The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1883-07-19
Food for Thought---Rcad and
Ponder.
WILLETs' PoINT, n. Y. H., !
July 10. 1883. [


To the Eitor Of the BrooEhayen Leader:
! la describing the sin of lawlcss
| lyuching, no truer, terscr words
could have been chos, n than those
Of the Vi,ksburg Post-"This thing
is simply horrible One would
think that this strong text, while it
must humilinte every law-resrect-
irr citizen who reflects upon the
| fact declared, might also inspire
every such citizen with an eloqucncc
of speech aud an energy of action
which would soon destroy this pub
lie crime. Yet the ds,ouraging fact
ia be fore us that these lynch-mur-
ders are frequent in our State, and
that because Of your condemnation
of them, you are yourself condemned
by a certain percentage of the jour
nails # Mississippi. y moments re-
Election leaves one surprised and
distressed ut the thought that there
are editors in Mississippi who de
mand that the laws of Mississippi
shall be broken, and actually berate
one of their brethren Of the press be-
cause he objects to the serious, the
fatal infringement OF the con,titu-
tional rights of individuals. This
strange contest among those called
teachers of the public must he taken
as showing that dreadful hcrcsy il
found in our Statc-a heresy which
rejects justice, the prime quality Of
revealed religion and moral philoso-
ply. This is a grave error-so
grave that those who see it should
not cease their efforts to destroy it
until it shall have disappeared. You
have already pointed out this error,
and perhaps have said, substantially,
all that may be urged against it, but
popular delusion Of this sort does
not give way before single state
meut. Evidently, the campaign is
not to be one of day. You have
enlisted in a righteous cause which
| UC~tINtS buSCCSS, DlI IL 10
plain that success is to be had only
by emphatic repetitions Of the first
effort. This is my excuse for ven
turing into your columns, my heart
having entered into the cause.
The people, it may be, will grow
tired of reading about the horror Of
mob madness, but surely there must
ever be some one to cry out against
the sin Of it as long as one may read
in public print such words rs these,
from the Meridian Mercury -"and
the people who hung him r negro
murderer at the bridge above I'm.
terprise Wednesday night, did a noble
and praiseworthy act. When the
grand jury of Clark county assem-
blcs, the best thing they can do
about it, is to pay 40 attention to
it,
Thus perjury ia counseIled AZ an
antidote for murder. The grand
jurors Of Clark county must fail in
their sworn duty in order that this
noble and praiseworthy act" may
remain in obscnri.y, lis beauty for
ever uni!lumined, it's principles Of
morality never to be set forth by a
court of justice for tie admira-
ton of the people.
The sad Inconsistency, the honest
bluuder Of the words quoted above,
will suggest smother thought. A
majority Of those advocating fragrant
contempt of law, excuse themselves
on the plea that justice is accom-
plishcd after all though it be COW
artlly done. A crime has been com
: mitted in consequence of which pun
ishlnent of some sort falls upon some
body. But BY this argument we
might Justify almost every individual
murderer, since there are few who,
without any provocation, spill an
others life blood. The sin Of it is
in this--that every lynching party
commits robbery Of right. When
ever an accused man is punished
without legal trial, there is taking
away of a civil right, just as violent
and fel0niOus as any bank-robbery
Of the James Brothers. If the per-
sons composing a lynching-moo be
charitably called "the people" then,
in strict logic, the people are made to
figure as liars. Having guaranteed,
by a system of laws of their own
making, certain rights to every mem
Der of their community who ma" be
accused of wrong, they now fling
these promises to the wind, and exc
cute so-called justice as it is execu-
ted by savages, among whom the
club, not the court, is made supreme
arbiter Of every dispute. Is there no
wrong in this? Does the stability OF
the State, does it's efficiency as a
protector of individuals, does its
reputation rs q right-loving commu-
nifty suffer no injury? If the mob
bers be not "the people, or their
proper agents, then clearly they
stand as disturbers of the peace, as
felonious violators of the law, as
criminals guilty of blood
These statements may seem trite,
yet however plain may be their truth,
this truth is continually disregardcd
May your preaching OF the gospel OF