The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-01-25
THE LAW AND THE LlNCLERS,
\ DISPASSIONATE DISCUSSION OF !
DIFFICULT SUBJECT.

\ DISPASSIONATE DISCUSSION OF !
DIFFICULT SUBJECT.
The Opinion OF a Conservative Caroline
Journal--The Case Considered in Differ
ent Aspects.
editorial IL the Keowee Courier)
The opinions OF the press, in different
parts OF the State, on this startling occur
renee, differ widely. It is generally con.
ceded that the act is the natural result
of precedent established by the whites
in like cases of offence. AS conse.
quence some condemn the act and al
acts of lynching in the abstract. Others,
winking at such summary vengeance,
when prompted by pure and high pur-
pose Is protect virtuous women from
violence worse than death, favor a
thorough investigation in this case as to
whether this act was the outcome OF an
outraged sentiment or the offspring OF
prejudice and imitation. Others take
the bold ground that if deceased was
guilty of the crime with which he was
accused, he deserved the fate he met,
and the perpetrators deserve conmenda-
tion rather than censure. Wcfind others,
who neither in terms approving nor con-
demning the lynching, hnd in the occur
renee pregnant text for dlSoourslng on
the ineficiency Of the administration OF
the criminal law by our courts and
juries.
No law abiding citizen will deny but
lynch law is wrong in itself and danger
Gus to society. While this IS true, there
are crimes so revolving to mans moral
nature, so destructive to society, SO
awful in their consequences to lndlvldu-
ais and by sympathy to communities,
that neither human nor divine law ever
has or ever can stay the hand Of venge-
ance in their punishment. OF these
crimes 6endish and brutal violence to
respectable women is the highest, and
we hardly think, in such cases, any
earthly power could stay the avenglng
hand of an outraged community. The
certainty of the conviction and punish
ment Of the guilty party canrot do this,
and the divine command, thou shalt not
Kill, has proved equally powerless.
Respect Sor woman, pride il her ele-
vation and protection is striking char
acteristic of Anglo Saxon civilization and
the crowning glory OF Christian progress.
Summary punishment of q brute, black
or white, who assaults pure woman,
we cannot condemn, and yet we cannot
deny it is a dangerous precedent, not
only tending to abuse for the commits
sion of the nameless crime charged
against deceased, but as growing and en-
tending to less horrible crimes, until no
limit being fixed, the written law be-
comes dead letter, and for it the eX-
cited and partially informed opinion Of q
mob is substituted. In some cases the
highest good of society, It's preservation
and the protection OF the mothers and
daughters of our State, viii constitute an
acceptable excuse in the public mind for
lynching.
While We hold this, We think every
case of lynching should be thoroughly
investigated and on the trial Of parties
charged with it, We feel sure our iuries
would convict or acauit on their honest
Judgment from the facts, whether the
lynching was prompted by the single
motive OF vindicating virtue and pro-
tecting society, or by spirit OF race re-
venge and imitation.
Even in the most eXcusable form the
enforcement Of lynch law is playing with
fire, and if ever justified as to the actors
the justification should be based on the
honest conviction that it is the best, the
safest and the highest preventive OF an
irreparable wrong and virtual necessity
to the preservation of society.
In the abstract, lynch law meets our
and public condemnation, but clrcum-
stances may exist, such as the character
of the assailant and assailed, the nature
and extent of the injury, which may ex-
cuse if not Justify it. How do they stand
in the Central lynching?
Waldrop is reported SIS being half
witted person, by some as g person men
tally irresponsible. This should in his
case have stayed summary punishment.
It is further stated by some that his
guilt was 8 matter of doubt, and that he
denied it to the last. This should have
led to inquiry in any case before the
death penalty was enforced. And here
lies the great danger in lynch law, that
upon excitement, growing out of an ag-
gravated crime, passion usurps reason
and men act without proper inquiry as
to the crime and the guilt Of the party
charged.
Again, in such cases the standing Of
the assailed should be considered. Has
the negro race established by their life
and conduct that high moral character,
that reputation for virtue which makes
such wrong to their race irreparable,
the life Of the victim living death? We
maintain they have not. They marry
and intermarry with little regard to past
chastity and neither their eGucarion nor
habits lead them to value the reputation
of their women, as do the whites. We
do not deny bnt every citizen, male and
female, white and black, sce entitled to
and should receive equal aa3 impartial
protection under the Jaw, but We deny.
or strongly doubt whether Z criminal as-
sault on black woman can OF should,
under the character Of the race, arouse
that just feeling OF Indignation, that 1iJa
and noble resolve, coupled with genuine
excitement, which . Ike assault on g
white woman by black or white man
necessarily does from habit and educa-
tion, and which alone, ii any excuse be
allowed, stands as an excuse for past acts
of lynch law by white men. Both races
have their recourse for protection to the
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