The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-08-04


-
ton OF Law and Order-Lyaching -
Well ~ she Grimes Leading 60 ts
be Punished
Atlanta. Ca, July 31.-Governor
Gambler tonight issued an appeal TO the
people OF Georgia to join hands and
put an end 10 mob violence In the state.
Tbs governor believes that the only
way to restore a condition Of peace and
tranquility and to bring an end to the
tawlessness that has been manifested
in different parts Of the state Is Tor the
people 20 uphold the courts. aid them
In bringing 10 speedy justice all crirni-
mails and by h e strong force Of q virile
public sentiment, bring punishment TO
the lawbreakers of all kinds.
The governor tells OF the reproach
heaped upon the state by the repeated
outbreaks and says:
The purity OF the fair mothers and
daughters OF Georgia must and shall be
preserved. and at the same time the
lives and liberties OF all OF the law
abiding negroes in Georgia must and
SsA1AA pN pAeACNtNA. . aLu uNk
larry and assassination and robbery and
rape must stop. and At he same time
lynch law must stop. The good OF
both races ant: the fair name OF the
state demands this.
The ordinary processes of the law
are amply sufficient TO punish all
crimes. Our judges are pure and tn
corruptible. Our juries are composed
OF our most intelligent, upright men.
who seldom make mistakes. The mob
often makes mistakes and the innocent
are made TO suffer with the guilty. Il
never knows where TO stop, but after
Furnishing the guilty, drunk with the
blood OF one victim, thirsts for the
blood OF another and often sacrifices
on the alter of vengeance those who
are guiltless OF any crime.
I'VE must away with the mob. We
must re-enthrone the law. We must
restore the altar of reason and tear
down the altar that passion has erect
ed. We must do this in the interest OF
the white men Of Georgia and in the
interest OF the negroes OF Georgia and
for the fair name of Georgia and TO
protect the virtue OF the women of
Georgia.
Lynch law does not stop arson nor
murder, nor robbery nor rape. This
requires the strong power of the stat
ute law. sustained by a healthy. Wig
orous public sentiment.
Il would appeal to all officers OF the
state, civil and military, urging them
to remember that the dignity and the
fair name OF Georgia are in their
keeping. l would appeal to them to
remember that they are the guardians
Of the peace and happiness OF the peo-
pie of the state. Ii is their duty TO
apprehend and bring to justice all who
violate the law, whether it be the ne
gro who commits rape or the white
man who kills him for his crime. The
grand juries must realize that IL Is as
much their duty to ferret out and re-
turn true bills against members OF the
mob who lynch a murderer Is 1t Is TO
return a true bill against the murderer
himself.
II would appeal especially TO the bar
to bring that potent influence which
the members OF the profession exer-
cises in every community to the aid
OF law and order, not only by dis
countenancing mob rule, but by aid
ing the courts and juries in bringing
accused parties to speedy trial. Ii IL
the duty of a lawyer to see that his
client has a fair and impartial trial,
, but he should not resort to mere tech
nicalities and pretexts to defeat the
ends of justice or even to delay the
enforcement Of penalties, whereby So
ciety suffers and the confidence OF the
people in the ability OF the courts to
punish crime is destroyed.
I'm bringing about this end / would
invoke the active, earnest co-operation
Of all good men. white and black, with
the officers of the law in their efforts
to prevent crime, suppress mob vio-
lence and bring criminals to justice
and to restore peace and order and
tranquility to all of our people OF every
race, class and condition"