The Spiritist Review - Journal of Psychological Studies - 1863

Allan Kardec

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Barbarism in civilization

Horrific torture of a black man



A letter from New York, dated November 5th and addressed to the Gazette des Tribunaux, contains the following horrible details of an appalling tragedy that took place in Dalton, Caroline County in Maryland:

A young black man was recently arrested under the accusation of lewd behavior against a young white female. Severe charges were filed against him. The young woman declared to recognize him perfectly well. The accused was taken to Dalton jail. He was there for a few hours when a huge and enraged crowd screaming for vengeance demanded to have the poor black man delivered to them. Authorities uselessly tried to stop the violent crowd. Their words in favor of law and justice were met by the mobs’ boos. The masses, whose number was on the rise, started to stone the jail. Gun shots were fired against law enforcement but did not reach them. Once they realized that it was impossible to resist any longer the jail’s doors were open. The crowd shouted and invaded the place furiously. The prisoner was dragged out to a town’s central square amidst screams of rage and supplication by the victim. A jury was immediately staged, the facts examined and the prisoner found guilty and condemned to death by hanging. The prisoner was promptly hung on a tree by a rope that was tied around his neck. While the black man’s body contorted following the convulsions of death he was also victimized by the insults and violence by the crowd. Blindfolded by rage and vengeance the mob did not wait for the stillness of the body, parading the streets of Dalton with their despicable trophy. Man, women and even children applauded the injuries imposed on the poor black man’s body. The mob’s anger, however, would not stop there. After parading around the streets of Dalton in every direction they stopped in front of a black church. A huge bonfire was pitched only to noisily receive and devour the flesh and the mutilated parts of the body.”

Such report gave rise to the following question raised at the Parisian Society on November 28th, 1862:

“One can understand isolated and individual examples of anger among civilized people. Spiritism explains this when describing inferior Spirits. In such cases, these individuals have displayed their evilness during their whole life. What is more difficult to understand is a whole population that has given proofs of intelligence and superiority and even given demonstrations of humanitarian feelings on other occasions, who profess a religion of kindness and peace, be taken by such a blood thirsty vertigo, showing a savage rage to the point of being fed by the torture of the victim. This is a moral issue we ask the Spirits to kindly enlighten us.”



Parisian Society, November 28th, 1862
Medium Mr. A. De B…

Bloodshed in countries towards human progress is a rain of curse. It is near the time when the wrath of a just God shall fall upon those regions where such abominations take place like the one you have just heard.

In vain we want to hide ourselves from the consequences that are inevitably established; in vain we want to mitigate the importance of the crime. The crime is awful by itself not less by the intention that led to the execution with such horrendous refinements of cruelty, with such a bestial fury. The interest! Human interest! Sensual pleasures, the satisfactions of pride and vanity were once again the drives as on other occasions, and the same causes will give rise to similar effects, causes, in turn, of the effects of the heavenly wrath that has threatened so many iniquities.

Do you believe that there is only real progress with technology and all resources and arts that tend to sooth the rigors of material life and increase the insatiable need of pleasure? No, that is not what summarizes the progress of the Spirits, which are only temporarily human and who should only give human things the secondary interest they deserve.

The development of the heart, the illumination of conscience; the diffusion of the sense of universal solidarity of beings and that of brotherhood among humans are the only authentic milestones that distinguish a people marching towards general progress. These are the only traces that identify the most advanced nation. But those who still harbor feelings of exclusive pride and only see such a portion of humanity as a serving race, cut to obey and suffer, those will no doubt experience the nullity of their claims and the weight of Heavens’ vengeance.

Your father, V. De B…

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