The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-12-23


suh A remedy was needed for this In
sufferable condition of things--a remedy
thu, would n once strike such terror 10
The insolent and unres,rsined marauders
IA would cause them 10 abandon the
held Of operations Colonel Lynch was
the man 10 take the lead IN such an
emergency. lie ~ once organized
numerous body Of patriotic cillzcns--
men al character and standing. With
these he followed in TIE tracks OF the
unsuspeciing enemy. captured many and
caused the Others 10 flee the country.
/ Whenever he captured any Of these ont
avs. they we not taken 80 tree and
+ hung. or tied 20 q stake and shot, ~ Is
now done under the sanction of the
/ Lynch code OF The present day. SO far
from this. jury was selected from Col
oncl LNnch's forces, over which no pre-
) sided as Judge Each culpr, was allowed
10 make his own defense, and 10 show
cause why be should not be punished
/ when declared guilty. the punishment
was executed on the spot, and the pris-
oner liberated on condition that he would
/ leave the country al once
A writer who knew Colonel Lynch In
timaiely saws that he was assured 10y the
latiof that never I'M his whole career had
he ever authorized or voted for the death
Of any prisoner. but that his sole object
was 20 protect innocent and deienseless
people from the terrors Of a lawlessness,
caused either for want OF proper legisla-
ton. or the absence OF power 70 enforce
such laws as were then IN existence
Here. then, was the beginning OF what
1 hiss ever since been known a. Lynch law.
st the mere mention OF which people IN
these modern DAYS quite naturally shrink
with horror al The contemplation of the
crimes II has committed But IL what
has been said above be true so iar nom
visiting with repIObafiOn the memory of
the man whose name has been so long
/ identified with the abuse u The system he
+ inauaufated. we should rather Toe willing
10 do il Justice. by commenting the
course he pursued and by doing honor
10 the courage and impartiality with
which ne executed the DEGREES Of code
made necessary bv the circumstances
which called il into existence. In this
connection il NAV be proper to notice an
important fact As far as is known,
neither during the public career Of this
remarkable man. or even after he had re-
tired 10 private life, was there any show
of retaliation manifested against him, or
any disposition on the part Of supposed
enemies 70 prosecute him Tor any real
or imaginary wrong inflicted in the exc
/ cutiOn Of his bold and relentless policy
At one tine during the. progress OF the
Revolutionary WAL Colonel Lynch was
called upon 10 take charge Of the salt
works IN Southwest Virginia His pre-
decessOr az that place and found It i'm
possible % carry on the works The
want of salt was greatly felt by The peo-
pie as well as by The army. Threatened
mutinv and open insubordinatiOn among
the men employed at that place as well
as amongst the troops sent by the State
10 guard il, and the wagon-trains which
were 10 transport the salt to distant parts
Of the country. had seriously diminished
the supply of this necessary article. 1t
was important that proper man should
be put in command. No sooner was
. Lynch installed than he began TO carry
out his favOriie system. Without wait
Ing iOrthe forms OF law, civil or military,
/ by which charges were 10 be brought,
and Investigations made, ne seized
al once upon those most prom
ineni in these disturbances, tried
them himself by the rules of hi.
code, and as soon as convicted, admins
tered the necessary punishment without
mercy on delay The effect was salutary
( ia more senses than one. An abundance
Of salt was soon procured, insubOrdina-
/ ton and discomfort were crushed out, and
+ he had no more trouble with the people
under his control
Unfortunately the system introduced
! by Charles Lynch under the circumstances
+ described above and which should have
been brought 10 an end as soon ~ the
/ due course o. law had been established,
! fell into unworthy abuses al the hands OF
/ bad and INSCRIPTIONS men One OF the
/ legacies OF long and eXhaustory war is a
disorganized society During the pro
cess Of rearranging lis discordant and
turbulent elements, much has TO be done
TO establish the relations which are 10
characterize the new order Of things
Men late under control ale ready 10 give
license 10 their wills, and indulge the
more british instincts Of their natures,
now that they think themselye once
more free 20 do as they please The loose
habits acquired IN The camp and on
the march have untitled them
for the life OF peace and quiet TO which
they are about 20 return The love OF adj
venture and the thirst for excitement
keep their minds in such state Of IN
rest that they become easily drawn away
by the slightest temptation 10 renew their
former habits This was particularly the
state OF the public mind at the close of
the revolution when Charles Lynch had
retired TO the shades OF private life. Ma
rauding, thieying, highway robbery,
assassination. and other like crimes, were
were common all along the North Caro- /
lima, Tennessee and Virginia borders
The smOtheIed fires Of hate between the
Tories and patriots now and then burst
out with renewed ierceness Personal +
resentments and private grudges still lin
gered IN the hearts OF people who were
now expected 10 live together In peace /
Men did not wait until sufficient time had
elapsed IN which il was 10 be hoped all I
these elements Of strife might be recon /
clled. They recalled but TOO willingly +
the scenes enacted by Lynch and hts .
peripetetic tribunal, but took care I
10 forget at the same time the man
ner In which It's DEGREES were enforced |
The result was that the name of the /
author still chung 10 every violation of
the law, recommiited in imitation of the /
code he had invented, and for which he
was not row responsible. Under sup
posed necessity associations were formed
10 punish crime although the courts of
justice had already been re-establshed.
These had their chiefs and other appro-
pirate officers. Whenever a complaint
was made TO member of one of these
associations that crime had been COM
lnitted within the jurisdiction OF the as
ISOLATION, the suspect was arrested, car
RED before certain members Of the asso-
citation 10 he examined. II his answers TO
their questions were not satisfactory, the
man was whipped until they were made
so. Under such system the innocent
were as frequently punished as were the
guilty. II was rarely that capital pun.
ishment was inflicted, though occasion.
ally man was hung The mode
IS