The Yazoo City Whig and political register. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1842-1844, 1842-12-30
From the New Orleans Picayune.
Law i'm Mfssfssfppfs
OR, An OFFENSIVE DEFENCE.

Law An Mississippi
OR, AN OFFENSIVE DERENcR.
Perhaps The jurisprudence Of Mississippi
within the last few years has given birth to
a wider range Of pleading, and brought forth /
more pure, native, forensic elodNence than |
the highest tribunal Of oar country in the |
meantime. Few persons, being strangers /
and not 'to the manner born,' who should /
enter one Of the roughly constructed tenn.
pies OF justice In the interior counties of the |
State; before hesoiehhn sOyezl oyezi oyez!' J
Of the crier proclaimed it's formal opening, |
could, from hasty glance az the bench, the |
bar, the inferior Offices, litigants and loaters,
anticipate the legal research, the great pro- |
fessional ability and lofty eloquence which,
like subteFTanean stream struggling TO be
free, were shortly to burst forth 70 the light
of day and the edifcalion Of ell whose good
fortune it might be TO obtain verdict in
their favor.
Who could sdppose-nOt knowing the par
lties-that he in the threadbare black coat
with the bran bread countenance, who asks
the man in the brown flannel frock for a
chew of tobacco-who, we say, could sup
lposs that he holds the fortunes, aye, the
lives Of free and independent Mississippians
within his grasp; that he it is who wIelds the
Sword of justice and ppoises its scales in the
lair Of law and equity? And again, who
could imagine that that rollicking, good look
ing young man, with his feet on the bench,
! or rather on. the deal table before the bench,
who is arguing with the ex-bank director on
the right of epudiation-who could imagine
that under SO rough an exterior there lay
, hidden so much law, so much learning, so
much pristine talent, so much pure pathos!
But the report Of single case will illustrate
! our several points better than if we general
~ y b.olo IL II
z fore, select a case from the records of the
d late term of the Copiah county Court, which,
h we think, will bear US out in our predatory
It remarks. This case stood No. 9 on the docke,
d and was endorsed Thomas Taylor v5 VIM.
!. Mackew.'
Taylor VS.. Gackew'-' Howell and Har
r Dess!' said the Clerk, reading from the RxeC
" cases.
;; Ready said Howell.
. READY echoed Hatnett.
!; The crier called silence, first expectorat
l. ling as much tobacco juice on the floor a
Il would send Charley Dickens into q swoon
: 1isneslss wars called, the iurGsYege in
d pannelled and the Cass PTUceeded.
+ It was an action by which the plaintiff
claimed right 10 the possession Of three ne
Eroes, the Property Of the defendant. Th'
. case was opened by one of plaintiff 3 coun
\ sel, who, by the way, had secured the pro
\ fessional services of three of the legal lumi
= naries Of Copiah county. His witnesse
9 were called--their evidence went point blanl
,. to the matter at issue, and the general i'm
a preston was that the unanimous opinion o
le the fury would be verdict for the plaintiff
Il When the ease for the plaintiff had closed
T. the Judge told Ha:nett, for the defence, I
,e call his witnesses.
4 I'VE mean to dispense with witnesses j
= this case, may it please the Court said Hal
e nett, and this he uttered with an air of con
fidence that seemed 20 astonish every body
ID Then do you mean to let the case go b
az default said the judge.
OF DIN clear of it, said HaTnett aside an
II, lin an under tone to his client, who SCENE
to look at the thing as q gone case'--an
then turning to the Court he added, wv
ne lido not, may It please the court, but the plaI
. lifts counsel have so palpably failed to g!
g, ltablish tue grounds Of this action-they hav
/. so evidently shown that the plaintiff e rigi
on Ito my client'e negroes Is futile and withol
IA foundation, that deem it waste Of tin
-. of this honorable court, and libel on Il
- good sense of that intelligent jury, to off
" any evidence or quote one word of the la
0n which applies 70 the case. Indeed so Gle
lts: does Tie case appear to me, that was thin
= ling of submitting il TO the jury without
lsingle remark; but on reflection have co
OF cIuded 70 offer d few observations; that n
S. client may stand before this community
use Ibis proper character, that Of an honest, no
of orable and. injured man
of When he spoke Of the cleaTness Of I
ade lease in His cllsnl's lavoF, the Judge look
be At the jury and the jury looked at the iudt
led and one Of the plaintiff p counsel whist
i Is whew!' But this did not disconcert ii
nett, and into the defence he went, jump
i a over very wisely, az he said he would,
lds. Law and evidence FOR it would puzzle Pl
n a. ladelphia lawyer much less Mississij
the law VET. q End any of either in his favor
sSentlemen,' he said = viii suppo
1m. Tor argument sake-lor S is only for the 81
nite sc argument that such aern0sition can
Ilh. or q moment entertained will suppos.
sstb saw, that the plaintiff had out his ca
would YOU, when the deb s only q sur
one, deprive my client Of lis negroes,
ith only prop and support Of his fast declin
nee wears! Shall il be said aai in the free,
one depent and repudiating Of Mississil
wall the last remnant Of ny clients property .
Bis IS swept away @ psy debt, the ffst
/ ish cent 81 which r. never handled! Sha
) my be told abroad. among che bank men OF q
me, Orleans the brokers Of Wall Street,
nine York, the Jews Of the Royai Exchange
/ 81! London and the millionaries 81 tie Boz
y0u of Paris, thst the TIRES negroes. end
three Only Raich the tornado q bad 30