Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-06-14
Barton, Friday, June IA, 1867.
TERMS:
Crime North and South.

The census of 1850 shows that the ratio vi WINES
In the penitentiary of Virginia for ten years, was
ono to twentv three thousand while the ratio In O
Massacbusetts States Prison was one to seven
thousand five hundred and eighty seven. In the Il
CITY of New York, in the year lo49, there were
l135 convictions for crime, while Tor all the nj
teen 90 slave" States for that year, there was not
SO many In the State of New York, in 1850, l
there we're ten thousand two hundred and seven
ty convictions for crime. In South Carolina, IN
n population more than one fifth that of New I
York, there were only forty six cases of crime.
The bills of crime in Charleston, s. c., for that
year were six and half per cent. less than bos-
tCn."-N. Y. Day Book.
The above from the Day Book IS a {
sample of the arguments put forth by !
copperhead editors and orators TO
prove the superior civilization oil the
south" 1t is so very shallow that
none but the most ignorant can fail to
discover it. What if the statistics
of crime in the United States" do
" disclose the fact that there are five
times more convictions for crime IN
the north than in the south ?" What
does that prove? 1t certainly does
not prove that there is any more crime
in the north than in the south. 1t on
ly goes to show that in the north crime
is punished, while in the south crimi-
nails are not brought before the courts.
In the north criminals are watched,
arrested, tried, convicted and punish
ed as their crimes are thought to war
rant, while in the south criminals are
rarely tried and still more rarely con-
victed. If a murder is committed the
chances are more than even that if the
murderer is ever punished the friends
of the victim have to take the law In
to their own hands and wreak such
vengeance as their own mad passions
may dictate Thus southern society
tolerates two crimes and allows two
criminals to go unpublished, while the
north would lay its iron hand upon
the criminal and thus forestall the
avenger of blood" Let us give a
specimen of southern laxity in this
regard, and which is within our own
knowledge, although we did not know
the hero of the several tragedies
We spent the winter of 1852 in the
State of Mississippi, and while there
frequently heard mention made of one
Dyson who lived near by and who had
committed no less than five cold blood
ed murders; he was tried for all anC
convicted of none. His fifth exploit
was to shoot one helms in the high
way, his defence being that helms haC
threatened to shoot him. This de
fence was held by the jury to be sui
fcient. This is not an isolated case
tie south is crowded with them. Ye
because the south allows criminals t.
run riot and clears them when brough
to trial, and because the north con
victs" for crime, it is used as an argu
ment to prove the depravity of thu
north. 1t strikes us that that commu
nifty which Furnishes crime and frown
upon offences against morality an,
public decency, shows a higher stat
Of civilization than the communit,
which lets them pass.
In the south every man-especial
ly if he be rich-iS law unto him
self. If a man is murdered his frien,
whips out knife and takes immediat
revenge; in the north the law attend
to it. If man seduces a aOhite We
man, the father or the brother aver
ges the wrongs of the " lady" by sen(
ing bullet through the brain of til
seducer, and that is the end of it.
In the north the law gives some r,
dress, though we must admit that pul
lie opinion is not quite what it ougl
to be in this regard. If it be UaC
woman that is the sufferer it is L
crime in southern eyes, and is hardl
reckoned as a misdemeanor, for "
have been told by high democratic
authority that negroes have no righ
which a white man is bound to re
pect," AID the late slaves have eve
had dinned into their ears, "servan
obey your masters" in all things, al
in this one particular they have "obe
ed" to such an extent as to near
bleach out the whole oflsprirs of Han
This great and wide spread sin of fo
nication between whites and blacks
winked at, nay more, it has been e
coaraged. 1t is encouraged becau
it tends to protect-as southerne
claim-the chastity of the white W
men by affording an outlet for the b
ser passions of man; and thus are t
female portion of the southern hous
hold saved from insult! While ,
were in the south we had manv an {
gument with slaverys advocates al
were ever met with this-to them
Touchdown argument in favor of t
peculiar institution"
Perhaps our readers may think
are wandering from the subject,
we think it is an appropriate digr
sion at least and fully sustains
point we wish to make. The cril
we are considering is the great cri