The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-08-08

general bill of indictment aginst the peo-
pie who resort to violencea. Some as
sert vehemently that there is a defect in
the laws machinery, and some say not.
One preacher says thai % PEI cent of
those indicted escape. One more would
come square up to Judge Dooly's esti-
mate when he said: Gentlemen of the
jury, / charge you that the ninety-nine
guilty ones have already escaped" One
learned lawyer says that Ryder would
certainly have been tried and convicted
in September, and doubtless been speed
| lily executed. Another says he would
have been sent to the asylum as luna
tic. Judge Bleckley says the law needs
no reforming-that it is right now. The
| Bar association have resolved that it does
need reforming. One pre- her quotes
scripture that says: 1.-THE la I must not
be defled with BLOOD" but Do, not give
the context that says 'innocel BLOOD"
and the further context that say. de
liver him unto the hand of the az niger
of blood that he may die, and thine eye
shalt not pity him." Life for life, hand
for hand. etc. let them stone him with
stones" etc. 1t seems like a burlesque
for any preacher to go to the old Mosaic
law for a text against summary punish
ment of heinous crimes. The avenger
of blood was ON the warpath all the time
and even the man who unwittingly killed
his neighbor, not hating him beforehand,
had to fly for his life to the city of re-
fuge lest the ayenger of blood overtake
him, and being hot shall STAY him. Yes,
being hot shall STAY him. Those aven-
gers of blood must have been blood
thirsty fellows indeed. 1t was aHawful
code of law, but the children of Israel
were an awful race to deal with. l won
der what the boys of this generation
would say to law like this: ''If man
have stubborn and rebelious son who
will not obey the voice of his father or
his mother, then shall his father lay
hold on him and bring him to the elders
and say this, our son, will not obey our
voice. And all me men of the city shall
stone him with stones that he die. And
Israel shall hear and fear? What a
horrible death was that And yet it was
common and a frequent punishment.
If was preacher l wouldn't go to the
Old Testament for a text against lynch
ing. I wouldn't even quote Cain, whom
the Lord marked, for it seems very GER
tain that If the Lord had not interfered
the people would have lynched him.
Josephus says that the Lord protected
him because of his offering and because
he entreated and salu. "Is my sin too
great to be forgiven?'
To my mind the sum of the whole
matter is that neither the laws delay
nor its uncertainty has anything to do
with the impulses and emotions that con-
troll men when they pursue and overtake
and identify and execute a negro for his
crime against helpless innocence Every
parent and husband and brother in the
neighborhood Immediately becomes an
avenger of blood. If the brute has all
ready been caught by the officers Of the
law and securely placed in prison, then
let him stay there and meet his doom ac-
cording to .nnT. / would not take any
r. Boner away from an honest and faith
III sheriff-unless perhaps the victim was
one Of my family, nor even then unless
it could be done without shedding the
blood of officers or friends.
For all other crimes the laws we'have
are good enough for all good citizens,
and feel no great concern for the bad.
1 suppose that at least half the lawyers
carry concealed weapons, but they don't
carry them for me. Certain 1t is l want
no advice on this subject from press or
pulpit, from judges or lawyers, and es-
pecially from young unmarried men or