New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-08-14
Popular LAW i'm California.

FOPuI8T Inv
The California news by the Prometheus
has strange and solemn interest. 10
those who have traced the history of our
first Pacific State through all the marvel
lous phases of It's short existence, the pres
ent time assumes the nature of Crisis,
in which order and anarchy, violence and
security, are struggling for the mastery.
On the one hand. we have sickening sue
cesslon of murders. robberies and lncendl-
ary fires on the other, rapidly increasing
list Of trials, concentrations and executions,
perpetrated with relentless severity by the
summary action of the people 10 those
who are unacquaioted with the difficulties
under which California has labored ever
since the adoption of her State Constr
tuition, the latter alternative may appear
even more terrible than the former; and
course dictated in fact by the most awful
necessity which can be imposed upon any
community. may seem little else than the
lawless outbreak Of unbridled popular pas
sion. We have been somewhat sharply
taken to task by some of our contemporaries
for lustifying the motives of the San Fran
cisco Committee of Vigilance, and the mem
bers of the Committee themselves have been
made the subject of violent Remuneration,
vet every successive arrival from Caltor-
IL L. no nt lxhaf
we first asscrted-that the Lynch Law now
in operation is not Mob Law, but the result
Of a universal sentiment Of Order, con
scientlous belief that 1t cannot be obtained
by trusting TO the regular authorities, and
sense of danger which impelled them to i'm
mediate action We have professed our
inability TO Judge, at this distance, whether
other means might not have been employed
to enforce the laws. avoiding course which
must be always hazardous to the future
peace of society, even when the sterncst
eXigencv compels It, The disclosures which
we publish to-day. show clearly the reality
of the dangers L. which the Californians
were exposed they show how nearly hope
less was the reliance TO be placed on the
ordinary operation Of law. So far as the
evidence goes, they prove, at least, that
there have been sufficient reasons for the
action of the Committee of Vigilance, to en-
onerate them from the violent charges which
have been made against them on this side of
the Continent
While, therefore. We do not commend
and cannot condemn the course pursued
bv the citizens OF San Francisco. Sacra.
mento City and Stockton. we would not
withhold the strongest expression Of alb
horrsnce at the lynching of Mexican wo-
man in one of the remote mining localities.
4 description of the shocking occurrence is
given in another column. Every circum.
stance connected with this act invests il
with a most criminal character. and Illus
trates the extreme peril of setting exam
pie TO whole State. which NAV be followed
by communities wherein prejudice usurps the
place of justice. and the names of Law and
Order are made a plea to CRAFTY brutal
desire for revenge. In taking the execu-
ton of the criminal laws out of the hands of
the authorities, necessary as 1t may have
been. the San Franclscans have established
a dangerous precedent, of which this case
is one OF the first-iruitS We can only hope
that they viii fulfil their design OF Kidding
the country OF the swarms Of thieves and
murderers that iniest IL, and restore the adj
mlnistrauon of law 10 its proper channel,
before they shall have given license fer
similar tragedy.
In other respects, the news from Caliior-
MIA is similar 20 that by previous arrivals.
The discoveries OF gold are daily extend
ing the precious veins have been traced to
the eternal SHOWS of the Sierra Nevada
and company OF miners are already estab-
hshed AT work IN that more than Alpine
solitude and desolation. In spite of the la
bors of the Indian commissioners. the hes
tiLties of the tribes increase, and every ar
rival from the Oregon frontier brings tidlngs
of some new massacre. San Francisco still
feels the effect of her late devastatlons ,
business is sluggish. and the rebuilding OF
| the burnt district proceeds but slow'y-ior