New-York tribune., 1879-10-13

4 telegram from Atlanta two or three Gays
ago announced that desperate organlza-
''tionr of persons calling themselves the
Georgia Flyers after numbering large
number of negroes, had taken possession OF
about half of the County of Baldwin, ana
spread terror through all the surrounding re-
gion. Members of the Legislature were aban-
doning the Capital, and going home To look
after the safety of their families. Deputa-
tions from the infested district were waiting
upon the Governor To ask for troops; and the
State authorities were preparing t0 call out
the militia if the disorder proved on invcsti-
CATION to be "a bad a, il was reported. We
are not informed OF the special purpose for
which the Georgia Tigers" are organized; ;
but we have observed that whenever Southern
gentlemen band themselves together to regn-
late things with shot guns the increased NOR
tality is almost exclusively among the negroes.
The color of the victim is pretty sure indi-
cation of the character of the gang.
Ii appears chat even the killing OF nigeers
may be carried too far in the Southern Statcs.
" men zeal in regulating things rises 10 such
point tia: whole community IS thrown
inio disorder, and white people trcmble Tor
their homes. the State authorities are ready
10 act with great deal Of yigor. 1t Is not
always So of course. A. rule, when the
" best boys beng "wcil hceied,' undertake
TO have Il little fun at the fair" nobody in
tcrfercs with them. Ii is not long since
Govcrnor-elcct of Souta Carolina was discov-
cred to have been in secret league with the rifle
clubs TO srbycrt the regular administration of
government. At the elections of last year or
ganizalions more or less closely resembling the
"Gcoreia Tigcis had "a short and easy method
of dispo,ing Of hostile maiOritlcs all through
the South. and no Constitutional warrant was
found for restraining them. The kcmper
County massacrcs could not bee prevented and
cannot be punished. The Yaz)O affair was
the elimination Of n long quarrel which
neither local authority nor publ, opinion at
TEMPTED to- hold i'm check. Now We have the
official rport of the Blaclvilc shooting case,
from which it appears that ule state
of South Carolina cannot, or Will not,
protect the lite 0t "niEgcr' postmaster; !;
and the United States Government Is reduced
10 the shameful necessity OF cloaing the post
office.
Recent decisions of the Federal Courts have
made il plain that political as>as,inatiousmust
hc treated like other murders, which the
General Government has no power to punish.
1t NAV be quite clear that men are shot be-
cause they are Republicans or because they
are Republican ofico-ho'ders, or Oh account
of their race and color; yet the crime, wnat-
ever its motive, falls within the exclusive
jurisdiction OF the state authorities. If those
authorities choose - neglect their duty, the
Constitution provides for no redress. So long
as they abstain from insuIrcction the States
have right To lapse into barbarism and keep
" Tigers a. much as they please. There l.
n remedy. however. for such disorders. II VIII
lN found ia the pressure of outside opinion
u pressure which the South we believe IS
already beginning 10 feel. No community in
This age Of the world, can long practice the
tyranny and violence which the Democratic
South now employs toward its enfranchiscd
slaves. We shall soon hear from the NORTH
crn politicians whose fortunes rest upon a
Southern alliance an imperative demand for the
,uppres.ion of practiscs which are involving
their party in intolcrabe ohl0quy. Buildozing
may keep the South solid FOR a while. but 1t
will he the ruin of the Democracy. The free
communities on this side of the line will not
tolerate a party which sustans itself by the
oppression of the weak and there are Demo-
cratic leaders shrevd enough to see already
the direction in which Northern sentiments
and Northern vOtes-are tending.