The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-02-09
"VENGEANCE is NINE SAITH THE
LORU."

LORU."
While vengeance Is the sovereign
power ana attribute Of Deity, Goa
uees human means to execute ME
judgments, and while the caption OF
this article might indicate 1t, We 90
not intend to sit in judgment upon
the citizens of Paris, Tex, and sur
rounding country in their swift ana
terrible vengeance visited upon the
negro smith, who, with malice III Die
heart and the fires of hell IN nis DloOu,
rayished and murdered the tender
four.year.oId child OF Henry Vance OF
that city. The crime tor which Smith
auff-red the most exquisite physical
fortunes was not only fiendlsh ana
brutal, but was also animated Dy re-
ysnpe against the father OF the ch'Id,
who AS an officer had arrested Sml'h
for some violation of the ordinances oi
the city. The crime can therefore De
considered as cOolly premeditated
and executed with all the dlabollcai
malignity Of combined vengeance
aud brutal Inst, and the punishment
can only be regarded as adequate 10
the crime. Consider for moment
the wild alarm and just fears OF the
lander child AS she lay sObblDg AZ
night I'm the arms Of tho wretch Wfo'e
breath poisoned with the fumes
of liauor touched her rosy cheeks,
whose tender form, which had
never felt ought eise but gentle ana
loving cares, was violated by MS
brutal grip, and whose young limos
were torn asunder in the rage OF his
mad passion.
Think of these things and then put
Yourself in the place OF the father, con-
templating all the horrors OF ne hlght
passed in the woods by his child ana
awaiting to execute vengeance upon
her rayisher. He had lett sorrow
stricken and wrecked home, his wlie,
the mother of his child. "a raVlng
maniac, with every pulse III MN
throbbing for vengeance, ut your sell
In his place and then judge him. III
is true the manner OF death OF the
negro was horrible and sickening III
detail, but the negro had no mercy,
and rs the father heated the non ne
4 l.
thought of his beautiful child, OF hef
tender caress when the days work
waa done. of her arms about his neck,
her lips on his cheeks and her curls
floating around his head, her sweet
prattle, aud then, Oh God! he ga"
that child, torn, bleeding, ravisheo,
and then her brains beaten out on me
nearest tree. Judge him, We VINO
NAV he free from the affections ofyour
kind. Condemn the silent body OF CIT
liens, the mob if you please, Witness
ing the scene and interposing the
strong arm of public sentiment IN pro-
tecting the father from the oiil'ers OF
the law in executing the vengeance OF
God 1--WE write with profound rever-
ence), but for US, we decline to slt IN
Judgment upon the deed. Henry
Vance is only u man with human at.
fections and human weakness. Inc
vast eoncourse OF men around him
were only men like himself. They
were not saints, and they could not
forgive, and they wrought terrible
vengeance upon the victim.
Ii has been minated that this case
will be used against the south for
political effect. Let 1t be- VINO
cares? We are men down here who
dare right the wrongs wrought upon
any female member OF our families,
and we do IL in our own way ana care
nothing for the political consequences
Bnt we do not believe 1t will be con-
demned by any good men in the North
who have the feeling of common hu-
manity in their hearts. We have a
better opinion of them. But what II
they do call Us to account for II
Every true man in the South would
rather die than yield one iota OF his
right to visit dire and terrible verge
ance upon the brute or brutes who
desecrate and humiliate the purity OF
Southern homes. Let 1t once and for
all be a lesson to the brutes, white and
black, who touch with unhaIlowed
hani the women of the country.
Tile GazeIte. Fort Worth, thinks as