I hope I am over wary; but if I am not, there is, even now, something of ill-omen, amongst us. I mean the increasing disregard for law which pervades the country; the growing disposition to substitute the wild and furious passions, in lieu of the sober judgment of Courts; and the worse than savage mobs, for the executive ministers of justice. This disposition is awfully fearful in any community; and that it now exists in ours, though grating to our feelings to admit, it would be a violation of truth, and an insult to our intelligence, to deny. Accounts of outrages committed by mobs, form the every-day news of the times.

–Lincoln at Lyceum

In their ongoing obsession with destroying the Pale Penis People, the Left has been tub thumping about domestic violence. I keep seeing these bizarre commercials featuring athletes warning that at any minute, you could be a wife beater. Of course, every sports team and college now races to get ahead of the mob when they have an incident.

Like the proliferation of rape hoaxes, these mob frenzies encourage the worst behavior. Young women have been stalking famous men since Grog got famous for besting Trog in the poo flinging contest. In modern times, every hotel hosting a team is littered with girls trying to bag an athlete. Giving them the right to cry rape with impunity is just asking for trouble. Giving them the right to cry “domestic violence” is even worse.

The Tuscaloosa (Ala.) Police Department announced Wednesday that the 24-year-old woman who told police she had been assaulted Saturday by now-former Alabama defensive tackle Jonathan Taylor has recanted her statements and subsequently been arrested herself.

The woman initially told police an argument with Taylor had become physical with officers observing “minor injuries” to her neck that the woman said were a result of the altercation. Taylor was arrested and charged with domestic violence third-degree assault and domestic violence third-degree criminal mischief. Nick Saban later announced that Taylor, who had already been dismissed from Georgia following still-pending domestic violence charges, was removed from the Alabama football program.

Per al.com, a TPD statement says the woman contacted police Monday to recant her earlier statements, telling officers Taylor had not harmed her. She was interviewed by officers Tuesday and again said she had lied about being injured by Taylor. The woman was arrested and charged with false reporting to law enforcement before posting bond and being released.

The TPD statement indicates the charges against Taylor will be reviewed. An Alabama spokesperson told al.com Wednesday he was “unsure” if the development might allow Taylor a chance to rejoin the Crimson Tide.

Look, we can’t know what happened here. What we do know is you should not be punishing people before you know if they are guilty. Mobs don’t accept that and that’s how you end up with the wrong guy swinging from the tree. It’s worse than that, of course. It threatens the very idea of civilization.

When men take it in their heads to day, to hang gamblers, or burn murderers, they should recollect, that, in the confusion usually attending such transactions, they will be as likely to hang or burn some one who is neither a gambler nor a murderer as one who is; and that, acting upon the example they set, the mob of to-morrow, may, and probably will, hang or burn some of them by the very same mistake. And not only so; the innocent, those who have ever set their faces against violations of law in every shape, alike with the guilty, fall victims to the ravages of mob law; and thus it goes on, step by step, till all the walls erected for the defense of the persons and property of individuals, are trodden down, and disregarded. But all this even, is not the full extent of the evil.–By such examples, by instances of the perpetrators of such acts going unpunished, the lawless in spirit, are encouraged to become lawless in practice; and having been used to no restraint, but dread of punishment, they thus become, absolutely unrestrained.–Having ever regarded Government as their deadliest bane, they make a jubilee of the suspension of its operations; and pray for nothing so much, as its total annihilation. While, on the other hand, good men, men who love tranquility, who desire to abide by the laws, and enjoy their benefits, who would gladly spill their blood in the defense of their country; seeing their property destroyed; their families insulted, and their lives endangered; their persons injured; and seeing nothing in prospect that forebodes a change for the better; become tired of, and disgusted with, a Government that offers them no protection; and are not much averse to a change in which they imagine they have nothing to lose. Thus, then, by the operation of this mobocractic spirit, which all must admit, is now abroad in the land, the strongest bulwark of any Government, and particularly of those constituted like ours, may effectually be broken down and destroyed–I mean the attachment of the People. Whenever this effect shall be produced among us; whenever the vicious portion of population shall be permitted to gather in bands of hundreds and thousands, and burn churches, ravage and rob provision-stores, throw printing presses into rivers, shoot editors, and hang and burn obnoxious persons at pleasure, and with impunity; depend on it, this Government cannot last. By such things, the feelings of the best citizens will become more or less alienated from it; and thus it will be left without friends, or with too few, and those few too weak, to make their friendship effectual. At such a time and under such circumstances, men of sufficient talent and ambition will not be wanting to seize the opportunity, strike the blow, and overturn that fair fabric, which for the last half century, has been the fondest hope, of the lovers of freedom, throughout the world.

I’m not a huge fan of Lincoln, but he knew the risks of letting fanatics gain the upper hand.