The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-01-10
THE PREVALENCE OF CRIME AT
THE NORTH

No one can read the newspapers of the
day without noticing the unusual preva-
lence of crime in the North. This NAV
be called the era, there, of murder. Nor
is the South free from acts of violence.
But there is this difference: When out
RACES occur at the South, they are made
the pretexts for new Acts of "reconstruc-
ton" for new invasions of the constitu-
tional rights OF tho States. But when
these acts of violence are perpctrated at
the North, they are explained away and
attributed to prevailing "epidemio. {"
If Congress proposes to regulate "out-
RACES, by it's enactments, let its inter-
meddliug extend North rs we'll as South.
On this subject, the Baltimore SIN re.
marks, with force
Every man of ordinary information
and candor knows that, judged by any
falr standard of comparison, the amount
OF crime committed in the South, as a
whole, is not greater than the amount
perpetrated among corresponding popu.
intlon In the North or West; and this.
Notwithstanding the disorganizing conse.
1cees onnes OF an invasion, which called q
nnlat;onrger proportion of the male DO.
the North aahhe South to the field than in
of millions of 'ss g., sudden emancipation
speak of the anomafl55s,d! fl5sd people. not to
of the Southern StateSs es"iltiSaI fSaI position
s".rages perpetrated in the Ganihe hehsest h
Deen In connection with the sd dnnia Is1Tssa
ton OF Jnatioe by Northern officials in
those latitudes, who have liberated crimi-
nails on some such ground as that the
magistrates who tried them could not
take the test oath. In some parts of the
South, where there has not been even a
justice OF the peace, there has been more
freedom from crime than in Boston and
New York. Yet it seems to be the policy
OF Congress to hold the whole South
responsible for the alleged acts of un-
known criminals. Why should not New
Workers be held to account for the mur.
derous assault upon Mr.. Pullman, of
that city, not long ago, and for the Ro-
gers murder, perpetrated in broad day
light, in the most densely populated
part of the city, and which remains to
this day : mystery? Or, why is not
Indiana, where Lynch law is more COM
mon than in any portion of the South.
taken In charge? Shall we Judge New
York by the terrible tragedy which has
Just occurred in the rural district of
Iarrytown, the Sleepy Hollow of the
state, where bucolical monster smashed
the skull of his wife with the stock of n
gun, slaughtered one of his neighbors
outright, and shot and mutilated O third
third beyond the hope of recovery? Or
shall we go to Brooklyn, the so called
city OF churches, where q teacher and
guide of children is disclosed rs having n
paramour, and, instead of teaching the
young idea to shoot, shoots the wretched
woman and himself? Shall we form our
opinion of the community of Brooklyn
by such specimen of it's Inhabitants or
argue from this fact that MI SCHOOL
masters in New York have concubines
whom they are ready to butcher mon
the slightest provocation? If a pre-
tended regard for law is to furnish az
onses for invading the constitutional
rights OF the Southern States, why not of
New York? Every now and then, we
near OF threats to take even some recon
structed Southern States in hand. On
account OF 'outrages, so that those
states have come to be considered ns
artificial legs, which can be put on or
taken off without injury to the life of
Tue nation. There ought, however to
pe more rational pretext for that pro-
cess than the occasional outbreaks of
violent passion common to all sections
and oil centnries.''