Year: 1859




Chinese thief His crime, although he
was not clearly convicted of it, was
thought by many to justify the severe
punishment he received. 1t is common
for the world to justify cruelty by the
offense alleged to have provoked it. We
have no sympathy with this sort of reas-
oning, and think that nine times out of
ten where man is fogged by lawless
crowd, the deed is done more from a
british love of such entertainment than
out of regard to the supposed require
ments of justice. We hold it is greater
crime against society to participate in
one of these inhuman lynchings than to
steal; and in the case OF this miserable
| Chinaman would rather have stolen a
whole case of boots than to have been
guilty of laying one stroke upon his
back


But worse thing than this happened
on the night Of the same day. -Four or
FIVE white men, who would feel insulted
were their respectability called in ques-
ton, went under cover of darkness to a
cabin tenanted by three negroes, drove
them over two miles out of town in the
direction of Freeman's Crossing, tied
them and whipped them on the bare
back with raw hide. One of the
colored men was a stranger, except to
two or three of our citizens, who knew
him in Oroville and say that he is a GOOD
man; he was let off with FIVE lashes.
The other two had lived with the negro
who was sent to Nevada for stealing; and
for this, the only offense proved against
them, they Were severely beaten-one of
them until he tainted, as it is reported,
several times in succession. This one had
his back awfully cut up, and has since
fed the place. 1t would make us sick to
record such horrible cruelty, did not a
just indignation take the place of every
weaker feeling. 1t makes one ashamed
of human nature-or rather of creatures
who thus debase it by their brutality.


How this brave deed became public
we know not, but presume some of its
heroic perpetrators could not abstain
from privately boasting of their share in
it to some person who detested and pub
lished the act. It is said that the par
ties are known. If so they should be
complained of before the officers Of the
law. If such proceedings are allowed
to 60 unpunished, Or at least passed over
without legal Investigation, they will
stamp indelible and deserved disgrace
upon this whole community. San Juan
is celebrated for it's promptness in all
good deeds-for its liberal charities, oft
repeated, and for it's general intelligence
shall we suffer it now to become infa-
nous as the abode of a lawless body of
man-whippers? Should these foggings
continue-and they are on the increase
they will not remain confined to the
defenceless Chinese and Negroes, but
eue,y man, white, black or yellow, who
thinks proper to reprobate them, or to
say or do anything displeasing to these
mobocrats of the thong, will be liable to
their rage and may be dragged away as
these wretched blacks were, to be fogged
under cover of night and the wilderness.
We know very well that this last occur
renee will shock the sensibilities of
nearly every citizen; and feel confident
that if there are no legal steps taken in
the matter the guilty parties will not
escape the punishment of public scorn
and detestation.


MARYsvILLE PoLITIcs.-It is anu
sing, in the quietude of our mountain