, 1879-07-08

IA merely sutnrs,tnate rule, and should always
give place to ur awful ticfates u Justice. In
putsing thfs murderer to tl"atI. therefore. those
eitIzena Ieted In obnLrurc tn the dictates Of
iuster. and nerclv nnttclnated th sentc,,rc Of
lie law af l.e lahd. Ht have Witnessed
such manifestations " othrr parts Ut our
snuntrv. nt.I have shuddered With inicarrIb1blf
borr0r at .hr exhibition 1T lts terrific rower. IN
lave ws Rccn learned men md Intelligent men,
burning wNh lhe desire to crafty tLts feeling
u vfnllctiyo wrath. We have fee.i ihes setzs
!'HIr victim, rccki1'g with hc hxkl Of hfs fel.
fow.n1an, H,id drag him to the stake and there
burn him to asllcs. The Judge who decided
npnn tllr merits Of the bnsIIInv abore referred
q held II to be a rase of 1ustitablc homicide"
Public opinion:: said hr !. the source and
question was ''clcar cxpresa|on Of public
tip!htpn." We do mt admit, however, that
lrnct law under any circumstances ought to be
administered; though We DO nut deny that
The too great lcnIency Of inres ia canitat felo-
niea, mud thfs is The ovcrdownt source from which
ali lynch law sprinEs Yet wt should struggle
to preserve. ercn to the restng,,placc Of hope,
.ha ,ghtt Of t1s hy urr of ., oGx to for
deed, painful Il, find tllAt 1awless feeling exi.ts
III any part Of our counsy. Pen'tentiarv systesn
u pntfahnent Is not calculated to rcpross the
1isortlers of society mil We bclicse it, system
Of punishment has, to a certain extent, failed In
oppns.tig sufficient restraints on the commission
ut crime. Before this new mfsle bf rllnlshtnent
was substituted for the old could any one point
to State OF an e1ual number OF inhabtt anss
wllero crime was 80 uufreQurptf It was then
the prnlid hoast of South Carolina that hGr fatls
wore, for tho greater portion Of the year. cnptv.
mid that tie atruCiuuo crimes wh!ch stained
fle criminal caleudars Of the very States
whsro pcnttcnttarfes had been tststis1heu &c sci.
dom occurred hcrc. But this condition OF Things
has been reversed, mud now VIC lnd our 1atls
illcd with pepftenttary cop.ictt. Va hel.t.s
that crime las Increased wherever penitcntfartsa
ilaye heau established. In all the States where
tl,e eystcm has been adopted old prisons haTe
bccn enlarged. or new prisons built. We bAyo
looke, In vain for fscta which show that crime
has anywhere Diminished uron The establish.
ncnt of pcn1tentlary discipline. The rcnnsyi'
which, In theory. scetns the best Of any, has not
succeeded, with MI it, cxt.cmo rigor. IN sup
| uresst1lg crime. We have little faith In tho
reformation of criminals M,,tl We would not haz
ard tho safety Of society for ~ object that ha:
| seemed hitherto unattainabc. The cr3mina
tAt u I'll t,usten 10 t!te gallows nccta no protec
| tton a,n! it is righ. to clear tho way fer him
[ Better he sflou1d reach his Eoal by natural pro
| rltylty, pnh he removed from society, than eI
| pelsvcly detained In pcnftentiaEJ.
In conclusion, we beg iunSe tp state Tint Il hnt
been whispered into tho cars of several member
uf this Grand Jury that there arc PERSONS tlvtnf
tuGetllcr In olr County IN open violation Of th'
| lar, III answer to which, We call upon all thost
! who pupsess such knowledge 10 make the neces
sary af1ldartts Of the facts before Trial Justice
/ md hayc lhecae cases and testimony sent bef0r
us, and We will satisfy this Court by our finding
| whether or not VIC are wiling to maiptain tn
| Spartaubusl. have always uplg1d.
! .IcI;N nlNKsToS DAVIS Foreman