The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-07-16
LYNCH LAW.


The maintenance Of the supremacy Of che
law should be made a matter Of pride by
American citizens They have proclaimed the
doctrine that man is capable Of sclEgovern-
ment, and have Incorporated the principle I'm
their institutions. They applaud the orators
! who repeat the assertions of this glorious faith
on the recurrence Of the Fourth Of July. But
| the events that occur almost weekly, in various
parts Of the Union, furnish a sad commentary,
calculated to diminish the force of our cx-
ample and our influence on the rest Of man
kind
1t is admitted that crimes Of the darkest
dye are fearfully on the increase, and it must
be acknowledged that the enent treatment of
! the worst offenders, and the facilities allowed
them to escape "unwhipped Of justice" have
operated to this alarming end We know that
! il is natural for an outraged community TO
feel indignant, when, either for lack of legal
| evidence, or from the tricks Of lawyers, a
criminal, Of whose guilt there is almost a
moral certainty, is permitted to go forth
among his fellow-meD, perhaps to repeat his
deeds Of wrong. Shameful, indeed, is
| it, that so many instances of this
! legalized sheltering Of the bold and bad
have occurred to disgrace tho records of our
courts. From the exclusion of important
| evidence by the judges themselves, to the
| eloquent pleading of the "moral insanity"
dodge by the gentlemen of the green bag,
there has too ofen seemed a conspiracy to
defeat the ends Of justice, or, at least, luke
warmness in regard to the proper admins
| tration Of the laws designed for the punish
ment of the enemies Of society. These things
| are difficult TO be borne with patience; yet it
is easy to Stow that for the ultimate good of
the community, for the sake OF our own per-
sond safety, and for the vindcation Of the
rightfulness Of our political system, these
| grievances must be tolerated.
No one, whatever his faith may be in vigi-
| lance committees, can deny that a mob acts
from the hot impulse of the moment. The
persons who compose the violent crowd are
! generally the worst class OF the community
| who seize every occasion, no matter how
trihing, to raise an excitement and disturb
their fellow-citizens. Can we suppose that
such a rabble is better able to slit evidence
and determine a question of guilt, than men Of
intellect, learning, and integrity, such as are
the majority of the judges upon the bench in
this country? Have they not repeatedly com
mitted outrages upon innocent persons, who
were merely suffering under a suspicion of
having perpetTated deed in violation of the
| criminal laws2 Have not their proceedings
always run to an extreme, inflicting punish
ment entirely beyond the deserts of the al
legged offenderP
The fact that a violent crew of rufIians
undertake to decide a question of inno-
cence or guilt under this "Lynch law" is
fatal to the personal security of every citi-
zen, if such outlaw proceedings are tolerated.
Even the most profound jurists are frequently
puzzled by circumstantial evidence, and they
often conclude that defendant is criminal
| when subsequent events demonstrate beyond
all doubt that the supposed guilty person was
more sinned against than SHINING" The
best of us are liable to such prosecutions,
and what assurances have we that, in
stead of having fair trial, we shall not be
torn from the Court by mob and put to death
without even time for prayerP Is it not clear
that if we at once admit that "Lynch law" may
be justihable in any case, that there is an
opening made for violence which will place
US all at the mercy OF a rultian rabbleP True
freedom consists in knowing that no member
Of society can be deprived of life, liberty, or
property, without due process Of la'0," aud
the worst foes OF civil liberty are those who
delight in mobs, when the decision of Court
does not accord with their notions of right
They destroy that feeling of security which
is a result Of the supremacy of the constituted
authorities, and without which freedom is
worthless. II is therefore for the general and
ultimate good of the community, to submit to
what appears to be an act of injustice on the
part of the administrators OF the law in a par
ticular case, rather than countenance a resort
to mob violence.
But, besides our duty to ourselves, we must
not forget the mission Of this Republic. In
the Old World it is the constant plea for das-
potlsm, that men are not tit for self govern
meut and that there can be no security for
society, unless the strong hand Of an iron au-
tocrat is holding the reins of power. The
advocates Of oppression point eXultingly to
the violent outbreaks of the people, when a
moderate degree Of liberty was permitted, to
| support lutT ds5tNtIdJlOuas Dudl We, WIN
claim to embody the great principle to which
these deyotees Of tyranny are opposed, furnish
them with new arguments to sustain sinking
cause2 We trust not, for the sake Of civil
liberty throughout the world. Let Judge
Lynch" receive no quarter from the press OF
intelligent Americans throughout the Union
CALFoRTIA STEAArERs.-We are pleased
to announce that Mr.. w. A. HAArLL ha,
4, been appointed agent in this city for Mr.. o
RoBERrs' line of steamers from New ork t
San Francisco. From our knowledge of Mr.
! HASmL's long experience in the shippin.
J business, we can freely say that better ap
, pointment could not have been made. Gu
, readers will find the Company's advertisement
in another column.
"A paper in Western New York AYERS that
a man named johnson, Of Geneva, Ontario county