The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1851-11-04

nv to some pa ticuar and isolated portion of the
human race, and lhen cxtend the system broad.
cast and Try every Other condition III humai-
ity by the same standard. Nothing can be
more unjust unphiIosophIcaI or fallacious.-
The idea that the condition OF society and gov
eminent in California is similar TO that in The
State Of New York or Massachusetts, is TO bo
believed f0r an instant. And yet, IL will DO
found that me few Of the lucid aud autbora.
tive editors who have attempted 10 discuss Cal.
iforuia matters, have fallen into the grave or.
ror Of reasoning always from the facts which
surround them, and applying to our condition
the conclusion to which they inevitably arrived.
For instance. in many portions of the Atlan-
tic Vt il conceded that capitol punishment ought
to be abolished; and il is urged that with their
secure prisons, II would be safely ana properly
done. That may be true ofiher condition, hut
IL would be the veries madness Z. advocate
such doctrine with Us. And w'hyf Because,
whist we have many very many, moro than
our quo share Of reckless and abandoned crm-
inals. the country has advanced so rapidly In
population that there has not been time to keep
pace with our necessities, and secure prisons
d., not exist. In such a siruaton-socety can
only protect itself by bloody and relentless
code. Hat
And again, in oil The Atlantic States. though
criminals now und then escape. it Is not ncces-
snry To resort TO extraordinary and extra Judi
cial proceedings to protect The community; bus
when the whole fountains ofjus'ce are pois.
cned. whom crime is open and deliberate. when
the peacabe a'e exposed night and day to the
bludgeon Of the high-wayman and the torch Of
the nceudiary. when an iudescribable dread.
and gloomy unccrtainiy. arising out of such
state # affairs. takes possession and sits like
some fell and heavy incubus upon tho public
mind tnen it may, and then will be necessary
to restore the legitimate and just order of af-
fairs by some unusual and revolutionary pro.
ccedings. That such was our situation no
man in his sense. il seems to US. can deny
And thai critical pusition of public morals was
"a snffi fioiSn, justification for the course Of this
pcppe, is equally ncnntrovertibie.
Men may talk in grandiloquent sentences and
nicely rounded pe,cds of ''Inob law. murder
ers aud pa bari ms" but they 7fsvc yet to learn
thai he 'us,iucts of self preservation must in
fallibly ard necessarily set at naught the fno
drawn deduction Of our parlor moralists and
book made philosophers. Whilst they theo-
rzcd. their domiclis arr in flames about their
hands--sh hilst they mors'ize, tho burglar holds
the pistol to their braas -r whilst they proud
ly urge the efficacy Of courts, police. prisons
and moral snasion. the corrupt aiders aud dbet-
tors Of viiainy quietly pocket Meir gtittering
fee. and then uoc.forate hoarsety for. LawI and
order. AT this dlslance, and iutbe lamcn;aolc
ignorance which mis- eads them, we do not
wonder at their errors; but we confidently ven.
ture the assertion That if the very same men.
were they on the ground. would be found &c.
tive members of the Committee of Vigilance.
This another important feature in which
this matter is perunaciously misunderstood by
SO accustom, d 10 regard an exeIcise bf Lynch
law as the excited act of a mob, that they can
not uodersta nd how n whole re ole should bo
imbued with desire raise superior to iho
laws Yet such gas The case; and in that very
fac. is found The most irrefragibie proof Of
the necessity and Propriety Of their course. All
men know; that when whole people are excl
rcd and alarmed, and resort to extraordinary
and revolutionary measures to rid themselves
of dan! erons enemies. there mnsi bo more truth,
more Justice and more patriotism in their con-
duet Than superficial aud wishy -washy retail,
ers of morality are capable of experimenting or
appreciating. aa.d sad