'LAW-ABIDINGNESS' IN THE SOUTH-WEST 229 



particular form of iniquity for which the 

 negro is distinguished is very rare in Mary- 

 land, Virginia, and the Carolinas ; but in 

 every step taken Southward and Westward 

 the black mark against his name grows 

 blacker. 



That this crime is on the increase, and that 

 it acts as a perpetual menace to society, is, to 

 scientific men, a curious and interesting cir- 

 cumstance, affording data for pathological 

 study lying deeper than the one or two 

 obvious reasons which to superficial observers 

 seem to cover the ground ; but to the rela- 

 tives, or too often the survivors, of the victims, 

 the matter has long since become too serious 

 for calm consideration and inquiry. We may 

 deplore the fury of madness, the agonized 

 rage of grief, which seizes on fathers of inno- 

 cent little ones and helpless women done to 

 death by worse than fiends ; we may shudder 

 and sicken at the awful vengeance taken by 

 entire communities ; but should we let this 

 blind us to the magnitude of the provocation ? 

 That whole audiences can be wrapped in an 

 exaltation of sympathy for the offender, with- 

 out apparently a single thought for the 



