The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1893-09-29
Lawlessness.

1t is certainly appalling to read the ac,
counts in the daily papers of the lawlessness
that seems to be abroad in the land, both
North and South.
For the past two months, very near every
daily paper that has been issued, contains
an account of the commission of some afro
cious crime, until now the decs logue is about
exhausted.
Are we drifting into barbarism? If we
are, then the boast of American civii-
zation should cease, and our churches and
school houses should be pulled down, our
system of justice abolished, and let every man
establish unto himself code of law and
morals, for we are not advancing in civilize-
tion, and our churches, schools and icourts
are becoming q, parody in the sight of the
outside world.
OF course, neither civilization, society nor
the institutions of learning can put o stop to
the individual committing crime, as it Is i'm
possible for human agencies to change
human nature, as both the divine and human
laws have been violated from the beginning
of the world 10 the present time, aud these
laws will be violated through coming ages
But we must sly that the individual COM
mittiug crime, is quite different to what is
known rs mobs. In one case it is the indi-
vilual. In the other it is people for whose
protection laws are enacted, and they ALLOW
excitement and passion to control, and be-
come criminals themselves. Thus violating
the very law that they attempt TO vindicatc,
for after the criminal is put to death, or tor
tured by wild mob, the law has not be en-
vindicated; the wild human passion is alone
appeased, md the majesty Of the laws has
been insultci and trampled under foot.
Many poor wretch who was innocent
has suffered at the hands of an iufurated
mob, when if he had been given an impartial
trial before n court, presided over by an
impartial Judge, and an impartial jury to
pass Oh his innocence or guilt, lie would have
been acquitted.
In many Instances the death penalty
is inflicted by the mob, when the pun
ishment prescribed by the law is only
Il
as in the Roanoke case few days ago
which was au outrage of the deepest dye,
and one that will stand on record rs being
one of the m st british and inhuman lynch
ngs that has ever taken place in a civilized
community, for the infuriated mob was not
satisfied with having put the poor wretch 10
+ death, but must burn the body.
1t must be remembered, that in the
Roanoke case. the law was trampled
under foot, for the prisoner was in the
hands of the officers of the law, and
in endeavoring to protect him several
lives were sacrificed, and even now
! Mayor Trout is refugee from the city tc
evade the vengeance Of the mob, because in
the discharge of his duty he cndeavored tc
protect the prisoner from the fury of ths
| rabbe.
We can see no excuse for the Roanoke
lynching, and it is folly for the rabble to at
tempt 10 hold Mayor Trout responsible fol
the sad occurrence. They are to blame fol
the horrible affair.
We must admit that the history Of oul
S,o,o 10 e,o;~- ""i''. ,,--~' ~, =.
each case, except the lynching of Richard.
son at Denmark, the crimes with which the
parties stood charged were most heinous, and
the penalty was DEATH and there was not q
shadow of doubt Us to the guilt of the par ties
and they received the punishment prescribed
by law, and which their heinous crimes
deserved.
But even in these CAGES. it would have
been much better TO have let the law
take its course and thereby be vindicated
than to have resorlcl to no OBJ law.
But it is not our purpose to cxonerate
The people of our own State and condemn
the people Of Virginia; but to ask the ''peo
pie TO consider the effect that such a course
will lead to, and the impression it makes or
the outside world, to say nothing of the re
Election on our civilization.
1t becomes every god citizens duty tt
put his seal of condemnation OH lynchn,
and lawlcssness, let it bc for whatever Grim,
it may.
The courts as established by the constitu
ton are the ones to appeal to and not Judge
Lynch, whose C urt is organized by passion
and in which the scntepce is death, to ap
pease passion.