The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1893-07-28
Horrible BarharitY.


written law" which demands the
swift punishment without law OF tue
vi lain VINO commits the unpardOu-
able crime OF rape, no one who Can
take calm aud Well-considered
view OF the lyucning of the negro,
Lee Walker, III Memphis, Saturday
night, can justify the horrible bar
barity when moved the lynchers to
partially burn the dead body Of the
criminal and then to nsng the char
red aud smoking remnant to pole
in the centre Of The principal stree t
OF the city.
Lynch law is bad enOu gh and de-
mOrslIZing enough when il is salts
fed with the death OF the victim, but
when it extends its unlicensed
power 10 the most shocking mutila-
lions Of the liIeless human UOdy aud
INDUCES disgusting barOaritles that
would put to shame the most vicious
Of 6arbariaOs, il is time that u people
claiming 70 be civilized should rise
up ahd demand tuat u stop be put to
SUCH outrageous proceedings. Can
any one read the report OF tue Mem
PMS lyLChlng, which We publish to-
day, without u suudder of horror aud
disgust? Would any one have be-
lIeved that such barbaritie5 would
nave been allowed in the heart OF u
great city fun Ot the best people and
Differed by u strong police aud con-
stabulAry force? What must We
think OF the sending or missionaries
to heather lands from this country
when such scene as that Witnessed
in Memphis Saturday night is pre-
scented rs a manifestation OF our
Christian civilization What wound
a Chinaman or Indian or African
cay of TINS astounding barbarlty in
one OF the cities OF the United States,
Benighted canulbsls VINO dance over
tue smoking human body which they
expect to eat, may be excused by
their ignorance and stupidity, but
what kind OF people have We in this
Christian land, who, without fear OF
punishment or even official iDterfe-
euce, dance over the chaIred rs-
maius of the victim they have
snatched from the custody Ut the Law
and make night hideOus with their
demoniac yelIS as they flourish the
hslf-burned' human remains in the
heart OF q great municipality, under
the caves Of the temple OF justice,
beneath the spires of ChrIstian
churches and ut the very doors Of
public schools.
Must thus outrageous business 60
unrebuked? IL this to be the fruit
OF our civilization? Is all law to be
set aside and he made to stand
aghast aud powerless before this
worse than heather renaissance
Are we not only to trample the law
aud the courts under our feet, but
also to educate the rising generation
IN the spirit OF barbara veng eance
which OverthrOws all Christian
teaching, all precedent aud every
sense OF prOpriety?
Is the burning OF criminals, law
| lessly executed, to become the fasu-
ion OF the day? Is the wresking OF
mad horrible vengeance upon tue
inanimate bodies OF criminals to
grow into a popular means of cult
waiting and satisfying the low passion
OF revenge with slts cOncOmitanl
vices? Are we in truth coming to
the last times" when Divine judg-
meuts of the most fearful character
must be visited upOu the world be-
cause Of tue denominations which
organized society aud the church
art unable to check?
What will he the end, if there be
not some authority or some iufuence
to check such horrible barOarltIes a.
have recently been perpeTrAted in
Memphis and several OIuer places?
Lynch law does not deter men from
the commission OF crimes, aud the
added horrors Of The latter day bar
barism only Increase The hOrriOie
destinations OF the crime. What
Bardwell, Ky, and Memphis, Tenn ,
have done rome other community,
which We are won't to call Christ.
ian community, will be encouraged
to 90. The mo horrible the tor
lures by iawless Punishment, the
more shocking the manifestations OF
Passionate revenge, Ih5 more bar
OarOus and inhumau the mutations
and the more disgusting the celebra.
tlous of the moo The greater VIII be
the generalization ana the more
Ir quent The Urc ,slOn for mob viO-
lence.
There is crying need Of reform in
the interest of eOcial urd.r auu in
the vludicatiOu OF law aud cOnsti.
tuted MISUNDERSTANDING Banner,