Another chapter in the story of American outrage ! The
ease would scarcely be remarkable but for the context which it has had in the attack upon Sumner and in the Kansas civil war. California has become noted not only for the finding of gold but for most extravagant speculation. The spirit of Joseph Win.clle Cole adds a factitious wealth to the real wealth, for the profit of the sharper at the expense of the dullard. Amongst those who suffered was one James King, a New England man, who set up a paper to expose the fraudulent practices. The Sharper interest appears to have regarded him with the same ha- tred that the Slavery men regarded Sumner; but they carried out their hatred more summaiilyrand effeetawiliy. A rival editor, Casey,. &and the means othauldenky attacking King, and shot him dead ishile4he friends of tile murderer aurrounded him, and took him to•th&gool as "a place of refuge" freim popular indignation. This is worse than Lynch law. Judge Lynch is the mob ; which is rough, impetuous, desperately wrong, but susceptible of the instincts of humanity and open to the appeal of justice. Casey was a criminal who did not dare even to confront Judge Lynch, and he found sufficient numbers to shelter him. This rebellion. even against rebellion would not have been possible without the rlisnvder at which Yankeeism connives. But Judge Lynch as- serted his rule':: the mob, on. a Sunday morning, in solemn silence, surrounded the gaol with artillery; Casey and another murderer were given up, and they have long before this time, no doubt, paid the penalty of the law under that Rhadamanthus. Thns Lynch represents the conservatism of Western America.
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