Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1880-11-19
I HI Il SEN TIN + l. (.
ROCKVILLE, MD.
Friday Morning. :. November 10, 1880.
A DANIEL COME TO JUDGMENT

A DANIEL COME TO JUDGMENT.
We return to the further consideration OF
the two outrages committed in this county
during the past twelve months, impelled by
no desire to worry the patience of our read
ers with any further continuance or enlarge
ment of our views, but rather because of the
importance of the subject-matter, and to
vindicate ourself against the unfair and I'M
just criticisms as contained in the Baltimore
american of the 18th instant
The fastidous editor of this truly virtu-
GUS % sheet, after giving in one column OF
his paper garbled statement of our editor
ial in connection with Judge Bowie's charge
to the Grand Jury, takes occasion to remark
"In his recent charge to the grand jury OF
Montgomery county, Judge Bowie spoke
with sternest censure of the lynching of a
man accused of rape in that county, but no
language that the Judge could have used
would have been too strong TO express the
adherence which all good citizens should
feel at the murder of man by mob, wheth-
er that man be accused of crime or not. No
argument is needed to show the atrocity of
this form of crime. II strikes at the root of
civilization itself. 1t is a part of the social
contract that the state only shall punish vio-
lations of its criminal laws, for individuals
to commit murder in the name of justice
only adds to their offence. Public justice be-
comes private revenge, and mob with a
craving for a fiercer excitement than a fox
hunt, hunts down fellow-being accused of
crime and puts him to horrible and igno-
minious death. Sometimes, when too late,
it finds that he was innocent. But even this
hardly makes its crime the more odious.-
And yet the Rockville Sentinel takes Judge
Bowie TO task for his charge TO the grand
jury, discourses on the sophistries of legal
tribunals and fully justifies the lynching
that Judge Bowie had so righteously cen
sured 1t is rather saddening to find jour
nal that ought TO be a teacher of good citi-
zenship, and an incubator of morality, adj
vocating principles which, if logically car
ried out, would bring mankind back 10 the
savage state. Mobs have broken up news.
papers and burned down printing offices,
and tarred and feathercd editors. We pre-
sumo that the Sentinel would not Justify
these; but yet they are trifles compared with
butchering fellow creature, and making n
wild sport of the sacred forms OF justice"
1t is only by the most malicious contor-
ton and mutiation OF our article, Il course
that is alone pursued by certain class of
Bohemian writers, who either insensiblc or
ignorant Of those conventionalitics which
are the outgrowth of refinement and intell-
gence, or wanton disregard of truth and
facts, that we can be made to occupy any
such position as the language of this journal
of law and morality would indicate.
1t was the braying Of theass, when clothed
in the lions skin, which revealed to the af-
frighted beasts of the forest the true nature
of the animal and dispelled their fears. But
for the fact that our arraignment comes from
bitter partisan sheet which ever delights tc
pander to the basest and most depraved pas
sions Of human nature in the accomplish.
ment of its purposes, and which has never
been recognized either as the fearless cham
pon of the honest administration OF law Of
the incubator of high standard of moral
ity, our journalistic equilibrium might have
been disturbed. What a sham and burlesqut
upon the enforcement of law, that the blurred
sensibilities of the .AmericdH should becom,
convulsed or saddened, and it should un
dertake to sit in judgment upon any posi-
ton that any ruralistic journal anywhere
throughout the State might think it best Il
assume for the real good of the people. A
the gorged vulture flaps his lazy wings anC
hoyers over the field of carrion, 50 this jour
nal has, unmolested, fattened upon its own
corruptions, until it has grown TO be bold, ar
rogant and impudent, Ii has become will
full perverter of facts, and thereby an enemy
to truth and TO society; nice journal in
deed to assume the prerogatiye TO act as
guide or censor of morals and public senii
ment--
"Mark you this, Bassanio,
The devil can cite scripture for his purpose
An evil soul, producing holy witness
Is like villain with a smiling cheek.
A goodly apple rotten at the heart"
In thus commenting upon the course pur
sued by the ime,Ioan towards this iourna
in this particular instance we have used YER
harsh language, and we mean that ever
word shall have its full force and effect Pa
rading in its columns garbied statement q
our views, and then holding us up to III
public as the vindicatOr Of mob violence,
has been guilty Of an act OF injustice whic
any fair-minded and honorable Journals
would shrink from with feelings Of DISCUS
But in doing this the crudite editor has bu
followed the bent of his natural instinc,
which are daily growing more morbid an
vitiated because of the incessant indulgence
in that character of journalistic literatur
that is neither liberal, refining, clevaiin.
dignified or truthful.
= In the very first article that we penned /
relation to these two outrages, written in
moment Of almost frenzied madness. an
when the whole social fabric Of sOciet
throughout the county was trembling froi
centre 10 circumference, alternating bctwce
fear and Indignation, we took the ground i
words TO the effect that as n journalist il b.
came our province as well as our duty
times of civil commotion and excitement
counsel moderation and obedience 10 Law
to remind the public that we lived in stat
of society that had yielded up its natur,
rights of sei-redress, and that therefore the
had no right To ayenge their own wrong
where the law furnished a certain and rem
dial redress That where an individual Ell
tiers into society il is part of the impe
contract that he should surrender porto
Of his natural rights, that he should abando
the right of self-redress; that il was only
cases where society is unable 10 execute /
part of the contract that he becomes release
from the obligation of strict observance an
he may resort TO his natural rights OF sci
redress; that society having committed Il
frst breach OF the compact, having failed
protect, il has no right 10 punish.
That in the execution of such fiendi,
deeds, deeds of outnges upon the natur
feelings and affections, deeds where the Ia
has failed 10 protect the sufferer from ment
fortunes thousand times worse than Il
a. 4