New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-06-24
4 PREACHER OF LYyCHING.

Tho most disrracefuI feature of the whole
discrsceful lyncbinc affair at Wilmington was
tho lvnchinr sermon of the Rev. X A. EHWoou'
of the Oliyet Presbyterian Church. OF that city.
Tint = minister of the gospel Of Christ should
he so lost TO the meaning of his Master teach-
ing and so forgetful of his responslplilt! lor
reckless utterances in the gulse OF rellSlous III
struction as to apologize beforehand Tor puFhihs
this wretched murderer at the stake anu 'eii
the mob that not they. but SOMEBODY eise' "oulu
he morally responsible if they INDUCED lheir
ma ssion for blood almost passes understanding
Not on the judges heads. where ne sought
IN mt il but upon his own head is the Dlood SO
bsrbarously shed by the populace who went out
and did the killing which he urged upon tneIn
from Christian pulpit
Possibly this preacher was so in the haDit Vi
;,,,,,Ieinc in loose and irresponsible talk that
he did not realize that he was 1nduigins III Ill!
thing more than a sensational diatribe. Others
however understood it. The father OF the muir
dered girl. also a clergyman. issued All ADDRESS
70 the people seeking 10 counteract the SPIRIT OF
mob rule which had been aroused. What con-
trast this agonized father. with the right TO
cherish hatred and seek lawleSs revenge II any
man has il presents to the clergyman VINO
n,ere1v looLs on and fans the fame OF hendlsh
nsssion, He said: Let us not try to atone Tor
lone crime no matter how hellish, by commit
Ting another" He urged that violence would
only add to his Affections, might possibly endah
ger the life of delicate woman. and certain
"lv dishonor the laws Of our commonwealth
Instead of coming 10 his aid in his aW1u d.
Fiction, the crowd. under the lash of his pfolleE
cIerrvman's murderous tongue, went on to Till
tho measure of his sorrows in the selfish graft
fcation of its own bloody instincts.
The Rev. Mr.. Ellwood attempted to excuse
his plea for the murder Of the negro murderer
nv blaming the judges for not ordering spe-
caI grand jury The judges, however, VINO
knew their business better than the hot headed
and meddlesome preacher, explain that under
the law. with the state of public excitement
they would have been obliged TO grant change
of venue which might have made the culprlt s
escape possible The ordinary procedure was
considered the most likely to result in the pun
ishment of the crime as it deserved. This, too
the distracted father saw, and he said: III he
..can be legally tried this month, by all means
let Justice be swift; but if not then let us wait
calmly until the law. in its majesty, may re-
move the vile wretch from society"
That was the spirit Of the good citizen and
the good Christian Was it good citizenship
was it Christianity, for the other clergyman to
display in the pulpit TO madden people bloody
relics of a crime and urge that he who perpe-
trated il should be lynched. since the orderly
procedure was too slow: Was ever act done
in building conSecrated to the religion of Jesus
making it more unclean and in need Of purifi-
cation than that? Murders have been COM
mitted before affairs by villains who defiled the
sacred spot for which they had no reverence.
But when has the priest in the name of Chris
tianfty given 10 his people the scent of blood
and then told them to go from the altar with
the thirst to kill? Lynching at best is bad. The
maddened crowd who defied the grief stricken
father and overpowered the faithful jailer were
disgrace to civilization. But the minister who
urged them on was more than a disgrace 10
civilization. He was a disgrace to the holy
religion he profesSed to teach.