The herald., 1893-07-29
TEE DANGERS OF LYNCH LAW.

TEE DANGERS OF LYNCH LAW.
The i'll effects of violation of the law
cannot be realized immediately. They
NAV reach forward for an indefinite
time, sometimes for years and often for
ages. When the peopleo of Virginia con-
cluded to continue his msjesty's justice,
Judge Lynch, in Office after Virginia had
thrown of allegiance to King George
ILL.,, they had no idea that they had
created a form of lawlessness which
would prove to be unique in the history
of mankind. Even the most trivial
usages of the law, when not too grossly
abused, are useful because they bind
down the ma sses to certain we'll consid-
cred practices that are found to be
highly conducive to good order and the
public veal. Thus, it probably
amounted to very little that, the
other night, a mob Of forty Thousand
people battered down the Jail at
Denver and dragged from his cell and
murdered wretch who had wantonly
and brutally killed an old soldier. A
single intraction of the law like that
perhaps counted for nothing. But we
are told that this same mob of forty
thousand men have since been looking
around for fresh fields of enterprise. 1t
is even said that they are contemplating
an assault on the banks, and that the
officials of these institutions have ap-
piled to the federal authorities for
troops to protect the banks. 1t ia to be
hoped that there is good deal of exag-
geration in all this. But, whether there
is or no, there is no doubt that lynch
law is menacs to all law and order,
and that it is at the bottom OF restless.
dangerous sentiment, which is liable to
explode with disastrous results at any
time. 1t ought to be frowned down
upon at all hazards.
1t is true That there was very con-
spicuous instance in San Fran cisco in
which lyneh-law on the expanded Vigil.
ante principle may almost be said to have
acted as beneisction. At that time it
looked as If law could only be main.
tanned by the surrender of IT'S m Dat vital
principles. If the lawless element at
that time had obtained control there
would have been an end to the young
commonwealth Of California, at least for
the time being. That was the excep.
tion that proved the rule. It can
scarcely be cited az an example for
Iy,,if 70 hnn hA ~ 80
were specially extraordinary and little
likely ever to recur.
A great many persons are unaware OF
the origin OF the word lynch law, and it
may perhaps, in this connection, be
we'll to cast some light upon it. One
origin Of the phrase goes away back to
the fourteenth century. At that time
there was a man named Lynch, mayor
of Galway, which was an important COM
mercial port facing Spain, with which
country the people OF Galway had large
dealings. A young Spanish lady was
making the family of the senior Lynch
visit. Two cousins, one the son OF the
mayor, were paying attentions to the
sei1orita. Wandering by the sea-shore
they fell into a violent alteration, an
impromptu duel followed and the
mayors son left the field of action with
his hands imbrued in his Cousins blood.
Arrested, arraigned and convicted, he
was 30 popular that no one would hang
him. The mayor, determined that jus.
tice should be administered with an
equal hand. performed the Office OF exc
cutioner himself. The joist in the castle
from which he flung the corpse of his
son is still in good state OF preserva-
tion. after the lapse Of nearly five hun
dred years. This Cato-like virtue has
not found much admiration among the
warm-hearted Irish.
The second origin of the phrase lynch
law is traced to Virginia. When the
war of the revolution broke out gentle
man named Lynch was his majesty's
principal justice. When Virginia sever
ed her relations with the mother country
Judge Lynch, with the full consent of
the bar, determined to continue his
functions. For years. during those
stormy times, horse-thieving, robbery
and murder ran riot, and Judge Lynch
followed with his inexorable judgments.
But whatever be the origin of lynch
law. and although in these two in
stances it would seem to have been al
most juatified, in normally constituted
community it should never be tolerated
for moment. The cloud that at present
invests Denver, perhaps now no larger
than mans hand, is liable to grow un-
til it shall overspread the whole
heavens. Once started on its malign
career there is no telling where it
would stop. The law, and the law
only, should be allowed sway in any
civilized country.