The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-08-28
SLAVERY As A PREVENTIVE OF LYNCH Law.

The Southern Press, commenting upon the burn
ings, robberes and lynchings in California, says
that such is the retrbution that has fallen upon
her" for excluding Slavery from her borders
African Slavery, it contends, "would have op.
Grated powerfully to prevent those evils; for
Shareholders generally would have gone with
their families there, and have established socie-
ty-they would have located their negroes in the
country, not the towns, and by cutivating the
SOIL cheapened the necessares of life, thus en-
abling the gold diggers to save more of their
earnings.
Our neighbors overlook the fact, that the slave
holders who would have migrated to California,
would have gone there, not to farm or plant but
to dig gold; 80 that they would have done no
more towards establishing society and bringing
land under cultivation, than Northern emigrants.
Besides it has been found that slaveholding in
sttutions are not at all unfavorable to lynch law
on this side of the Rocky Mountains Within a
few years past, in slave States, several criminals
have been wrested from the hands of the law, by
the mob, and been either hung or burnt to death.
A day or two since we cut from our exchanges
hCCOuuts VI tWO UtScS VI bulS kluu, Al cAho,
the other in Georgia. In one, negro boy who
had been seized by Mr.. Baker, as fugitive slave,
and confined to his house, effected his escape by
staying his captor, with his wife. The boy Was
caught secreted in a corn-crib in Austin, and put
in Jail for trial The citizens of Austin assem-
bled at the Capitol, and appointed committee OF
twelve to proceed to the Jail, and examine him.
The committee, being refused admiftance by the
jailor, reported to the meeting, which forthwith
adjourned to the Jail broke 1t open, and seized
the boy, who was srraigned, tried, condemned,
and hung according to the forms Of lynch law,
now 30 popular in California.
The other case was that Of negro man, named
Jarrett, convicted of an infamous crime in Geor-
eia, but pardoned by Governor Towns On the
i2th inst, at o'clock, mob of five hundred per-
sons beset the Jail in Augusta and demanded the
keys. The sheriff refused to give them up, and
Immediately they broke open the doors, brought
Jarrett out, and hung him on pine tree back of
the Jail.
A few weeks ago, similar outrages were COM
mitted in Florida and Missouri
We assert, and facts sustain the assertion, that
lynch law is scarcely more prevalent in California
than it is in the Southern States. Indeed the ten.
deucy to resort to it is quite strong enough in all
sections Of the country, particularly out of New
England so strong, indeed, that no good citizen
ought to oountenance it anywhere, no matter
what the provocstion.
The orderloving people who deemed its sum-
mary process necessary in San Francisco, could
have reached their object by safer method II
they were strong enough to hang man without
law, they were strong enough to establish such
laws and such tribunals as would have secured
his legal execution. They have no right to un-
dertake by violence to remedy the evils caused by
their own remissness.