Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-08-27
THE OUTRAGE AND MASSACRE AT
TRENTON

our State, and with the shame Of thu
bloody murder, the disgraeeful defianel
of law, Of order and Of decency fun upor
us, are at q loss for language with which
10 characterize 8 deed that, il the wOrl
of Comanches or Modocs, would arouse
every man in the Union for speedy
Vengeance on the perpetrators. We
have hitherto condemned the lswless as
semblsges Of armed negroes and theil
insane threats, with view tOintimidste
and oveTswe the whites OF sparsely-set-
tied counties out Of anything like pOliti-
cal opposition, and We have done 50 sole
Iy in the public interest and regardless
Of party; to-day We must hold up to
merited reprobation aud condemnation
the armed men who besieged the
Trenton jail aud wantonly as
wickedly, without anything like justi-
ieation, took thence the unarmed
negroes there awaiting trial by the
courts and brutally shot them to death;
and, too, with a show OF bsrbsrity alto
gether as unnecessary ss the massacre
syasuDjustifable. To say that we are not,
in any county in tine state, strong enough
10 iuforce the law, is to pronounce q
libel upon the whole commonwealth.
We are as athousand to one in moral snd
physical force to the negro; We are in
possession Of the State, Of all the ma
chinery Of government, and at a time
more momentous than any we ever
hope to see again, proved our cs-
pacity to sustain the law and
executive officers and maintain
the laws. Why, then, should We
mow, in time Of profound peace, subvert
the law and defy its administrators?
Why should We put the government Of
our own selection under cur feet and de-
f. and set at naught the men whom We
have elected to enforce the laws, and
this ruthlessly snd savagely, without
auv Of the forms even that usually at
tend on the administration Of the wild
behests Of Judge Lynch? And all
without color of extenuation; for
no sane man, who has regard for
the truth viii pretend to say
that because the unfortunate ne |
groes were arrested as the |
riug-feaders Of a threatening and /
armed band that had fired upon two
white men, they were, therefore, worthy
of death, aud without the forms Of law,
In a State controlled and governed by
men. This was the offense,
and for this they were awaiting trial by a
Jury or juriss, to be empanneled without
Gear of rnolestation Or harm, and to be
summoned from among the best men in
the county. There was no possible
chance Of rescue by the friends of the
prisoners, and the guard already on duty
vas sufficient, II there had been, tOrepel
t. or, if not, there was the whole white
,,p,Ilation, and the black, too, Of
Tr,uton, 20 call upon for assistance.
and even had that appeared to the sher-
g- of Gibson 10 be insufficient, there
yas the governor at the State cspital to
.rpeal So, q governor who has, We are
glsd to s,,y, prompted solely by his Off
.fs' dufv. determined upon the capture :
ana runish nent Of the masked rough
iIers who / ave presumed to usurp his
and every otL er authority of the State. :
There T.. therefore, no excuse for the men
rbs murdered the negroes in Gibson !
.auptv. They have committed bold 8
-eua,Iitsted crime, the highest in the !
x,sndar. They have outraged public e
ee sncy, broken the public peace, dis I
race Y Tennessee and brought confusion
nd sl,. v1e to us al. They have furn- Z
.bsd 8 1other club wherewith our t
peui4. at the north and the south may I
zsatp. = hey have made forus an ad- {
iHous1 load " carry. They have re- I
locked the mes tly worn cut Radiealism !
f Colfsx. Morton and Freedman's-Bu- I
can Howard. They give the lying seoun-
ire.s VINO trade upon fanstcal enmity /
, ouF section prutext for fresh vol
..,. and Give coloriug to our defensive
..,itnse in the "war Of races" precipi-
sted upou us by these came lying car
,sf,,apgers. wholly foreign to the truth
.,,I the facts. They are in every sense,
man. public enemies. They have no
.,-cu,e OF race defense for their
under. for all that was necessary
=, fbst end had already been accom-
.lisbed. They are outlaws, having done
lie work OF uA4ilH7f e--- - ,
slrepgth enough in the Stste, should be
made 10 suffer as outlaws. We owe this ,
40 ourselves as well a. to the world, so
.socked to-day by this bloody crime.
U,aues-ee, now bidding for the capital in
,,tay. UFains and muscle Europe, can 4
y. Nfford 10 stand, even for a moment
= a.. attitude Of S State powerless 70
.,nisb rah n band. She cannot anofd
r. - ,Ncr name bedraggied IN the
lo,,f ora ave u the humblest negro upon
- son and Vot take prompt steps 70
.rr.st and punls.a the murderers. we
IN .,,,ta,,J for Gu race man to man
'nd face to fac,, as becomes a
ave chiyalrous, no nest people, ana
Vim nevet directly or Indirectly, lend
.or.alves 70 the awful sav.'gery that hss
.sc,red t9r Trenton notoTiety tha'
,nturiea Of quiet labor could never nave
.,,,i.ys.3 for her. We are strong enough
= enfo,,e the laws, and We trust, indeed
-. sasl .,artain, Governor Brown VIII
,roye A. aud to the bloody mArsuderS
l,sn,seayss. "A an example for the iu-
oh u