The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-09-08
"Thc Lesson at Last"

Under this heading, the LeDanoh
Herald makes the allowing sensible
and well timed reniarks. A party Of
young men attacked a ncgro man in
the middle of the might, in his own
cabin, and the negro, i'm defending
himself against the rufiians, killed
one of them, THOMAS LYONS. When
ever lawless and thoughtless young
men attempt to take the law into their
hands, and threaten the life of an in
offensive citizen, white or colored,
they are outlaws; and their punish
ment and even death, is necessary
and beneficial. There is not even the
shadow of an excuse for SUCH lawless-
ness, in this peaceful land of ours, and
we warn all those who desire to pun
ish innocent negroes, that If they get
hurt, they will receive no sympathy
from their people. The Lebanon
Herald says: =, - vi.ssaa,r.
The system Of terrorism and law
lessness inaugurated, OF late, in GER
tain portions of Wilson county, by
crew of vicious youths and young
men, has at last borne its legitimate
fruit. A quiet and inoffensive negro
is attacked in his cabin at dead of
night, and, on his refusal to leave its
protecting walls and put himself ut
tcrly at the mercy of the yelling ruff
fans and submit to any atrocities
which their lawless nature might
prompt them to perpetrate, the house
Is fired upon and an attempt is made
to burn,it to the ground; ,seh-preserya-
ton impels the negro to return the
fire of his assaiiants; and the corpse of
THOMAS LYONS is the tangible and
bloody result. .f;. 80!
This is no occasion for euphemism.
We should he utterly recreant to the
high duty which our position as
public journalist imposes upon us,
did we fail to express, in terms too
plain to be mistaken our opinion aud
what we conceive to be the sentiment
of the county on this subject. THONl-
AS LYONS is dead-and his sudden
and bloody death. in the bloom and
promise Of young and vigorous man
hood, is ascribable solely to his own
ungoverned impulses, and to the evil
associations into which these led him.
1t is true that, in all probability, there
were others in that masked quintette
of midnight riders guiltier than he;
others whose violations Of the laws of
the land were not due, like his, to
thoughtless impulse, but emanated
from cool, deliberate and ingrained
malice and a natural propensity to
crime; others who, when justice has
her dues and outraged law is avenged
of her adversaries, will bangle in the
air at the end of hempen cord, a
tangible and terrible warning to ma
RAIDERS and assassins and all evil
doors. 1i;s d. ls -s. l.uad-.
We may regret that young LYONS
was led into evil ways and so met his
death-but no good citizen can afford
| to regret that the midnight providers
who disgrace the soil of our good
county have been taught terrible
lesson at last, and that lawlessness
has met the fate which it SO richly
deserves. 1tiz,.:4.... i.Ii4-.t..5
ISAAC CHEEK did right. He is a
citizen of Wilson county; and, as such
he is as fully entitled to the protec-
ton of the law, as to his person, prop
erty and premises, as the wealthiest
and best within her borders. ISAAC
| CHEEKS premises were invaded; his
house was attacked; his safety was
threatened; his life, as he believed,
was in imminent peril-and in the
Staying of one of his assailants in the
defence of his life and property, he
did what he had an indefeasible right
to do. And the officers of the law
must hold him harmless; the authOri-
ties must see to it that he has the
amplest protection from all violence
or intimidation. ISAAC CHEEK must
not leave home. His humble cabin
is his castle; and all right and justice
demand that he shall hereafter sleep
as securely within its walls as the
nightiest magnate in the land within
his IOrdly mansion. ISAAC CHEEK,
for the time being, represents the
citizenship of Wilson county; and
that citizenship appeals, through him,
! to the laws of the land, for the fullest
and freest protection. 1t must not
appeal in vain. rJ-g al ....'. .a
1t is needless to add that what we
have written Is the sentiment of Will
son county. All good citizens unite
in applauding the conduct of ISAAC
CHEEK, in his defense of himself from
midnight assassination and all good
citizens unite in demanding that he
shall suffer no bodily harm, from any
source what ever, in consequence
thereof. " .fe. r.rs.. -t