The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-04-23

receas sas-ess~s ~ San Frsnsssrc. uttered
some ysyy earnest voris 81 warning
sgs.ss; tie Increasing syi-ss Of la~sessnsss
Ia ths land; tue Ivnehinxs thai have taken
raacs. nos only in The ssata. Bat in NORTH
srn states Ike New York. Oaso. Peaasyl~
vsnis. Iillness xsd inasssa
The rema-ks Of Gen Harrison ve-e those
Of . scsnd lawyer ard shogwhtf1i citizen.
and we're NOT tinxe6 with the spsfst OF
secssonaGisrn. II 10 a. interesting fact thss
nothing said By Pressdeas Hsrnsoa tn de-
nsneiation of sob Law compares ~ power
and ssrsngth u iogic vith the words Of
Chisf Jgsisee Bleckssy, Of the suprsns
e9art Of fseorxis. ~ expressed IN his rscsSs
paper IN the Fsgssss entitled Negro oat-
rage No Excuse for LTnrhing. Let it %
remembered that gndgs E.eekiey Is SoatA-
ern born and bred: has lived al bis days
in Georgia, and his position ~ the head Of
The judiciary Of the ssate - testimony TO
HE ability % iuriss ard his worth ~
eitszen- Jadgs Biecxlsy takes the position
views Of civilization provoesiion has moth
ing 20 DO whatever with the right or wrong
Of lynch is9. whether It's victim Is white
or black. 10 kind or degree Of provoca-
tion Will justly il or even mitigate IT,
Lynshing IN barbaric. aaarenic and wrong
PRISE II IS In this respec- precisely on
Iesel with RAPE and murder. The two crimes
WHICH hare been and s:liI are the most apt
10 provoks it, This IS the strong language
Of Southern chief justice which hs de-
clare5 in his address TO the State Bar Asso-
citation snd has repeated la the Forum.
Judge Bleekley further says:
'The brief and bloody code of lynch Law.
translated into piain language. reads thus:
Let past crime be met with present crime
Ia order that future crime may be pre-
vented It's principle Is 70 check crime BY
the eon mission Of crime. Can any ciyili-
cation stand shisf Can anv organized
SOCIETY tolerate I, and liver Can any en-
iightsned moraiiss approve III"
The failure to realixs wildly the fanda-
mental truth that provoca.ion is utterly
mitigation. IL the xrie csnse Of iynching.
If this fundamental truth we're understood
there would be no public opinion behind
iynehevs 10 afford them moral support or
encourage than with the hope Of impunisy.
Judge Bleckiey holds that 'were i, abso-
iussIy certain that rape would be stopped
by q system OF retaliation between the
races. retorsing rsps for rape. the use OF
such means would be abhorrent," and he
inquiries Why IL 10 not also abhorrent TO re-
taliate with murder, and answers this
question by saying that by q misconception
OF the part played by provocsiion the
killing OF the ravisher 10 regarded by
'.many a. only . technical legal murder,
and no. as a moral murder At all. There
is widespread opinion among good and
fairly sensible people that no guilt what
ever is involved in such a killing. except
an artificial guilt manufactured by the
law. In some communities a popular vote
would doubtless Determine the las 10 be
wrong and the iynching eonsciensiousiy
right. The prevalence OF this opinion IS
the mainstay and support of mob masss-
Gre. There is every reason TO believe that
mobs are generally actuatsd By a most in
tense feeling of right and justice, and it is
sympathy with and participation IN this
feeling by the neighboring population
which screens the lynehers not only from
punishment but in mos, cases from accu-
sation aud trial."
naonstranec a. follows:
Those who commit rape or murder put
themselves outside OF Law, and follow
r Al l.
will OF society a. expressed In the ordi-
nsnces of government. Those who lynch
these criminals do precisely the same
thing, they put themselves outside Of law,
and follow their own will instead OF abid.
| Ing by the will of society as expressed in
! the ordinances of government To punish
| any one srongfully for acting wrong is
! contradictory and absurd. No human re-
| ing ~ho is under organized government
/ has any right. nor can he have any. 10
| sNerssSp the law 70. any purpose what.
/ soeyer lie cannot do IL for the defense
| of his own life or hoaor. or for the defense
/ Of those who are nearest and dearest "a
/ him. " bstever may be their age. ser or con-
dition- That - htcI the law permits to lie
| done in sclf-defenss or in defense of Others.
may be done, and that only. What the
/ law forbids 20 be done for defensive ob.
| lects can no more be done for those objects
! than .soT any other. As Justification OF uu-
| Lawful actions, an aggressive object count.
| tor as much rs defensive one. Fer mem
! hefs OF society 10 set up and srt upon
! rules of so-calied right in opposition &c
| the binding laws of society is wrong
! gIwavs has been wrong aud Away. vii
| bc. THIS Is the true and only SQUAD doc
/ trtne concerning iynehjng or ANYTHING
( essr. He who fails 10 discern this stth
/ clear vision does not behold the maiest.
. snd the divinity of the lsw.
"Lynching and provocaiion stand each
/ upoa igs owa footing. The second il nc
! excuse for the hrst, and the first is M
] AIMS ale ~ far.lH fNr The <ef..nnd -