The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-09-26
LESSONS FROM ROANOKE.
Sermons Preached on the Tragedy in That
City.


preceded and followed 1t was crime, the
| evll effects and influence Of which will
not only be felt IN the city where It was
committed, but IN the community at
| large an influence which will tend TO re-
! tard civilization. demoralize the Ieopie,
| impede the justice OF the courts. instieate
amin al pa sions and family feuds. and
! diminish the peace comfort and safety of
the people. besides hurting defiance into
! lae face Of law, justice liberty ard gov
! einrient.
| a negro, said he. assaulted a defence
! less woman, robbed her, beat her and left
/ her for dead. lie was arrested, and was In
/ the hands Of the law. The unlawful de-
monstration on the part Of the popllace
was the effect Of combined caUses-race
/ prejudice and intense anger and revenge.
| We believe in progress. but Roanokes
! horror is a remnant Of the bloody feudai
| times. Revenge is not justice nor punish
| ment. IL is antagonistic to law. and its
reaction upon the avenger Is pitiable 1t
! is the belief Of some that God grew angry
| at the sinner, and this is spoken Of from
| the pulpit and the sinner is warned
/ to fee the vengeance Of God. According
/ To this system Of belief. God did not care
to reform the child, for reformation reycr
entered the mind in connection with
| punishment. II was argued that IL ven
| geance was Gods method. it should also
! be mansmethod.
"The effects of this mob's violence are
numerous and far-reaching. II is a discord
| in the harmony Of the universe. There is
/ sadness in SO many homes. The pail OF
| death and the gloom Of the wounded shad-
| ow many firesdes which but for this
! mob, would to-day be joyous and happy
The negro did a wrGitg. Those who at
tempted 10 slay him when I'm the hands Of
| the law did as great wrong, and instead
Of lessening a crime, added to II. 1t low
ers our standard abroad. We speak with
horror Of the despotism of Russia and the
Siberian exiles. We pity poor Ireland, and
wish Gladstone success. What do you
| think Europe will say Of such sceues on
| free American soil? They will be mis-
understood and attributed 10 freedom and
our system Of government Every good
act makes the world better aud every bad
act makes IL worse.
The Roanoke crime strengthens race
/ prejudice and endangcrs feuds which will
/ adden lives for generations. This bar
| tatcus manifestation is me Of tie occl-
/ sional burstings forth Of the animalism
| which marks our progress, for humanity
! Is Being lifted up TO a higher plane Of
| thought and life"
Rev. j. W. Duney, OF Central NJ. T..
| Church South, last night preached on the
| EuiDttis fiNt lkDdnhht lidSttSs iiN
! said. God deals with men as individuals; ;
his kingdom is in their hearts, ana
when one is loyal TO him there IS peace
aud love everywhere. anc none OF the
| anarchy exists such as occurred IN the city
| OF Roanoke last week 1 do not say there
! are no Christians In Roanoke, FOR know
| there are many refined ana Christian men
and women m Roanoke. They have many
! churches, and have never seen better
attended church services than they nave
| there ana a remarkable fact IS that more
men than women attend church IN mat
city Roanoke, too, put itself lately on
record IN favor OF local option against the
| liquor traffic. But the unusual prosperity
of the place has drawn there a great
variety Of classes Of people. among Whon
there is rough element. number OF
young men have gone there. There are
some desperate characters in Roanoke,
and the better part OF the citizens have
had 10 exert themselves to keep these IN
| check / saw the stirrirg up OF young
blood on one occasion, and 1 know what
IL means. IL is hard at times TO check IL.
Il felt panied when 1 read the account
OF the mob in Roanoke. especially as /
know there are so many renned Chris
tian people there, who are panied at what
occurred. There are some things in Nir-
ginia that have awakened crime. While
we protest against crime and have no
sympathy with 10. neither can we endorse
the summary method OF moDs dealing
with crime. Such methods are not con
fined 10 Virginia. The thing OF iynchlng
is i'm itself an outrage. There Is some
thing cowardly SD lynch law. Those VINO
engage I'm II generally go about 1t under
cover Of the night and are masked, ana
they are not apt to say anything about
il afterwards. Lynch law fosters ana
develops passions that bring those VINO
take part down 10 the level OF the Grim
inal they seek. aud l doubt not often these
become criminals themselves. There Is a
germ Of anarchy IN ~. The fact, my
friends is that there Is too loose q COndi-
ton of things even here IN Maryland. and
possibly, in Baltimore, that ought 10 be
considered.
81 doubt not these evils grow much out
Of the fact that our laws are too loose,
ana are not enforced. it rs partly because
the gallows has been cheated tnat men
feel they must take the law in their own
hands. You know that even in our own
city the laws are far from being strong,
and that often, To convict is so dlincutt
that the criminals so Tree. You know,
right here in ouf own city were published |
statements of violations OF the law, ana |
in ne case they not only turned the gull |
~ party free, but permitted MN 70 con |
tinue his guilt Now, 1 say our laws are [
either radically weak, or they are miser- |
ably enforced. a quiet submission TO TINS /
state Of things is only encouraging a |
spirit Of anarchy. Every violation OF law |
in which punishment is not enforced is 40 |
law; IL Is anarchy 1 say this breeds |
prodigy of evils. ! say that when you ana |
1 quietly submit, we are helping TINS |
horrible rule.
II say that every time we do so we are |
encouraging the growth or anarchy. |
Every time We encourage this py our |
silence We are parties TO the wrong |