Hawaii Holomua, Volume III, Number 153, 2 July 1894 — The Spread Eagles. [ARTICLE]

The Spread Eagles.

' *• « Tbe following editorial, from the A Vir Ha>:en Regi*ter, may be read to some advdDtdge by the Fourth of Jaly orators prior to tbeir indalgiug in the asual phrases about Ihe g : on', virtue, integrity, jostiee and honor of the Gr«*t Repubtic. The spre«d eaglers are always ready to see the raote iu tbeir brotbers' eye but never the plauk in their own: Is has iong been cnstomary for virtuous citizens in one country to pass resolutions deuouocing deeds of wickeduesscommitted in some otber coantry. Wheu, for instaace. tbe Ciar of the £ossus . sits down witb nuusu&I heaviness > opon the Jews, or the Stund sts. or some other beretic*l sect in hia

doainion5. tbe friends of religioas lihertT in Eog ? and »nd Atnerica get together, dra w ap some resolatious expressing sympatbr for the oppressed* and expre>sing tbe bope that bis Imperial M;ijesty will not fail to be gnided by those principles of broad charity whieh he bas ever cherished with so devoted an an.lor. When the Sultan of Torkey issnes some edict directeil against the Armenians. remonstrances are at onee made by the citizens of countries that know tbe ble?sings of well regalated liberty. If we in America think that the Englisb people are oppressing the Irish. we have no difficulty whatever iu expressing onr sentiments in reso!ntions whieh are instautlv cabled across the oeean. Now we are beginning to find j out. by this very method, just how some of our performances look to other people. Onr performances, we say; for, thoogh the Iynching of negroes at the south ean in no sense be laid to the charge of tbe nation as sach, and j is due simply to the angry passions of a certain rather vio!eut class of rnen in the corornunities where these things occur, yet, on , the otlier hand. the failare thus far of the eutire naiion to protest effectively against this show of barbarity, does iu a rnanner make tlie naticn as such particeps criminis. at least to tlie extent of weakly tolerating it. Public opinion in England is moved, j and rightly so, with indignation at these deeds; and the resolutions are beginning to eome to i us, froiu churches, puhlie meetings, religions conferences and similar botlies. Our own raethods are being used to shnw us up both to others and to ourse!ves. The most courteous of any of these resoIutions whieh has fallen under onr notice, was moved a short titne ago in the great annual meeting of the Congrega- j tional Union of England by Rev. I)r. Hortcu, who has \vitbin a fe\v roonths visited New Haven und j lectnred to the tbeological studentsat Yale. His resolution, j whieh was unauimonsly passed, was as fol!ows: ”This Assembly syro[\athizes with the Christian , people in Arnerica who feel the scandal and shame of the barbar- ; ities intiicted by lynch-law on t!ie negn>es in tbe United States, , and joins its prayers \vith theirs ] that this reproach raay be removed froiu our eommon human- : ity.” 1 It woukl have been impossible to perform a delic«te and difficu)t duty, such as bringing to mind our own delinqnences. in words more fraternal, sympnthetic and effective We know that all good people here do feel the “seandal j >»nd tbe sbarae” of these things. ; It oniy needs tbat the eonaeienee of the nation sbould bo aronsed, i and puhlie opinion raoved, to : have tbcm eease. Our apathy lias been astouishing. Had sncb iutelligence reached nsfrom Bul- ; garia, of Bashibazuk atrocities, I as coraes to us from many places ! at home where negroes have been ! mutiUted. fl »yed aud roasted, we sbould have been frantic witb horror. We have not a word of •with horror. We have not a word of condouation for tbe original crime committed by tbe negroes tbemselTes, whieh enraged eommonities undert»ke tbus to punish. Let jostice be dooe; Iet every crime receive its dae reoompenae of reward. Bat inhamanity is not jostice. There ia no excose for ljnching Ln eom-

munities where courts are sitting and jories ean be impaneled. , There ean be diffijalty in securing verdicU of guilty against the oegroes at tbe sooth who are reaily gailty. lt is high time that thc voice of tbe nation shou!d be heard. disowuiug aod denouocing the violent savagery of negro lynching; aad that iU monil energ\' should be felt in bringing to an end methods of dealing with degraded criminals of whatever race, so needless, so atrocions and so revolting. The foreign resolutions on this snbject are needed. The pill is a bitter one to swal!ow; but tbe sooner we take it acd the quicker our national system feels the virtue of the dose, the better for ns and the world.