The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1877-07-07

BLACK AND WHITE JUSTICE.

me " atu fAtytSteF uiii the MtSta
Leiger both aliude 10 the fact that there
are more negro criminals hung in Tex
as than there are whites They both
either positively or negatively strive to
leave the mind impressed with the idea
that this state of things is due to the
general prejudice existing in the pub.
lie mind against the negro. No more
untenabie position could possibly be
assumed
IL is a burning shame to the white
population of the state, that il furnish
Is examples of crime to the negro IT
is shame that armed desperadoes with
fair skins and blue eyes ride rough shod
over peaceable citizens, and sften 90
unwhipped of Justice. The negro is an
initiative creature, and is rs prone
10 ape the vices as he is the virtues of
the whites. The white desperate is a
peripathetic criminal, here to-day and
away Tomorrow The negro is pure
~ local evil, he lacks the enter.
prise daring and intelligence of his
Paier compeer in crime, and 80 it falls out
out that his crimes are confined to one
locality until the local feeling becomes
personal and strong enough to secure his
arrest and conviction, but after this
the contrast between the black aud
white is still more marked, and is still
true to the race peeuliarities. When
arrested and convicted the white rogue
bends his every energy, ingenuity aud
intelligence to the work of securing his
release or escape. The negro sends for
minister and takes to praying, and in
nine cases out of ten a whining con
fession follows. This state of things is
untavoriible to escape, and the hang
man Is not cheated as in the case of the
more enterprising white rogue This is
Just the difference, and when our faulty
lails are considered, we can estimate
the chances the white man really has,
Both of our esteemed contemporaries
have fallen into error in placing the
mortality among negro murderers TO
the credit OF race prejudice.
There are entirely too many erimi-
mails of both races in Texas, as in all
new countries, but tremendous chan ge
is working. With each passing day the
perpetrators of crime are being decreas-
ed in number, the gallows, the haz-
yards of their course of life, and the fear
of the law are the Influences at work
which must finally drive out this
class altogether whether they
be black as night or as fair
as the lilies. The Register is too
inteiligently edited to believe its own
assertion that negro murderer stands
u better chance for Justice than the
white solely by reason of this prejudice.
We have feebiy sketched the only true
explanation OF the disparity between
the white and the blacks in this re-.
speet, The class of people who applaud
the act OF killing for any cause is nearly
extinct in Texas, and the pistol practice
is no longer respectable. In the future
the courts will have less hanging 10 do,
but what is to be done will be done
surely and effectively, aud the color of
the skin of the criminal will hardly
he taken into the count Neither grand
or petit juries should care whether it is
John Smith white or John Smith coll
ored who has stained his hand with the
blood OF his fellow. Nor do we believe
they DO or will. and the insinuation of
the papers named that such is the pres
Judiee against the negro that he is
hanged and the white turned loose is a
grave injustice done the yeomanry-
the jury force-of the state. 1t
has also been our observation that
colored men on juries are no
more lenient to criminals of their
own race than those of the other. No
intelligent observer, who is at the same
time unprecedented. would claim for him
higher sense of justice than is cred
tied to the white men of Texas. A lit
tie sober reflection on the part of the
editors of both papers will teach them
that in this matter they have inflicted
an injury without cause. and they will
hasten to undo the work. We know
both we'll, and from such knowledge
can truthiully say we are really sur
prised at the position assumed