This is an excellent question. This incident is one of the most important points in the book, in my opinion. Here Atticus confronts a mob. The mob, led by Mr. Cunningham, approaches Atticus to harm Tom Robinson - probably to kill him. Atticus stands in the way, and they are about to harm him as well. The mob will do what it takes to do what they want to do.
This is when Scout enters the picture and innocently strikes up a conversation with Mr. Cunningham.
As the two talk, Mr. Cunningham is ashamed that he would even attempt such a thing. It took a child to quell this mob, and the mob comes to its senses. Eventually they depart.
When the mob leaves, Atticus explains to Jem that Scout made the men in the mob see things from the perspective of another, in this case, Atticus' perspective. In other words, Mr. Cunningham walked in the skin of Atticus for a while. More importantly perhaps, a child was able to curb the rabid instincts of people.
Here is the dialogue:
He might have hurt me a little,” Atticus conceded, “but son, you’ll understand folks a little better when you’re older. A mob’s always made up of people, no matter what. Mr. Cunningham was part of a mob last night, but he was still a man. Every mob in every little Southern town is always made up of people you know— doesn’t say much for them, does it?”
“I’ll say not,” said Jem.
“So it took an eight-year-old child to bring ‘em to their senses, didn’t it?” said Atticus. “That proves something—that a gang of wild animals can be stopped, simply because they’re still human. Hmp, maybe we need a police force of children... you children last night made Walter Cunningham stand in my shoes for a minute. That was enough.”
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