The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1851-03-12

are you doing here!'
"Here on business!" was the pert re-
sponse.
81 thought you didn't lire here"
"Live here. stranger!" cried the anato-
my; "why my land is fifty miles from here;
a preltier clearing can't be found on the
Missouri"
"Glad that you're so lucky" said l.
and continued, "my clearing is hundreds
OF miles from here, and wish was on it,"
"One does like to be at home," chimed
in our friend.
YES" growled Jim, 81 always make
home the place where am"
Another long pause succeeded this ram
bling chat. The little man broke ii as be-
fore. He said:
"lt's almost time for US to do our busi-
ness"
was about TO exclaim. testify. "Well,
why don't you do it." but my better geni-
us prevented, and enquired if we were in
the way.
THAT depends on circumstances" an
swered the Lampedo.
"Oh!" grunted Jim, emphatcally, as he
shuffled from his old position into new
one.
| drew long breath and asked what
those circumstances might be.
"They mought be e'enamost anything"
answered the little man, with grin over
what he considered his wit; shut they are
peculiar You'll understand 'em present.
ly."
The men had been earnestly talking
among themselves all this while and had
seen that Jim and formed no inconsider.
able portion Of their topics. They appear
ed to be debating about some question. in
which it was plain enough we were mixed
up some way or another. In a short time
they appeared to have amicably settled
whatever difficulty had existed. One Of
them came up TO the little man, and saying
-"AlI right--tell 'em!''--returned to his
comrades.
The little man nodded his head compla-
Gently, and then, condesceniing to 4un-
close his parchment covered jaw, he adj
dressed us again.
"WE'RE LyNcHERs."
Had he said "WE'RE ROBBERS" instead,
| could not have experienced more un-
pleasant shock than that which suddenly
who have never visited he regions regions hfsf wbc
am writing, know nothing of the lynch
ers or their works. Time and time again
have beheld their transactions. In the
majority of cases the DEGREES of the lynch
ers were just and unavoidable. In some
cases they were fendish. unmerited, and
wicked in the extreme Lynch law in new
se,tlements--in the West and Southwest
is not the lynch law Of the North-of cities.
The lynchers are the Oldest and most
respectable of the inhabitants. They are
as Systematically organized and convened
as the Senate OF the United States. They
are governed by rules as fixed as the stat
utes OF the Medes and Persians. have
written constitution and laws. to guide them
and conduct their proceedings with every
sort Of judicial importance. There is no
insanity Of the mob discoverable in their
movements. They try, condemn and pun
ish culprit, with as much preparation and
as coolly as any court in the United States.
In arresting person unfortunate enough
to come under their notice they go to all
lengths. They will track him hundreds Of
milcs--lrom State to State, territory 10 ter
ritory. Ifhe delivers himself quietly up he
will get all the benefit Of such trial as they
award--il not he must trust to the speedy
settlement of his affairs after they have Sc
cured him. Thelynchers supply the place
of the authorities Of the country. Where
they are organized one Of Uncle Sans OF.
ficials is rarely, if ever, seen. Sometimes
a Judge or two will stray along once in
year, and hold hurried session which will
amount to nothing excepting farce. In
the meantime the desperadoes who may
have committed their various crimes to the
detrment Of the scattered, only selfpro-
tected community. commonly must be sup
ported and guarded entirely at the expense
and care of those whom they have wrongsd.
To obviatc these difficulties, and get some
species flaw, the lynchers were instituted
by the people. admit that their code is
bloody, but they have bloody and barbar-
Gus men TO deal with--men who will burn
q cabin and tenants 10 crafty feeling OF
vengeance, or murder whole colony for
the sake of a few dollars, or their equiva-
lent. Bad as lynch law unquestionably is
it is better than no law at all and this is
all the choice the inhabitants Of those wilds
have. Among the Lynchers are ministers
of the gospel, lawyers, &c.
The little shrivelled creature with whom
| held the conversation above, was an
itinerant preacher. | was told that he
was very fair one. In preachers. as in
law, the new settler is obliged to be con-
tented with the best he can procure.f My
object is to combine, in this brief sketch,
truth and information with interest and
amusement. Let no one be offended be-
cause | have stated that ministers are
leagued with the lynchers, for such is the
fact, TO alter which is entirely out Of my
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