New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-09
UONENT4RT ANARCHY.

Is it worth while to consider Tor moment
lust what it was that happened IN BardWeIl'
KY. on Friday, when "A man charged win
brutal crimes was taken out Of tho hands OF
the law and the custody of the Sheriff, hanged,
mutllatcd and burned without the form OF tfIal
and with the consent and approval apparently
Of thousands of the citizens OF Carlisle county :
Is it worth while to inquire III what particular
this action differed. except in beng CARED
out with more dclbcration and more cold
bloodcd cruelty. from that Of tie Chicago IN
archi>ts who undertook with dynamite bombs
10 set themselves above law? The Ken
tlc,ans. being in sufficient number 10 do so
without personal risk, rose up and said ave
will not lie governed by law. We declare all
statute laws ard all constitution: cnactmcn.N
null and void that forbid the taking 81 human
life and guarantee to every human beng far
trial by Jury of his peers. We are above the
law. We resume our natural rights. We
throw of the nnvholcSomc and unnatural re-
strants that society and the State have i'm
posed upon Us. Let us restore chaos and
establish ANARCHY" What the Anarchists tiled
to do in the abstract with vaguc. will notion
that in the event i; would be bcncii- to the
race the Kcntuclian> actually did in TIE con
crete, with no higher motive than the grai.ii-
cation Of mad passion for rcycns}
1t will be said as it always i in such cases.
that the citizens "tool the law in Their own
hands" II is not true. They simply trampiod
on it, annuilcd IT, pronounced II of no effect
Obsolete Ii is misuse of language. The
highc> function of law is the protection Of
life. It's EXTREMIST cXclciS, the taking o. it,
The worst criminal j. entitled to all is safe
guards. The most moral and law-abidng CHI
zen cannot afford to deprive him of them. The
good citizen indeed. ha> most n stake IN mlln-
tanning under all conditions, and in ?l circu&-
stances. the nyiolabilij. of law: l. most IN
tcrcsied in unfolding II continuous, without
possibility Of lapse or int'rmlS.lon. He less
than any one can afford TO have the precedent
established of moments cessation OF rs or
dcIl; and undi>turhcd operation. Bad ~ WAS
the crime with which their victim VS. charged,
ana granted that hi, guilt Was manifest be-
yond any question. these good citiz'n~ OF hcn-
tuck were guilty OF 4 much worse crime when
they set the precedent of laWlcN>ne'>. for which
there is no justification short of condition of
affair, which jusrifc, ciy.! revolution. Had
these citizens taken the culprii and simply
hanged him in short order. adding nothing 10
the death pcnalt! a> inflicted b. law. with
some sense Of the rather solemn responsibility
Of taking human life. the act would still have
been ncxcu~anlc ion lis laulcS>nc>S. They
added t. IT shocking barbant!cS. the motive
for which could on. have been the gratitcI-
ton Of the passion OF revenge.
4 social condition which no. only tolcIa'cS
but applaud, such manifestations OF ungOy-
ernable rage as we've exhibited i'll hanging
manning and burning this untricd and unc0n
victcd victim OF popular passion Is not cheer
full thing to contemplate IN Il civilized con-
Inunity II would be an cXaggcration. per
haps to say that lnching> Of this sort haze
become common Of late bun il is true that they
have seemed TO be increasing in ircqucnc, dur
ING the last year or two 1t is a fact too. the
significance Of which il would be idle 10 at
tempt 10 conceal thar most of them have o.
cured in the former slave States. and that tlc
victims have invariably been negroes. We
have no disposition 10 dwell upon this feature
Of the subject We can readily understand
hat The provocation to swift outbreaks of pas
zion and summary infection Of punishment is
very great. but it docs seem 10 us worthy the
rousd Grafton Of the communities in which /
these things occur that they are doing them
selves great harm i'll the eyes Of the civilized |
world at the same time that they are week /
,ning the protection given themselves by he /
avs and lapsing into barbari>m by the IL
lulgcncc Of ferOciouS passions.