Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1866-04-20
THE MASSACRE OF MONDAY.
From the Norfolk yirginian.l

In our impression Of yesterday laid before the
public the facts connected with the murders done
Monday as far as they had reached us up to the
time Of going to press; and in another column
of to-day's issue we continue the melancholy his
tory.
In commenting on these occurrences we restrain
our natural emotions of horror and Indignation that
we may be just that may arrest if possible the
fame which threatens to flare up into war of
races which once fairly begun, will end after in
finite horrors in the determination of the blacks
To prevent the wild and savage scenes of such a
warfare is an obligation imposed upon US by every
consideration of private interest, public policy and
Christian duty.
With this conception of what devolves upon u.s.
We shall avoid any extended discussion OF the hor-
rid details of Yesterdays butchery, and address our
selves to a brief consideration of the emergency
upon u.s. and the corrective to be applied.
In fixing the awful responsibility which attaches
to their crimes the brutal assassins, it must be
remembered that the procession moved through all
the highways and byways Of this town without the
slightest mOlestation
II was upon the outskirts Of the city that the hor
rors we chronicle were enacted
In the evidence before the public, 1t is settled be-
yond question, that no prOrOcdtion ioaS giren, and
the blood of innocent and inofensive citizenship
GLIDING woman and mere lad, said to be past all
hope Of recovery-cres aloud for justice on the per-
petratOrs of these crimes.
Cause and effect were never more closely linked
which this procession was organized and conducted,
and the events which followed. ..
The presence of an armed force of negroes, in no
way connected with the public service in the pa
peant, and the murders thereafter to be DONE were
events predicted on the streets that morning by grave
and sober citizens.
If the coming event cast so palpable shadow
before it, what, we ask was the duty of the chief
magistrate of this city
Did it not appear that there was danger OF riot
oh hat
meant mischief Was it not manifest that danger
was TO be apprehended
If yes then the Mayor of this city should have
nterposed his authority and in default of enforcing
it, should have applied, had it been necessary to the
President of the United States.
We ask these questions and point out these short
comngs with pain, and in doing so, we do violence
to high personal regard for the Mayor of Norfolk
but in an emergency like the present we sacrifice
private regard to public duty.
But where the commandant OF this post
What was his dutyl He saw armed negroes in the
uniform of the United States under the flag of the
United States, marching to martial music, in serted
ranks with fixed bayonets through these streets.
Were they United States troops! or were they dis
charged men, who had no right, according TO mill
tary law to present themselves in the uniform of
the United States which they stained with foul and
brutal murdersl
What right had they to appear, armed with United
States muskets with fixed bayonets differed, uni
sight of the cOmmandants headquarters He has
military jurisdiction here. Why did lie not eXer-
else it? And when the murders began, and the
troops were under arms, where were the company
oficers}
All these are grave and pregnant questions.
The awful responsibility, however, goes further
back. General Terry is the man who should have
prevented the demonstration in Richmond.
That was the peniciOus example which we hear
is to be followed in several other places.
The first fruits of this Civil Rights Murder Bill
bitter. All history is cheat-the maxim that like
causes acting under like conditions, produce like
results is a wretched lie or this Greek gift comes
among us freghted with armed men to provoke in.
surrecton and ncite the horrors Of discretionary
warfare.
Our duty is plain. We must control our natural
impulses of indignation and revenge. We must
guard against the injustice of including our negro
population proper in the responsibility attaching to
the events of Monday.
We must guard against indisc riminate bitterness,
and remember that the great mass of our freed pop
ulation were not included in the procession or as
far as can learn, approvers of the display We
advise this moderation, not only here, but else
where; and the melancholy example of Norfolk
may serve to put the civil and military authorities of
other towns on their guard so that this murderpro-
ducing epidemic of professions may be checked in
time to prevent further etfuson of innocent blood,
and the fierce retributon which will ultimately fol-
low, unless we have some guarantee given us that
the lives of our women and children are not to be
sacrificed to the brutal passions of a drunken and
Infatuated mob.