The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-12-05
nrcb Law MIxe E1uth, The Chmr'
TON. and nhe vIcI<sbmrR Conn
umercina.
Hollv Shrine South. ]

Holly Springs Soulful
THE CLARION and the Commercial nave
done the south tile greatest u justice ~ sis.
criticisms 0f what has appeared ~ ~
columns. in regard to mob law. Had THESE
papers published what me 9oueh u.u ga, say
thsir com ments would have been harmless;
But 10 attribute to the South opinions an1
views that IL has never held or c0untenanc-
= /. ana then NOT allow the South to speak
for itself in their columns. gives as, we
think, just cause for complaint
The South has never expended It's sym pa
thy upon criminals, nor has it ever publish
ed a sentence or word encouraging lawiess-
ness of any kind. Il has uniformly adHo-
Gated the enforcement OF law, the pun
ishment of criminals and the suppression
of crime. In the very article concerning
the guilty wretch, Wright. which IHk
CLARION and the Commercial have mis-
construed. and certainly represented this
paragraph occurs:
"In the Judgement OF the South, WrlRnt
should have been promptly arrested, secure
Nv held, speedily and fairly tried. and then
the sentence OF the law sternly executed
upon him. It's In this way that the law Is
to be maYnified and made honorable"
As the South maintains that truthfuness
cannot be best taught by upholdinig false
hood. nor honesty, by cOuntenancing dis
honesty, so neither can obedience to law be
promoted BY encouraging lawlessness.
The unlawful, taking OF human life Is u
crime in the sight of God and man. and the
taking of life by a NIB under whatever cir
cumstances, is murder. The South only
condemned the murder. and the outrage up
on law and the sovereignty of government
without expanding sympathy or 'tears"
upon the guilty sufferer. Mob law has
now been tried tor a good while in MiSsiS
sippi, and no reasonable person can be-
lieve that its effect has been salutary.
Crime and lawfessness have increased. are
increasing, 'and should be diminished" and
our policy is TO inaugurate a reign OF law In
all cases, a a substitute for mob law, which
has certainly proved incfficaciOus.
The principles of the common law which
prevail in Mississippi, and In nearly all the
States of the Union, are founded ia expert
ence and wisdom, and by them 'wantonly
to kill the greatest of malefactOrS felon,
or a traitor, attainted and outlawed, DELHI
erately, uncompelled and SYSTEMATICALLY is
murder and fur
Their, if judgment of death be given by a
Judge, not authorized by lawful commission,
and execution is done accordingly, the
Judge is guilty of murder
also such judgment when legal must be ex-
ecuted by the proper officer or his appoint
ed deputy. II another person doth 1t of his
own head, it is held to be a murder 1t
1t must further be executed serUGtO jurts
ordine; it must pursue the sentence OF the
Court. If an officer beheads one who is adj
judged to be hanged or Uice UeTSG il is MUIR
der, for he is merely ministerial and there
fore only justified when he acts under the
authority and cOmpulsion of the law F"
Such is the jealousy of the law of human
life, and such it's stricrness in exacting
obedience to its comma nds and require
ments We are sticklers for the majesty
and supremacy of the law. Not to be so in
the case of life or death cheapens human.
life, and takes from il its sacredness. The
wilful disregard of any one law tends TO
bring into contempt all law. Every citizen
should, in all things, recognize the law as
his master, and were this done, and all vio-
lations o: law certainly promptly punished,
crime would cease, and law and order al
once become universally prevalent. Our
motto, therefore, is the reign of law--the
majesty of the law, and uncomprO ,nisin z
antagOnism with lynch law, mob law, and
lawlessness every kind and description
whatever.
We ask of THE CLARION and Vicksburg
Commercial, as an act of justice, to copy
this article.