Freedom requires law and order
Anarchy is essentially the same as tyranny. Whoever has the most guns and is willing to commit the most heinous crimes is going to rule over you.
A common misunderstanding of conservatism and libertarianism is that conservatives and (small “L”) libertarians support abolishing government. While some libertarians do indeed take the “initiation of force” principle to extreme lengths, libertarianism is not the same as anarchism.
Anarchy is essentially the same as tyranny. Whoever has the most guns and is willing to commit the most heinous crimes is going to rule over you. If anarchy stabilizes, it will always become tyranny. In the meantime, horrible things will happen. Government is needed to enforce order and prevent society from deteriorating into anarchy.
Economically, this is critical. Having a predictable and consistent set of laws allows consenting adults to engage in commerce, while private property rights allow us to keep our things and our lands safe from both the government and private actors who would steal things that belong to others.
If we do not have law and order, we cannot safely engage in business, go to church, travel, have private gatherings, or go to our jobs. Order is not necessarily more important than liberty, but order is an essential part of liberty. If we do not have order, we cannot have liberty. Government protects our liberty by imposing order on the lawless and by serving as a deterrent against those who would prey on the innocent.
This is also why it is important for justice to be blind and not used for vendettas. Selective prosecutions of political enemies - or non-prosecutions of allies - breaks down order by causing the public to lose trust in our governing authorities. Needless dishonesty by public officials (both elected and appointed) also contributes to the breakdown of order by damaging the public’s trust. Government officials must protect their authority and the authority of those who follow after them by behaving ethically and honorably.
Most people do not want to live in a police state where Big Brother is looking over our shoulder constantly. But if we are serious about protecting liberty, we must have order for that liberty to continue.