Year: 1872

! SAS NSpAoNiIl VI Huultu I'D
ture to deny. DeSpotism, oppres-
sion and misrule are all bad
enough certainly, but not so bad
as anarchy. A people may en-
dure the yoke of tyrant because
they feel that, however hard that
yoke may be, there is at least n
supreme authority who will, oc-
caslonally at least, punish the
guilty and protect the innocent.
Therefore it is that we find nations
where the reinS of power have fall
Ell into imbecile or corrupt hands
where. owing to this corruption
or imbecility, there is no security
Tor life or property-gladly vel
coming any government, no mat
ter how oppressive, which will
make itself terror to evil doers.
Unregulated liberty speedily and
surely degenerateS into unbridled
licenSe-the direst curse which
God can send upon his creatures.


''Lynch law may be considered
a purely American institution,
and as such has been visited with
sharpest condemnation at home
as well as abroad: but while we
willingly concede this condemua-
ton to be in the main eminentlv
just and proper, the subject is one
which has two sides to it, and
very significant moral. AS "A
people the Americans are not bel
lgerent or quarrelsome, and
though excellent fighters when
the provOcation justities, they love
peace more than war. So strong
is their attachment to heregular-
ly organized government that the
first thing done in new commu-
nifty, planted on or beyond the
confines of civilization, is the
framing of laws and the selection
OF persons to enforce those laws.
They prefer that a thief should be
arrested by officers, tried by le-
gally constituted tribunal, con.
vlcted, sentenced and punished in
due form, rather than preform the
work themselves. They prefer
that a murderer should have the
full benefit of judge and jury, and
die by the hands of the sheriff.
rather than be the victim of irreg


ular, though deserved vengeance.
Whenever, therefore, exhibitions
of "Lynch law" become alarming
ly frequent, we may be tolerably
certain that the afflicted locality
has employed this fearful instru-
mentality as a last resort-that a
great public necessity seems to
demand the perpetration of
great wrong. Taking this impair.
tial view Of the case, it is easy to
understand why the lynching bus
lness is just now so flouriShing-
more especially in instances where
capital crimes are involved. 1t is
useless to deny the fact that in
many sections of the country the
man who commits murder is in no
iminent danger of the hangman's
moose, providing he has money or
influential friends. What with le-
gal delays, repeated postpone
ments, running off of witnesses,
"extenuating circumstances and
the never-failing plea of insanity,
the criminal has the balance of
chances in his favor, and general
ly need expect nothing more Sc
we're than long or short residence
in the penitentiary. So thorough
~ is this understood in all classes
of society that homicide now is
not considered likely to bring as
heavy a penalty as highway rob-
berry did thirty years ago. Blood
is cheap, very cheap, if there is
! the wherewith al to buy.


What, then, is the natural and
inevitable consequence : Law
abiding men, disgusted, irritated
and enranged by the feebleness of
law, become themselves lawless,
and execute justice without cere-
mony, frequently without mercy.
We may blame these self-appoint-
ed judges and executioners as
much as we please; we may, and
should, punish them whenever it
! is possible-but would it not be
as well, nay, infinitely better, to
remove the cause ofOffence and
thus get rid of the offenders!
There is no slynch law" in Great
Britain; none in New England
whyl Simply becuse the laws
there are faithfully and fearlessly
executed, and neither wealth nor
position can shield the criminal.
The community know that the
guilty person is sure to get his
deserts, and are therefore willing
! to LET him reach his doom thrnph