The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1883-09-27
SOME COMMENTS.
w. CALVIN WELLS.

anu MOI alloN nIHl an opportunity Oh
vindicating himself, we ourself were
the kind fried who mailed him a
copy # The LEADER: and now we
could wish that he had more success.
fully shown the charges groundless
which we published against him.
The sincerity and honesty Of his
statements we do not question for
moment. but we submit that his
own testimony proves, Substantially,
what was charged. 1t was not
stated that Col. Wells advised the
killing of the prisoners before a pre-
liminary examination could be had,
but that he pointed out how it could
be done without dagger to the lynch
crs, after an officer started with them
to Raymond. That he did give this
advice to men who were detcrmined,in
some way, to kill the negroes, he
states himself in language of plainest
import, and he told the "war anec-
dote' to illustrate the point. We
consider it a significant fact that
Colonel Wells omits this an
ccdote in his defense. 1t will also
he noticed that Col. w. norhere
states that lie advised against the
hanging Ct the negroes by the mob,
or that he was not in sympathy with
it, and 1t was against the crime Of
lynching that our criticism was di-
rcctcd. He advised that civil pro-
cess be observed as far as a preIlmi-
nary trial was concerned, and his adj,
vice was followed; as the law abiding
citizen he would have us believe HIM
to be, Why didn't he advise that the
law be observed oil the way through?
Advice is cheap. From this point
however, Col. WIS advice seems to
have been, hoW not to carry out the
States laws. Nevertheless, Col. W.
is evidently a man of order and de
corum, and if the thing had to be
done, he wanted it done "by the best
citizens" Yes, lot the best citizens
proceed in a deliberate, or
dorIy and dccorous manner to violate
the laws Of our State which every
citizen is sworn to uphold, and hang
two helpless prisoners already within
the clutches of the law, and to whose
crime our law makers, in their wis
dom, have seen fit to affiX as the most
extreme penalty 5 years in the peni-
Tertiary. 1t seemed to be q very i'm
portant consideration in the opinion
of Col. w. that the law be violated
in a decorous manner and by "the
best citizens.' We would say that
there would have been more allow
ance for its violation had it been
done in the heat of passion, before
there was any time to reflect, and by
the worst citizens instead of the best.
Col. w. says: "My advice prevailed,
a magistrate was sent for, and about
the time the trial began l took the
train for my home IN Raymond" Yes,
his advice did prevail, and he might
have added in the same connection
Ito quote his own words), the ne
grOes would have been hung with as
much order and decorum as a sheriff
would do under the S Dtcnce Of the
court" but as they were fixing the
rope around the younger mans neck,
he resisted, made an effort to escape
and was shot. The other man was
hung to q limb" What if these
men had confessed their guilt, their
crime was not deserving of death,
much less by Il mob.
Col. Wells incidentally presents
one of the very strongest of argu-
ments against ynch-law-thac OF
saving the life of one man who was
accused, and not worthy of even five
years Imprisonment. We give him
full credit for this, and are free tC
admit that to this extent at least
"dCcorum' was good thing to have
around.
We will inform Col. Wells what
conceivable connection our men
tioning him as an eX- member Of Tie
Kinds County Democratic Executive
bDIuliIIOJtc Iidu W w WIN Tue ouo
jcct. 1t was done to emphasize tho
prominence Of his position in tn,
county, and further and more par
tlcularly to suggest the utter incon'
sistency of one occupying so honora
BILE position to become party, as
we were assured he had, to an act
which could but bring reproach up
on the party which passes our laws
and administers them. The Demo-
cratic party is responsible for all O
the present laws of Mississippi ant
for their faithful and impartial al
ministration, aud it i'll becomes one
calling himself a Democrat, mucl
less occupying a prominent place II
the party. to do so unseemly a thing
as engage in or advise a lynching.
We have nothing to say as to Col
WIS willingness to answer to his
Maker for his connection with the
Kinds county affair; but as to The
Willingness to answer to his country
he certainly has nothing to fear or
this score, if he properly represents
the people of the second Judicia
District of Kinds in a defense of the
moo and mob law accompanying biz
personal defense. and which we de-
4 III, L, ct 4oI r