New-York tribune., 1903-08-16
SAVAGERY BEGETs sAvAGERY.
What the Result of Lynchings Will Be in
Few Years.
To the Editor of The Tribune

To the Editor of The Tribune
Sir: I venture to say that from no other leading
Christian nation could a corporaIs guard OF those
calling themselves the most respectable members OF
society be found to openly advocate lynching. Yet
here in the North at the headquarters OF sunday
school and other religious workers, one named John
Temple Graves of Georgia, openly defends Iyncn-
Ing We told that the vast assembly at
Chautauqua divided in opinion after his speech.
It added, something commendable that no
bitter feeling aroused on either side by thls
champion of what judge of our highest court has
declared is the crime Of murder.
What is this South out of which comes the Del
lowing voice Of beastliness. telling us that justice
is best served not by obeying, but by breaking the
laws? 1t is that part of the nation that formerly
fostered form of slavery which John Wesley VINO
lived in Georgia, called 'the vilest on earth
Fathers sold their children into slavery, and
the border States a breeding ground for the
plantations further South.
Tho government Of the Southern Confederacy Is
the only that deliberately starved to
death its prisoners of war. Furthermore for over
forty years the whites OF the South have deliber-
ately denied that Union soldiers were starved to
death in their prison pens. AS If suffering was not
enough they must rob those who suffered OF their
glory of heroism and martyrdom.
There a Of nations. more OF less, where
negroes live with whites and in Jamaica and other
lands the former are overwhelmingly in the major
ity, yet in of them is 1t claimed to be neces-
sary to burn any black man alive to intimidate
him In any manner. In none of these other nations
is lynch law applied a remedy. Why should the
South be alone in committing such deeds?
There is no other nation on the globe--unlesS
certain savage tribes be called nations-that is
guilty Of burning human beings alive, except the
South, and have heard of no recent case among
other nation but the South where lyHching is de-
Tended, yet Southern religious leader steps for
ward to champion it.
Southern whites appear TO have a tremendous
horror of amalgamation, and the bare mention Of
the word almost drives Southern white woman
frantic. ! cannot understand this, for the white
Ebertne OF that section is making amalgamation
ar inevitable certainty OF the future. 1t is coming
resstlessy as it came in South and Central
America, and the Spanish conquerorS, the proudest
men of any nation and at that time the best sol
dcrs in Europe. were pOWerlesS to prevent it.
What l cannot understand is that no one proposes
lynch the white nbertine OF the South, nor
I find that any white under the suspicion of
amaIgamatioh unlawfully ever ostracsed by
the other whites. a legal amalGamation is never
overlooked forgiven. 1t IS only when Gods laws
kept by a marriage contract that amalgamatio
is uncomfortable. Verify Southern human nature is
q strange thing.
But lynching brings home to all of whites this
question. How dare risk the safety of our
women by toIerat ting another one of those acts of
savage violence? Everv lynching hend makes one
Tor fire kindies fire so does savagery beget
savagery. The history of Christianity gives awful
proofs that persecution makes prosecutors of the
prosecuted. The most Warlke people in British
self-defence by the aggressivenesS of neiGhooring
ma ions Persecution has already made the negroes
a solid OF ten million ready to enlist under
the first political adventUrer with ability and great
promises. and if the American crime of burning
men alive is persisted in. even these peace loving
people will be moved to fight in retaliation
JAMES w. FITCH
UncasviIe Conn, Aug. Il. 1903,