You really should read Abraham Lincoln's Young Man's Lyceum speech, which he delivered when running for congress as a Whig in 1838, at age 28.
Lincoln makes the classical conservative argument for why respect for the law is fundamental to the survival of democracy. As Lincoln demonstrates, whatever short term benefits may derive from vigilante justice are given back many times over in the undermining of the institutions necessary to prevent anarchy and to sustanin ordered liberty. Mob justice--lynching--destroys the conditions that makes possible a civil society.
Ronald Reagan understood this full well--for Reagan, respect for the law was fundamental. In this, Reagan, unlike the people who call themselves conservative today, understood the dangers that are intrinsic to democracy. The kind of Jeffersonian--I would venture to say utopian--faith that Mr. South demonstrates in the ability of the people accurately, in the heat of the moment, to perceive the public good and act to achieve it, is endearing. Its also hopelessly naive. This is the kind of faith that Robespierre had in "natural" justice--and it leads to the same conclusions and the same ends.
No one with any appreciation for the deep capacity inherent in humanity to commit depraved acts, all the while with the self-delusion that their actions are rational and defensible, should ever want to see mob justice. This is the kind of misunderstanding of human nature that led otherwise thoughtful and intelligent people in the United States to defend Leninist and Stalinist communism with such determination.
You can find Lincoln's speech at the following address:
http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln/speeches/lyceum.htm
---- Original message ----
>Date: Sun, 24 Jun 2007 17:46:39 EDT
>From: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: The Law & Lynching (was Re: Topic Picnic and Its Derogatory Commitations ...
>To: [log in to unmask]
>
>Just got back from a weekend conference (more on that later) and saw the
>chain on lynching. No one has stepped forward with the beneficial uses of
>lynching, so I will.
>
>My g-g-grandfather was a gold miner in Idaho Territory (now Montana) during
>a period (1850's) when highwaymen routinely robbed miners and citizens, and
>killed a fair number in the process. My g-g-grandfather was robbed of a bag
>of gold dust and two pistols while on a stagecoach from Alder Gulch, Montana
>to his home in Virginia City, Montana. Now, he was one of the founders of the
>Virginia City Citizens Committee for Vigilance (was in fact treasurer), so
>some of the members and he went out, found the highwaymen who had robbed the
>stagecoach in a bunkhouse (along with the gold dust and pistols) and summarily
>took them outside and "strung em up." During the following period of about
>a year, 50-60 highwaymen and other criminal thugs in Montana were also found
>guilty by the citizen "Vigalanties" and were hung (including the infamous
>Plummer Gang).
>
>Something then happened. Crime virtually came to a standstill in Montana.
>Perhaps a lesson to be gained there.
>
>Some years ago I was in Virginia City doing some genealogical research and
>checked into the historic hotel in town. The old guy behind the desk looked
>at my name and asked me if I was related to my g-g-grandfather. I told him
>yes and the connection. He said "well your g-g-grandfather hung my grandfather
>Henry Plummer." We laughed and I bought him dinner and a few drinks that
>night. He let on this his grandfather deserved what he got.
>
>Moreover, if the theory behind capital punishment is deterrence, then maybe
>we need to bring public hanging back for public display so those who would
>commit capital crimes could see how they will be rewarded. Puting someone to
>death in secret doesn't seem to me to fully meet the goal of detering others,
>since we can't really see how horrible the execution is.
>
>J South
>
>
>
>************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.
Kevin R. Hardwick, Ph.D.
Department of History
James Madison University
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