Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-06-21
Delaware State Journal
WILMINGTON, DELI
Saturday, June 81, 1878.
The Unjust Abuse of Orr state by
Newspapers which DRre Not Tell
the Truth About A0a'rs nc Home.

The Unjust Abuse Of Our state by
Newspapers which DRre Not Tell
the Truth About Ana'rS nc Home.
One would think from the furious al
tack which the mol strous verdict In the
West case has brought down upon our
State from outside newspapers, that
preposterous verdict had never before
been rendered by a jury. Yet verdlcts
have been rendered elsewhere as utterly
at variance with the law and the facts as
was this one, aud they have not infre-
quently met the approval Of the press
and people of The communities in which
they were rendered, whereas, thus far,
not a single paper or person in Delaware
has had the hardihood to defend the out
rage on common sense and justice perpe-
trated in the West case, while the Jury
which rendered the villalnous verdict,
has been absolutely execrated.
The. universal expression Of amaze
ment and Indignation with which the
news Of that verdict was received Is but
another evidence Of the fact that our
people are not accustomed to such per-
versions of justice. That an insane, lsr-
bariaH, unchristian hatred Of the negro
race exists among certain bitterly preiu-
diced classes, in this State, Is not to be
denied, aud 1t Is unhappily true that this
class Is potential In Kent county, so that
justice between man and man is difficult
of attainment there, If one of the men be
black. This fact has been frankly recog-
niEed In the comments of the press on
this verdict, and the prejudice has been as
severely criticised aud condemned by the
democratic and independent newspapers
as by the republican journals.
Let the community whick is entirely
free from this prejudice cast the first
stone at us, and let the press of that
community which has teen as free from
trucking to rr judlce Of this kind, as
that Of Wilmington has in this matter
shown Itself, condemn us. We scarcely
think Philadelphia newspapers will find
that they can under this rule fnd time to
devote so much of their space and time to
abusing us. IT,, only attempt we have
yet seen 10 pa.lil Or excuse this verdict,
came from one u them, which apparently
ands enough admirers in their community
to support it, while the administration OF
justice in their city is certainly not such
that they can afford to hold it up to any
civilized community on earth as a model.
We strongly suspect that the true cause
of their frequent, unfair and almost
brutal attacks, upon the slightest provo
cation, upon this State and Its people, /;
that they dare not pour out their wrath
on the political yillainies of their owl
State, their lips being locked and peui
pRralyzed, by a libel law which woulC
disgrace the most autocratic govern
ment on earth. Their treatment of ou
State, however, would almost make i
appear best that they should continue t.
be restrained. Restraint, though, is no
the tight policy. If Pennsylvania eve
has free, untranmeled press wlicl
dare speak the truth, under such a brOal
charter as that of despised " little Della
"ware," whose constitution declare
that "the press shall be free TO ever
"citizen who undertakes to examine tn
"oftlcial conduct of men acting in put
"l'c capacity" its papers will doubles
show their sense of the dignity and II
sponslbilities of freedom by endeavorin
to treat their neighbors with a show {
fairness and decency, and not vent the
pent up wrath on Delaware because the
dare not tell the truth about things q
home.