The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-10-19

perusal and exhibits the character OF Judge
Patton in highly favorable light:
Extract Of letter to the Editor of the State Capita
Gazette, dated
New YORK, August S, 1912.
J. b. BRATToN, Esq,
DEAR Sin Passing through your great and power
full Commonwealth, few days ago, found much
excitement prevailing relative to the sentence OF the
canal conspirators
Among the immediate friends of the conspirators,
found the court was denounced, and much maligni-
~ evinced towards Judge Patton. The great mass
OF the community, Of all classes, were decided in
their commentator of him.
The State and the people were much injured by
the conspiracy. Men of capital and wealth, combin-
ing together to determine and control the rate Of
freight on the great thoroughfare of your State, and
imposing upon themselves the sacred obligation Of an
oath, that they will not carry goods produce,
freight OF any kind for less than the amount agreed
upon must not only destroy all competition, but must
eectualy put the transporting business in the hands
OF the sworn association, and thus create most
odious and dangerous monopoly-and so the result
proved Competition your main canals des-
troyed, and few men banded together by oath
and a common determination to promote their own
selfish ends at the sacrifice of both The interest of the
people and OF the State, controlled this gigantic pub
lie interest Was this wrong Can men be at all
justified or excused, who will aim such death blow
at the public INTEREST," If be wrong to combine to-
gether, to drive of from your main canal great por-
ton of the Western and Southwestern transporting
business, and to hold the power Of compelling those
who obliged to transport goods on your canal to
pay the most exorbitant price of freight, then
Judge Patton right in inHcting and ignomni-
Gus punishment on the offenders
1t does not matter to eXtenuate the offence, that
the consplrators were respectable and weaithy. For
that reason they were the powerful and for
that they should have been subject to severe
punishment.
Gilded villainy has been too long wnked at and
whilst the poor man, who violated the law, was at
once seized and punished the rich rogue has manag-
ed, through friends and through money TO escape
1t had become melancholy and degrading truth,
that the poor rogue punished with many stripes,
whilst the rich villain was suffered to escape unwhipt
of justice, and this too in land Of b asted equality
and justice
Judge Patton, fearlessly assumed the high and in
dependent ground of just Judge. His duty is to
treat the poor and the rich alike-to turn deaf ear
to all considerations of wealth. and rank, and family
responsibility, and TO punish men according to their
offences This duty he has nobly performed and
whilst he has done himself great and enduring credit
he has done much to vndicate the purity and indie
pendence Of the Judiciary, and to establish public
confidence in it. What, after all, is liberty worth,
and what but mockery is our Republic, if we are
not protected in rights; and if the rich and the
powerful can trampe upon them with impunity
Let the rich and the influential escape pur ishment,
and few years will show that they ill not be salts
fed with regulating the price of canal freight
Their demands will become higher and stronger and
they will lay claim to rob and plumber the commune
ty under the sanction Of such laws they may
choose to make. Let our courts do justice act firm
ly, independently, and impartiay, and the evil is
npped in the bud, and the purity and sacred prnci-
piles of our liberty sustained and protected
The petition of Judge Patton is extremely inte-
resting Every lover of justice and of his coun-
try must contemp ate it with thrilling solicitude
young man, but few years on the bench having sus-
tanned himself thus far with much ability, in case
in which the defendants, charged with grave Of
| fence belong to the most respectable and wealthy
families of the city in which he lives among which
many of his personal friends and acquaintance,
with whom he is in the daily nterchanges of the
usual courtesies and kindness of social life under
the solemn responsibilities of his station he pursues
the plain, yet high and fearless path of duty, I'M
moved by whatever, in the trial of the cause or in
determining upon and pronouncing the sentence of
the law, resorted to, to intimdate or allure him
from the high ground of right and justice. In the
spirit of equal justice his duty DONE and the Offend
imprisoned. There is levelled against an ho-
nest and fearless Judge all the artillery of mortified
and imbittered men. Because he has dared to do his
duty, he must be bound down before the weight of
the influence of the defendants and lesson must be
taught to judges hereafter that they must suffer the
rich rogue to escape, and reserve their Indignation
and punishment for the poor only. The conspirators
seek to excite the whole community against Judge
Patton and to d., this the vilest said to
be resored to- Judge Patton is not the only man in
terested in the contest; the whole community have
much at stake The purity and independence of the
Judiciary immersed ia it.
Will Judge Patton be sustained against the ruth
less efforts of these men to PROSTATE him He should
be most trumphantly sustained, because he has dis
played that hrmness and independence that is much
needed at this day the Bench. Such man is
worthy of the best days of the Republic and should
be cherished public benefactor. He took no
e stand and long as he lives, he will look back upon
it one of the proudest moments of his life-that
act alone, will do much TO strengthen public conf
dence in the Judiciary. 1t will inspire fresh hopes
IN the bosom OF every lover of his country and it
gives an assurance to the poor and unprotected that
in the temple of justice they will meet with the same
even-handed justice, that dealt out to the richest
man in the land. The escape of certain rich Offend
ers in Philadelphia, has cast much reproach on the
Judiciary, but this decision your Western city will
do much to wipe il away. II is of the utmost inn
portance, that the whole community should have
confidence, and in our courts. Once destroy il and
you break down of the strongest bulwarks of our
freedom
Our Judiciary system is of the last and greatest
Importance To us, its integrity and independence is
every hng-it matters but little how wise and benz
fetal are our laws, if they be not faithfully and
honestly enforced. In that branch of the Govern
men ably and honestly admnist red the people have
of their strong holds against the invasion of pow
er and wealth. Let rich and unprincpled men com
bne let them attempt to sacrifice the public interest
to their own views let them go step by step in
ttamplng upon the rights of the citizens and in AFRO
eating to themselves all the benefits of Government
and of society but let the courts be honest and fear
less and how such men stripped of their i'll
gotten gain. How soon will the strong hand Of jus
tice hay hold on them and humble and expose them,
and make an example of their to deter others
from the commission Of similar offences. Let the
Judiciary be fearless and honest and they will be a
terror to evil doors, and will remain one Of the en-
during, imperishable and unconquerabIe bulwarks of
popular rights.
This interesting case presents contest involving
principles the dearest and most sacred and Judge
Patton has identified himself with correct principles
and aker the high and honorable position by the side