
but substantially embodied in. and made
\ known to you ny the oath which you
have taken, and might well content
myself by simply calling to your atten-
tion its obligations, and emphasizing the
Sanctity and solemnity of the oath which
has been administered to you.
Under the oath which you have sworn
to observe and keep, you will present no
one from envy, hatred or malice; nor will
you leave anyone unpresented from fear,
favor, affection or hope Of reward. but
you will present all things truly as they
come to your knowledge. In other
words, you are not to use your position
to oppress any innocent person with a
criminal accusation, or exercise your
power from motives of personal ill-will,
hatred, revenge or spite; on the other
hand, you should be careful to guard
against the influences OF favoritism and
personal friendships, or any other ul-
terror or sinister purpose.
The counsel and advice which may be
given you by the district attorney, as
well as your own and that of your fel-
lows. you are enjoined to keep secret
The object Of this secrecy is two-fold:
the first is toencourage persons who may
be cognizant OF any infractions of any of
the criminal laws to freely and fearlessly
come before you and make complaint
without apprehension of bodily hurt, and
without dread Of injury to reputation or
property.
II this feeling of security against harm
was not so inspired, many persons, es-
pecially the timid, would forego making
complaints. rather than incur the enmity
Of sonne friend or ntighbor, or run the
risk of danger to person, character or
property. II such persons could feel as
sured that what transpired in the grand
jury room would be held secret, they
would be emboldened unreservedly to
impart all information in their possession
relating to the infraction of the law; and
you, yourselves, would experience a
greater sense of fearlessness, and feel more
secure in your persons, regulations and
property; your action would be freer and
more independent, and a healthier con-
dition in the administration of justice
would be the result
The other object of this secrecy is to
avoid the escape from arrest and impris-
onment of those informed against.
Capital crimes cannot he prosecuted ex-
cept upon an indictment of grand jury.
All other crimes and offenses may be
prosecuted upon information of the dis
trict attorney. But because OF this yon
are not absolved from returning indict-
ments for the lesser offenses.
There are obvious reasons, not neces-
sary to state here, why grand jures should
not seek to excuse themselves from the
performance of duty in this regard by
shifting the responsibility for the inaug-
uration of prosecutions for these lesser
crimes upon the district. t..attorney. 1t is
sufficient for you to know that it is your
duty to indict in all such cases, and the
court fully expects you to do it.
In the performance of your duties, let
me impress upon you the importance to
the community in which you live of the
necessity for faithful and enthusiastic
fufilment of the task which confronts
you, entreating and urging upon you a
rigid and ::strict fidelity to the trust re-
posed in you by confiding public. Do
not enter upon your work in a careless,
Indifferent or half-hearted manner, but
let your labors be characterized by zeal,
energy and thoroughness-se searching and
extending throughout the entire limits of
the parish-embracing in its scope all
classes OF persons, of every condition or
station in life. Our grand juries, as a
rule, are too prone to hasten through with
their work, and to overlook matters which
should receive attention.; they estimate
too lightly the service which they are
called upon to perform, and in many in
stances forfeit the confidence repOscd in
them. So. beg OF you, that you will,
10y your faithfulness and intelligence, es-
cape any unfavorable criticisms.
The future good order, peace, happi-
ness and prosperity of your community
will be reflected in the manner in which
you perform your duties.
If you but reflect little on this sub
ject, your intelligence will easily enable