Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1848-03-25


T'ng LATB cAan og CoNFfMpf DF CouRr
Public opinien-taking the public press
as itg eSp0nent-has d0rlafhd ft5alfso decl.
slysiy against The course b proceeding taken
by Judge Metlobry In ifnprisonins tho Hon.
2. Aoulh for a e0Btempt %afeonft, lhat Il has
become i duty with those who ihint' ihius.
tIea has ban dono 10 tho presiding officer
,of ths First District Court IL declare their
Convictions, however they might prefer to
rBtuaiu silent concerning the nhttef. We
ebanefd to be- In the court fo0m when The
difficulty afose between the Judge sud Mr.
sdule, nrd we do not hesitateAt to say, TINT
IN tbis particular instane the pffsss does
Injustice to tho Judge, W. do not speak from
hearsay, nor from representa- OILS Of the
friends Of either party, nor from ahy pre-
conceived opinions ~ To tho general bearing
oftbe Judge upon tls bench we speak,
from Whist We saw alone, and 80 speaking,
Rfs constrained to shy thtt the manner Of
Mr.. sgul6 on "Wednesday laat was dlsfes@
psetial 10 the court " that degree Of gf~
feaalyeneby which we thought n Judge IN
open court should not brook, Such was DIR
impression Of Mr., Spala'a deneahDf to-
wards tho Judge, TINT II WA4 Il matter Of
surprise lIiat he ipFltof0 to bkeft Tho power
Of tho court 10 punish u contempt, as long
~ he did,
We Rre as much opposed, as my ono
can he, 70 the petty tyranny which II IL n
the power ofa Judge 10 exercise IN the per.
iornanee Of his dutieej tut we are equally
averss 10 HIS submitting to he br0w.beateh
o. l%usulted from the bar. Tbs power Of fibe
and imprisonment fr contempt was confer
red upon The court IA ba exercised when
| occasion demanded II, aud whatever truth
there nay be intho reports touching Judge
sMeHenfy's conduct Oh previous occasions,
ofwhieh we know nothing, In this partieu=
lar case that power was not exeFGtaed With
ont just eause. This IL what va mrs bound
10 say, Of forego our duty 10 defebd u public
officer who II assailed Cor doing what We
thought his position aud du'y required him
~ do. We Witnessed the whole transaction,
aud this IL our deliberate Judgment.
Yesterday morning, about tho time The
eouft opened, il large c%dntonrae Of persons,
preceded by u band 81 music, pasaed by The
court room OH tbeir way to the parish prison,
10 make d demonstration over Mr., s6ulA.
when his term of com nj ment should Ga
pire. This 40 ono objects h if II did them
any good. But shortly afterwards the pro.
cesrion returned with VIZ. Soul6 with ban.
ners and mHaic, and Rtopping immediately
IN front Of The court room, shouted and bur.
rad In such II way ~ utterly to interrupt
the transaction ofpubIie business, An i'm.
mense eoneourse Of persons was gathered
IN the streets about, whonsEiated The general
confusion. Within the court room order
could scarcely be kept. An examination Of
II witness WINS going on NJ The time, which
had 10 be discontinued, Tho Attorney
General proclaimed in open court the spec.
tarle presented without aud the confusion
within tho court, as eo%ntemptuous ofthe civil
authority and %disgmcefll to the country.
The Judge meanwhile preserved his com.
poyure and awaited thr result oftbis extra.
ordinary uproar with dignity and calnness.
When the crowd had wa sted az mucl, breath
~ was deemed due 10 Is twenty four houf
martyr1om, the procession marched on and
the court resumed III allotted task. II may
be observed that the procession had along
with il q SNOWY eqnipage IN which TO con.
vey Mr.. Soul6, whose humility hrooked
not such cSultation. lie trudged Il uf6ot in
such heavenly meekness ~ might win up~
plausc from saint and sinner both. This We
saw also, and the whole ahair struck us in
It's inception, progress md close, rs Il con.
tempt Of civil authority without parallel aud
without excuse.
We are not the partizans Of either gen.
tleman. The one Is u legal public officer,
the other n citizen 81 exalted position. We
have no prejudices either way TO interfere
with our impaytiaIity In this matter. We
speak only Of what we know. from whit we
saw, and we must repeat, that In this par
tecular instance, the censurc ofpublic 0pin.
ion has been directed against the wrong
person. Ptcabuae.