Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-03-15
EgFRk-LgGAL RESORTS.

We suppose that most Of our readers
have noticed that lynching is very com.
mon IN several of the Southern States.
Reports of cases of this kind occur at
very brief intervals, and it almost invari-
ably happens that the victim is a negro.
A few days ago seven negroes were thus
murdered by a mob in Tennessee. They
were charged with the murder of a white
man, but the trial had not been concluded
when the mob took the affair into its own
hands. The Legislature of Tennessee sub
sequently took the matter up, and passed
resolution condemning lynching, and calling
on the Governor to arrest and punish the
lynchers, but it is not believed by those
who understand Southern sentiment that
anything more will be done about il.
Whenever the people are prone to resort to
methods of this kind, it is certain that
they have very little faith in the law.
This principle. however, is equally applica-
bic to very different cases. There is a GER
tain class of men in this country who are
continually betraying want of confidence
in its institutions, though they do not
seem to realize the significance of their
position. These men are eternally crying
out IN alarm about some fancied menace
TO their liberties. They are perpetuslly
imagining that the republic is in danger.
They are always running to the walls and
looking out for the enemy. They are for
ever discerning some lurking mischief in
the situation. These are the chronically
scared persons who have at intervals ever
since the war been shrieking against "cor-
"porate monopolies;" that being the phrase
by which they are pleased to designate the
aggregations of capital, skill and enter
prise to which this country owes two
thirds of whatever prosperity and progress
it enjoys. 1t never seems TO occur to these
timid souls that the Constitution of the
United States may be a sufficient bulwark
against any kind of eneroachments, and
that these continued outcries are in effect
impeachments Of the institutions of their
country For if indeed there is nothing TO
hinder the growth and contamination of
any kind of corporate tyranny, the
founders of the republic must have made
a sorry botch of their work, and this will
hardly be admitted by The majority. The
truth IS that the recurring agitations
against corporate enterprises have their
spring and inspiration IN that spirit of
nahgu envy which crops out in Commun-
ism and its congeners, and which would be
satisfied by nothing less than the confisca-
ton of all property, and a general
divide" An immense deal Of fustian
and claptrap is put forth in this connec-
ton. and every demagogue and idiot who
mouths the street cry of the hour thinks
If sufficient to pretend that he is moved
solely by p passionate and consuming love
for the dear People" Traced to its
foundation all this is neither more nor less
than the social antagonism which has
always existed between the "Haves y
and the "Have Nots, nor does it signify
how much it is disguised by fulsome
pretenses of public spirit, The his
tory of civilization should convince
sober-minded men that progress necessi.
tates the expansion and aggregation of
capital and enterprise. and that these con-
solicitations not only produce no evil, but
that they remove many abuses, and tend
TO greater economy and diminution of fric.
ton. They are, in fact, in no way
menacing to freedom. but on the contrary
their development tends steadily to ele-
vate the poorer classes, to give tkem less
arduous and debasing employments, to
diversity and extend industry, to stimulate
production in all its forms, and thus to
strengthen the progressive energies of the
generation and make the world better and
happier. All the agitations which are in
opposition to the free development of
these agencies are, whether consciously or
not, in the line of retrogression. They are
checks upon civilization brakes applied
to its course blindly if not maliciously.
They start out from false premises and
thex work to false conclusions. Intelli.
gent men should, therefore, regard them
with suspicion. and question their pur-
poses and tendencies closely.