The primitive Republican. (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-1852, 1851-09-25
The Lancaster (Pa) Riot.

The Lancaster (Pa.) Riot.
We have as yet only the telegraPhie &C
counts of this affair, scanty and meagre, il
Which the one fact, of the murder Of tive
white men by mob Of negroes, stands out
horribly distinct but the details which ex
plain how such an event could have occurred
in such a place are left to utter uncertainty
Pcrhaps-and We hope there may be some
extonuation Of the apparent completely Of the
people in this ncfarious outrage-there may
have been sudden surprise of the authori
ties-an unexpected rush Of an unforeseen
mob, doing its deeds of lawlessncss with alb
rupt ferocity, and then disappearing, before
the paralyscd officials could muster in sutf-
cient strength. Negligence, mismanagcment
timidity, almost every thing is to be prefer
red as an explanation of this shocking affair,
rather than that it should be the public sent
imcnt which tolerated, or connived at this
monstrous crime. If it shall not be proved
clearly that the deed of blood is regarded with
horror, and its perpetrators visited with the
sternest inAiction of public justice, the Incl
dent will be perpetual blot on the character
Of the State, and Of fatal augury to the peace
of the Republic. If the anti-slavery spirit
tolerated riot and murder in resistance to the
admitted rights of the STAKEHOLDER and the
plain letter of the law, and in peaceful and
intelligent Lancaster, the madness of fanati-
cism has gone beyond the control of reason
or persuasion, and they who are infected with
it are to be shuned as one would shun the
deadly venom of mad-d6g's tooth" We
must doubt yet whether loyal Pennsylvania
who has been faithful often among the faith
less in her respect for the constitutional right:
of the South, has 50 suddenly gone over tc
the worst excuses of the widest apostle Of
discord and bloodshed
But, whatever may be the facts of this out
|
break, Pennsylvania has duty to perform tc
humanity, to law, to the obligations of the
constitution, & the rights of her sister States
which must be performed to the uttermost
She must clear her own skirts of this fou
outrage, by pursuing the perpetrators, b.
seizing them with the strong hand Of. i4Aex
ible justice, by making them an expl 6tion 70
the deadly sin with which they have pollute,
her borders, and by offering every atonemen
possible to the victims of the irreparabl
crime and to their representatives. An
with this glaring example before her eyes Q
the horrible extremities to which the spirit Q
riot tends, and1of the natural effect. of tn
evil passions which Abohtionism fosters an
stimulates, she must, at least, take warnin
for the future, from this terrible affair of hol
ror and disgrace; and We mistake her trait
of character much if it do not rouse that 81
Der and conservative spirit for which she ha
been distinguished throughout all these col
troversies, into aresolute action to crush Will
in her borders the desperate faction who's
teachings have produced and encourag' d thes
: lawlcss acts.
7 May hersternness, her energy her justic
and her forethought bring some good at la
out of this great evil and wrong The eye
of the South will watch her with intense il
terest, for she holds mighty results within he
grasp. May she earn the confidence they al
willing to pay if she only proves that she d
' serves it; but now,it is not little that wi
f acquit her and satisfy them
Thirty-scven persons, all of whom exec
t two are negroes, have been arrested for pa
i ticipation in the riots in Lancaster count
: Pa. They are charged withhigh treason an
0 murder. Great excitement prevails.
! IN o. Picayune.