Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1847-07-10
Law W.. the CoNyhide.


ing life or limb, are pot on the same level, and
pecuniary redress is all that the injured party
or the State has ever asked. In England, the
ancient and venerable mother of The common
There the injury inflicted may be accurately
judged by the quanum of bodily suffering and
the shilIings, pence and doctors bills necessa-
fy 10 heal the bruises. ln the United States
however, it is not the lacera,ed face or The
swollen eye that auy body cares for-if the
instrument used be eOtchide, that accursed
engine rendered odious and abominable by its
perpetual contact with the back of slaves
however slight may be the bodily pain, the in.
suit, the wrong 10 the mos. damDing and fe-
rocious that freeman can possibly conceive or
inAicl on freeman. And whya The assailant
clearly makes an effor. to wres, from his fell
low citizen his birthfighi, his manhood, his
consciousness of equality with his peers of
the grea, American brotherhood, and sink him
to the faihomless depths of a slaves degrada-
lion If the back of slave is marked with
cowhide, so is his. In truth, The knight of
spirit of manhood In his victim, unless that
spirit recoils and hurls just punishment upon
the man who dared TO pluck il from its sphere.
The consciousness Of his degradation pursues
him sverywhere--his brow droops, his heart
sinks whenever he meets the unsulled, IN
subjugated countenance OF his fellow man.
te sees freedom every where around and above
him--his fellow citizens enjoying it like Lac.
arus in Abraham's bosom, but his spirit is
wriihing under the burning wrong Of slaves
lot. He knows that the opinion Of his fellow
citizens is. that he who will submit to slaves
punishment lie worthy Of slaves condition
and hereby he loses his cas-, in society, II is
true that the noble and magnanimous, through
pity, will no, insul, him by reference to his
stripes, but the mean and malicious will gloas
upon his stripes and repea, them at pleasure
Aye! the sufferer believes it must be more than
mortal hatred aided by satanical sagaciy in
the choice Of means. which can arm man with
a cowhide to accomplish the social degradation
and ruin of his fellow to spare life and make
i. a standing ignOminy. curse and shame!-
There is no difference between cowhiding
freeman and kidnapping and selling him into
bondage. There is no provocation however
great Iha. will justify resort TO the cowhide,
that would not justify the assalani in seizing
on his enemy, backing bis face. curling his
hair aud selling him into slavery. Hence pub
lie opinion sanctions the most terrible vsnge-
snce in such cases, and unless The injured par
ty succumbs and surrenders his brthrigh,, he
is sure TO inhic, that punishment necessary TO
his emancipation. es
You may beat man with cane or club
as has been done in this cOunIy-wilh anything
ba, q cowbids, for this alone is insepsrably
associated with the condition of slavery you
may kick him and knock him down, do any
thing and yet you do no, provoke resort 10
deadly weapons. Ii man nesds redress
which the law cannot give, let him double up
his fists, gel club. or even use deadly
ssspon If it aausi ha so. bot let him not at
tempt to infict on freeman. a slaves punish
meni: for such is the state of public opinion in
this country iba, blood must flow from such
an act. He who undertakes il must coolly cal
cula,e on provoking his antagonist to the most
frantic revenge. or suppose him possessed Of
spirit TOO craven TO resent il. The latter sup.
position would prove that the sssailani trust.
ed TO the cowsrdice of his victim TO cover his
own.
Bot there are men who suffering under high
provoosiion just or unjust, tire are DULLES and
braggar,s who wish 70 gaia Tenown By casIi-
eating weaker men than themselves, who win
still be desperate enough to repea, the exPer.
imeni which in Two recent instances has nearly
resulted 10 death, What shall bs done! Un-
| ess there be law infic,ing degrading pun
ishmeni on the Individual who uses The cow
hide TO chasiss another. sssursdly 1.-THE wild
justice Of revenge will prevail" and blood
will follow blood. DECADE the cowhidcr b y
incarceration in the psUitentisry or Jail, aud his
victim will not take law jato his owB hands.
Ii the test Of crime be, the sanguinary meas.
ufes by which you may resist IL, then what
greater crime than 40 attempt to subject Free
man to slaves condition By The eowhide!
You are iusli6sbe says Public Opinion in
avengiug saeh en- assapa sen with death.
No prOyoeagion shoald be allowed to justify
man who attempts to oowhide fellow citizen
tia, would no, justify him in shooting such
citizen dows. Then we need law to save
life. TO save blood; a law ,ha, will infici de-
gradiog punishment on him who attempts to