Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1898-04-15
CONSPIRACY IN CRIME.
1.-THE Central Presbyterian

our Southern civilization is the vim
dication Of law. The public sensi-
bility is shocked, and the public
conscience outraged, by banded
assassins who set aside all consti
tutional government, and freely
indulge their brutal propeusities
upon helpless human beings who
may be the object of their dislike.
In many cases, civil government
finds it impossible to bring such
conspirators to justice, on account
OF the concealment that is practiced,
and the failure of grand juries TO
detect the criminals.
Our impression is that the diff
Guilty is due to moral tone in some
regions that is derived from the
antecedants of the people Too
many of them are guided rather by
the utilitariun philosophy inculca-
ted for geneiations by courts and
Jnrles, than by the precepts Of the
Christian religion. We have inner
tied the politics of the English
Commonwealth, as New England
Inherited ITS faith. Fanaticism re
suited In the one, and materialiSrn
Ill the other Tie men who formed
public sentiment in old-times IN our
region, were theorists after the type
OF Algernon Sidney, on questions of
government. and Christians only
i'll scnse of decent conformity Local
popular sovereignty has become the
dominant principal in many com.
munities, and the recognition Of di
vine authorit.f is too little regarded
III the most influential circles.
That no citizen shall be compelled
10 crin,iinte himself, is always held
a. sacred axiom. But that no
citizen shall violate law, i, often nd-
United with man, qualifications.
The law of necessity is too much
quoted. The fear of God is what il
wanting III those wretchen ueighbn
hoods where midnight assassin are
soaking our country's soil in human
blood. Politics without religion are
fatal to society.
1t Is almost impossible TO secure
action from grand jury, If The bulk
oil tho citizens usually composing it
are implicated in a conspiracy against
the law. One canuot crimiuate nm
other, and still conceal his own guilt
Hence, i'll many cases, comes tho
ready conclusion OF the selfish con
science, that we are not bound to
crimlnate one another. The Ohio.
Indiana. aud North Carolina cases.
are probably all due to such an
evasion, whilst the lynchings them
selves were justified helore con-
scienc on Tie ground of public neces.
sity. Detection is effectually pre-
vented by The iacit understanding
among the perpetrators, that no
dlvuls ence can be made, even on
oath, that might involve the in
elimination of self!
But is this maxim Christian one?
We cay con hdently, it is not. 1t is
heat hen in it's origin. 1t ia def.
ance Of God. The Christian pulpit
and the religious press should make
themselves heard on the snbiect.
Lynching to death is murder in all
cases where process of law is DOS.
sible. The stain Of murder ought
to cling TO the family name.
The sections OF our country have
an abundance Of material for mutual
criticism. 1t in solemn obligation
on us all, to sweep clean before cur
own doors. The individual Cesar
must have his own, but not to the
exclusion of his Creator. This great
crime of lynching is growing like a
malignant ulcer on our civilization.
md all because our people learn
their moral maxims too much from
the common law" and to little from
the Bible.
No man is bound by his citizen.
ship to confess his crimes, but 1t is
law of the kingdom OF God, above
all civil relations. that our sins
must be nfessed, if they are even
to be forgiven. This moral rule is
too often evaded by wicked couspi
rators, under cover of the whole.
some maSin Of English juispondense