Weekly Chillicothe crisis., 1884-05-08
THE CINCINNATI RIOTS.


ing French Journal.
The following singular passages are
translated from an article entitled La
PciRc de Mort ("Thc Death Penalty },
which appeared in the Paris Figaro of
April 4; you have observed what
has just taken place at Cincinnati. |
had always regarded the people inhah-
iting that Queen city of Ohio as unique
ly occupied in manufacturing hams
and sending us trichinw. Well, was
mistaken. Until Sunday last they
were exclusively occupied in firing up
on one another with rifles and even
with cannon. Civil war was unchain-
ed in their midst. with its usual accom-
panimcnt of pillagc, massacre, and in
ccndiarsm. On both sides 4 savage
bravery was displayed. strongly re-
Scmhling fanaticism. The American
rioters fought better than the French
insurgents of June, lSiS, who them
selves fOIght better than the insur-
gents Of the Commune. They rushed
upon the mitraillcuscs [Gatlng gunS?l
with black men at their head. leading
them on, some ruussaint L'Ouvcrturc
or Attar-Gull, or perhaps Laiza (wc
recommend our readers on this Occa-
sion to pursue again the admirable
Georges of Alexander DumaS). The
battle must have been superb. 1t was
certainly hcroical.
And why that riot, that battle,
those torrents of blood? Not because
the insurgents desired to abolish the
death penalty, even because they
wished to rc-establish it, for that SUI
prrmc and necessary penalty has new
cr ceased to be- in honor among them.
and even to produce highly Satisfac-
tory results. No, they were wrOth
simply because it had not been ap-
piled, There are auSterc men for YOU,
II was the indulgence, or negligence,
shown in the administration Of justice
that excited them to take up arms.
An assassin kills, but is not Killed in
turn: this inequality shocked them
When they found that the murderer
who had taken the life of fcllow-man
was going to be- let of with fifteen or
twenty years, hard labor, the honesty
of the masses was outraged. and their
indignation Oycrcamc their Sclf-rc-
straint. And 10! they rush to the bat
tie like madmen. They force the
gates Of the prison; they clamor for
the head of the fclon, and especially
for those of the unjust jury, and those
of the Judges whose vcnal clcmancy
puts quotation ON cxpiation, and
graduates penalties according to the
price paid down. And were they not
violently checked, those Sayagcs, raw
cnous for Justice, would lay waste the
city with fire and steel because the
punishment has not cquallcd the crime
bccauSc one murderer has escaped
DEATH DO YOU know this is very Gu
riouS occurrence?
Il must confess that the Cincinnati
riot has won me over to the American
Mohicans. Savagcs who fight simply
in order that Justice shall not become
cnrryatrd through the suppression of
the death penalty are certainly highly
civilized sayagcs. must admit they
are sometimes too ready to use the re-
yolycr, and that the imitation Of
American manners in Il city so popu-
lous rs Paris would he in exceedingly
bad taste | am quite ready to ar
knowledge that, ON the whole, the ten
dcncy TO lynch. which has always
been very strong on the banks of the
Ohio, has developed and encouraged
the sentiment of Justice; and, in spite
of everything one cannot but admire
those principles which nothing has
been able 10 soften or to cmaSculatc
Those are men, tell yon men. |
first studied tn IN closely in the Comtcl
de Paris book, which is L vcritablr re-
vclatiOn Of American character. | see
them again now in the same light
and terrible! All, advise the
old world not to mcddlc with them. /
The old world would have an unwcl- .
come surprise Think of it! Men .
" no fight and die because jury was
unjust! We are far from that sCnti- .
mcnt in France. A people whose
IDEAS are So simple must he a strong
people indeed; and when it dies for its .
dea. it iSa people of heroes. repeat,
i is civilized and ciyilizing people
)nly, that when deceived by its chiefs,
and betrayed by its Judges, will revolt
md die for that supreme ideal of all
civilization Justice -