The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-01-27


mob dragged him from the temple at Jeru-
sslem, and beat him bratally. Nor must we
forget that it was mob that opposed the re-
lease of Jesus, crying, Not this man but
Barabbas u and Barabbas was robber: The
men Of this day who wish of resolve them
selves into 9 mob, take the Law in their
hands, and iuflict the awful death-penalty,
may turn, If they wish, to the Bible to see
with what kind Of company they allied them
selves. -
"a nab Is an asseublage Of men uaddened
by passion and for the time, devoid Of rea-
son. bent not so much on executing the law,
as upon venting their hate and gratifying
their spirit Of revenge.
Fh. men who advocate the lynch-law 10
any circumstances, where laws are preyail-
ing, ARE talking unreasonably in heat and
passion. or else they are arguing TO excuse a
crime which conscience tells them they have
committed.
Before any man can sustain the right ofthe
lyuch-law, he must overtnrn the work Of
Hin who said; Thou shaitnot kill.'' The
5lyncher may escape punishment at the hands
of his couotrymen: brtiu the eyes of God,
he is a..murder aud fe,on. The fact that he
is IN crowd does no,.sheiId him from the
eyes Of Heaven.
& The laws of God, the laws of our country
and onrsicuer Consciousness tell us that if
there is any sacred thing il ibis world, it IS
human life In the Bible human life is
clothed with all dignity and reverence. God
no. oaiy created the man but ''breathed into
him the breath Of life." To take life is
the most serious crime man can commit.
A people are orderly aud obedient to Law jost
in proportion as human life is respected.
y When life is counted for nothing, anarchy
aud ruin riot Aud yet meb murders its
rictim amid shouts and yells, just es if they
had bsen commissioned from on high TO COM
NIT the deed.
Mobs disrupt and violate the law, and
bring It into contempt. When Socrates was
ordered to drink the henlock that would pro-
duce death, his friends urged him not to do
il, saying the law was unjust; but the phil
osopher put the cup to his lips, saying, ''aa
honorable citizen will not violate even au un-
just law made and enacted oy his country
Our people should remember, that iu VIC.
latiug the law, they are sowing the wind
and will have to reap the whirlwind. The
law is s1r our protection. If we bring it
into contempt then We have no means of pro-
lection. Our Ssate-iu a body of its wisest
men-has declared that lynching is wrong,
and has S1ed penalty upon it. Wbeo a
body of meu take the life of any one without
iaga! process, they take the law into their
own hands, not to carry it out, but to violate
it. and thus they set themselves up against
the will Of their sovereign country aud citi-
zeuship s.The State is myself" and do
violence to myself aud all my interests when
/ lrample upon ,i,e laws of my State.
The seosmen, of lynchers is agaios. the
crime when passion has subsided. A man
never likes to think his children will recall
his pare and memory ss the leader of mur-
derous mob.
4
1t too oftea happens that mob murders
the wrong man. And when once the vital
spark IS exiinguisbed, regret and repentance
and a Thousand compunctions Of gnawng
conscience canoot atone for the life wrong
fully taken.
It has been said that there are three prin-
ciples upon which men are governed-houor,
fear and virturs Honor prevails in mon
arcby men honor the king. Fear prevails
ia despotism, and virtue in republic. If
the virtue Of our people is destroyed, we
are no lenger capable of self-government.
If oae virtue is 90 far gore that we may
murder mao, and no jury be foaod to con-