National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-06-09
DARBARoUs LYNCnING IN BRAZIL.
The Mississippi ISuIsiuN outdonc-A Had
State OF society.

Rio JdRciyO NelDs
Ono Of the most barbarous cases Of bqchery
which we have ever been called u on to
record occurred Mt Rozcndo, province of Rio
de Janeiro, on the Both OF March. planter
Of that vicinity, named Josa Maria do Costa,
had been killed by some of his slaves u few
days previous, and three of them were
lodged in the jail at Rezoude On tho
morning of tho 3Oth a mob of some 800 armed
mcn entered the town, surrounded the Jail
and demanded tho delivery of tho assassius
The guard, composed of an officer and oight
soldiers, domurrcd, when shot was
fired which slightly wounded the Oil.
Ger. The guard Immediately fed,
| Tho keys wore next demanded
of tho jailor, who at once delivered them up.
Tho mob then entered the Jail crying, "kill
the assassinsw and threw themselves upon
tho three helpless slaves. Pistol shots, blows
Of bill-hooks, aud knife thrusts followed in
quick succession. Two of tho slaves wero
killed outright, whilo tho third lived somo
three hours. The butchers then dragged tho
two dead slaves out into tho open square.
where they manglcd their bodies in the most
inhuman manner-cutting OF their ears,
slashing their heads and faces with hatchots
and knives, and every other iicndish outrage
that their savage impulses could devise. One
of the bodies was literally cut in twain with
hatchets. a more savage remorselcss butch
cry never occurred. The mob then pargded
the streets giving cheers for Justice" for the
liberal Snd conservative parties" for order"
and 'law" and God knows what else A
more shameless burlesque on the institutions
of civilized society was mover acted even by
sayages Let it DO understood that We have
no defense for tho three assassins, nor for any
others who are guilty of crimes of this char
actor. But when we consider how much of
crime there is on every side, and how fire.
quontly the slave assassins have been bought,
literally bought in courts of justice, by their
masters to save them from being sent to
Fernando dc Noronha on account of their
pecuniary valuG-whon we think of all this
We cannot help crying out against this mon
strous injustice of butChoring three helpless
slaves in the Rezende Jail simply and for no
other reason than that the planters are in
iuriated with tho progress of abolition, and
have resolved to meet it by force
If this is their intention then there aro
sorry times in store. Tho shareholders
are playing with frebands which will in
evitably be the cause of their own
destruction. Immediately after the Rezende
massacre troops and police officials were sent
in to prevent slave insurrection. No one
proposed to arrest the butohers--we do not
call them "lynchers" as Lynch law" is in
iinitely above outrages Of this charactor-and
no one seems to know who they arc! And
yet on the very day of the outrage tho pro-
slavery organ of this city published call
from six residents of tho locality for meet
ing in Rezende ON tho Sd to take measures
for their own protection. At tho present mo-
mont the whole country about that town is
in state of alarm for fear of u servile insur-
rection, and with good reason. 1t is not
question of abolition with the slaves; it is
becoming purely question Of self-prcserva-
tion. If the shareholders wish to drive them
TO desperation, then lot them continue these
outrages, and then take the inevitable Conso-
quences