The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-10-22
JUST NORTHERN VIEW OF
LYNCHING

There are some few newspapers In the
north that have taken q sound and SEN
sible view Of the lynching business.
They are not sc severly sectional that
they can not discern q distinction and
difference In the situations in the two
great sections. They see that the south
with its 5000. 900 OF blacks Is threatened
with disturbances and crimes greatly
in excess of what the north is threaten
ed with from h same race. az h
number Of negroes in the north in pro-
portion to population Is a mere trifle az
compared with the number in the south.
Among papers that have had a just
censure of the course OF most northern
newspapers is the New York weekly
Nation. It criticises the unfairness OF
denouncing the south while saying
nothing Of greater outrages in lynching
in the north. 1t says. and we give but
a part OF its editorials"
THE first effective step toward the
punishment of lynching that We have
noticed in any part OF h country has
been taken in Georgia. Some time
q white man and a negro were arrested
on charges of murder, and while they
were in Jail at Jonesboro a mob gath
cred one night and demanded that the
| sheriff surrender his prisoners. For
tunately, that official had been warned
In time to summon a large and
| he was able to protect the prisoners un-
til he could take them to Atlanta the
| next day. Although his was a case
| where lynchings had been only at
ltempted, not accomplished, the author
| ties resolved to bring to justice those
| who had sought to break h laws, and
the grand Jury had just found true bills
| gainst eight men who are charged
| with conspiracy to lynch. OF course, 1t
| still remains to try and convict them. but
1t Is a great gain to get such
| indicted. Even this step has not been
| taken in the case Of any Of the leaders
| Of the mob who lynched a in
| the most barbarous manner a few
months ago at Urbana, o. And yet the
northern community, with it's z
| churches, its excellent and private
| schools, its public library, and it's uni
versity, doubtless considers itself much
further advanced in civilization than
Clayton county Georgia."
Every ordinary mortal must recognize
the propriety and necessity il the COM
parison made. In Virginia some
months ago a sheriff protected a prison
er and prevented lynching. We believe
that the military fired and scattered the
mob. The Atlanta Journal calls atten-
ton to the lynching not long since at
Versailles, Ind, which was a worse af-
fair than the Urbana, Ohio, outrage.
Five men were lynched under a mere
suspicion Of burglary, and in that
state it is not a capital crime as it is
in some of the southern states, in North
Carolina for instance. The Journal is
doubtless correct in saying that an
Outrage so fragrant as that has never
occurred anywhere in the south, ano
yet the grand jury failed to indict 9
single person for completely in the Yer.
sailles 1ynching. 1t is absurd to say
that the grand jury could not discover
any Of the burderers. The failure tt
bring any one TO trial proves that tn
members Of the jury were in sympa
thy with the criminals, if not actual!
engaged in the preparation Of tn
crime" Let the laws be enforced, tn
constituted authorities sustained b.
a correct, healthful public sentiment
and let trials for murder and rap b
speedy as we'll as fair, giving the peopl
a showing in the trial instead of afford
ing %scoundrels all the advantage. 1
the most devilish crimes shall ceas
( the necessity Of lynching even will dis
appear.