Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1860-01-10
American Tyranny Worse than Europe
an DespOtism.
AN IRIsHMAN's sUFFERfSes IN SOUTH CARO-

AN IRIsHMAN's sUFFERfSGs II SOUTH CARO-
LIMA.
From the New York independent, Dec 81
The Northern newspapers have recenu
| republished brief paragraph frotp tn
Charleston Mercury, announcing in ven
! nonchalant style, that workman engages
on the State House, in Columbia, 5. c.
was recently seized by mob on account
as was alleged, of holding anti-slaver,
opinions, and that he received twenty-nin
lashes, and was tarred and feathered. an,
escorted out of the State
1t took very few lines to tell this story
according to the style Of the Southern
press for it is a trait of Southern chival
ry, first to practice cruelty, and then tt
suppress the facts.
We have seen this unfortunate man, an(
heard his story, and looked at his wounds
His name is James Power. BE is an intel
ligent young man, about twenty three
years of age. native of Waterford, Ire
land, and a stone-cutter by trade. He
went from Philadelphia to the South, auC
obtained employment in Columbia, where
he had worked for nine months.
The only opinion he ever expressed
against slavery was that it caused white
laborer in the South to be looked upon as
an inferior and degraded man. But this
was enough! The remark was reported
TO the Vigilance Committee composed OF
twelve members) who Immediately order
ed the police to arrest him. He was seiz-
ed two miles away from town, in attempt
ing to escape. He was brought back, and
put in q cell, where he remained for three
days, during which time he was denied the
use of pen and ink, and oil communication
with his friends ontside.
AT length he was taken before the May
or. -Four persons appeared and bore tes-
timony to the remark which he had made.
The evidence was conclusive. He was
returned to prison, and kept locked up for
days. During this time, he was allowed
only two scanty meals day, and the food
was carried to him by negro. He was
two marshals, who said to him,
''You are so fond of niggers, that we are
going to give you a Niger escort"
He was led through the main street amid
great crowd, hooting and yelling, the
marsbalS compelling two negroes to drag
him through the puddles and muddy places
OF the street, and of the State House yard
As he was taken past tie State House
iiIcc iIeHlUtfS vi the itSiSiuihfS liltiitiES
the Speaker, stood looking on and laugh
ing! The crowd gradually increased until
it numbered several thousand persons,
headed by a troop of horse.
After march of three miles ont of the
city, to place called ''the Junction." the
procession was stopped, and preparations
were made for punishment The populace
cried "Brand him." Spike him to
death ~ and made threats against his life
by pointing pistols at his head, and flour
fishing sticks in his face.
The Vigilance Committee ordered him
to strip himself naked, and forced a negro
to assist in taking off his clothes. A COW
hide was then put into the negroes hands,
who was ordered to lay on thirty nine
lashes, { not twenty-nine rs reported) and
to draw blood with every stroke. Our
informant describes the pain of this in
Fiction as exceeding in severity anything
which he ever suffered before. His back
and lower limbs are still covered with the
scars of the wounds
a bucket of tar was then brought, and
two negroes were ordered to rub it upon
his bleeding skin, and to cover him from
head to waist His hair and eye brows
we're clotted with the tar. After this part
ers His pantaloons were then drawn up
to his waist, but lie was not allowed to
put on his shirt or coat. He was then
conducted in this exposed condition, amid
the shouts of the pOpulace, to the railroad
train, and was put on board the negroes
car The engineer blew a continuous blast
on his whistle to signalize the perform
ance.
a. go Ia tVa1
who saw the poor fellows unfortunate
condition, stepped into a neighborirg no.
tel, before the starting of the cars, and
brought cup of coffee and some biscuits
to relieve the sufferers faintness. II was
timely gift, and gratefully received. But
the Southern chivalry gathered around
the Southern gentleman, and threatened
him with summary vengeance II he repeat
ed his generosity. The exasperated crowd
detained the train, aud called for more tar
and feathers, for a further intiiction upon
their bleeding victim More tar was got,
but more feathers could not be found; and
after fresh tar was applied, cotton was
stuck upon it instead.
When the train started for Charleston,
the mob babe him good bye, ard told him
that when he reached that city he wonld
receive one hundred and thirty lashes At
every station between Columbia and
Charleston, the engineer blew prolonged
whistle, and gathered mob to add fresh
insults to the wounded man. At length,
on arriving, he was met by the police, con
veyed to prison, and detained in his cell
for an entire week. Here he received, for
the first time, soap and water to wash oil
the tar, and oil 10 5, ften his sores. A mob
several times threatened to break into the
prison to carry him out into the street, and
make public spectacle of him second
time But he was kept closely confined.
A physician called to see him, to examine
his wounds, who told him that his case
was a mild one, comparing it with that OF
a man who was then lying in the City
Hospital from the effects of five hundred
lashes which had almost put an end to bis
life
On Saturday morning last, at O'Clock,
the poor workman was taken from prison,
and conducted quietly on board the steam
er for New York He arrived in this city
on Monday last, where he is still staying,
recovering from the effects of his brutal
treatment, and looking for work, which
we hope he may find.
We have only one comment to make on
this case. This man informed Ii that, in
common with the great mass of lrIShmen
in this country, he had always voted with
the Democratic party lie had long known
in Philadelphia that the Democratic party
upheld slavery, but he never learned, m
til he went to South Caroiina, that slavery