Justice was swift. We NEED to bring that back again!
Well, I don't know if I'd go that far. Certainly, the vigilance committees did help to address the problem of the breakdown of law and order at a time when there was a handful of police (30 men in 1849) to patrol a booming population of rough men.
It is interesting to note, however, that the S.F. vigilance committee went so far as to provide advocates to defend Charles Cora and James Casey in front of a jury (made up of vigilance committee) members.
I suppose as the saying goes: extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures.