Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1852-05-24

Respectfully. your obedien, s<rv.nt.
@. G. CLAY,
President Virgins and Tenn. K. X. Company.
To the Voters ef ahe Halifax SAa
Lynchhurg judicial Circuit.
Fellow-C Citizens As we are to be hurried
into The election Of a Judge. by the nnexPect-
ed action Of the Legislature, on the 18th Thurs
day of the present month. permit US to call
your attention to 4 lew considerations in vind.-
cation Of fudge William Leigh's qualifications
for that important station. To the residents Of
his old district who, despite Of ali rumors TO
The contrary. will evince their admiration Of
him by an overwhelming majority of votes.
this will he altogether unnecessary. Its known
that his friends have not been importunaie in
urging his claims on the public. Neither the
editorial nor the advertising columns Of the
press have been burdened in his behalf. His
supporters have confidently believed thu. his
varied excellencies as q man and 4 Judge. his
acknowledged abilities. his hborious habits. his
great despatch. his profound know ledge IF
every branch Of the law. and his impartial ad.
ministraiion Of even handed justice. have so
anchored him in the public confidence and es
teen as to dispense with the necessity Of an adj
vertisement Of his merits. at this late day.
through the medium ofthe press.
To this policy Of quietly and silently sub
hitting his claims to the unbiased decision of
an intelligent people, the friends Of Judge
Leigh would certainly have adhered. were they
not driven from their silence by an article
which originally appeared over the signature
of"A Member Of the Lynchburg Bar" in the
journals Of that town. and has since been FREE
..,.r.Jx, ro ~,bt,shaJ fapJ opco rars,rlv n.
an advertisement in other papers.
busc the public mind of various prejudices al
legged TO have originated from ''unfounded ru-
mors." understood 10 have been circulated
through some counties which compose this
dis,rict."to the disparagement Of Judge Will.
son. What these particular rumors. so ''base"
and ~"unfounded" may be, We shall not pre-
sumo to Conjecture; but we must be permitted
to remark that. thoughthe circle four acquain-
lance in the district is by no means narrow.
we have never heard from any friend of Judge
Leigh, any common or observation, touching
Judge Wilson's fitness for the judicial station,
which had not been fully, freely and publicly
expressed years ago. when the present contest
could not have been anticipated. We entirely
agree with the Member of the Lynchburg
Bar" in his enumeration Of the essential quail.
6cations Of a Judge; but among them. We
should have assigned a more prominent place
than he has thought proper to do.to thorough
knowledge Of the hm::" for. without the aid Of
this indispensable requisite. even '.kindlines.
of temper and republican simplicity Of man.
ner," will accomplish but little in determining
the merits of plea in bar. or in a adjusting the
conflicting equities ola complex chancery suit
1t is true that this important qualification is moi
altogether overlooked by the erudite Lynch
burg lawyer. nor is it actually degraded from
the text into an obscure note, there to remain
during all subsequent repubIications. las is tn.
case with a significant fact in his communica
tion)-but on the other hand. it is not insisted
on with the emphasis which its real consequence
demands, but is introduced towards the close
of the article. hedged about with a profusior
of other compliments. very much after tn.
manner of skilful Generals. who are careful to
enclose a suspected regiment with more relia.
BILE troops.
Bearing, as we very cheerfully do. ready
testimony to the gentlemanly character. and
u%nsullied integrity Of Judge Wilson. we shall
not be seduced by the article referred to. into
an assault upon him. His UNREASONABLE pri
vate worth. and our friendly regards. alike
forbid such a course. We desire his merits to
be adjudged by %virtuous and intelligent PEG
pie. without ourselves ineicting a wound upon
his sensibilities. or uttsring a word in his dis.
arrangement.
But his Lynchburg friend. not content that
his chances Of success should depend exclusive.
ly on his own deserts, has unnecessarily insti
tuted a comparison between him and Judge
Leigh. as TO their Judicial efficiency, in which
the latter gentleman. quiet and unobtrusive as
he has been. is exhibited at some disadvantag &c
The prosecution Of such an enquiry is exceed.
ingly disagreeable; but let tho blame. if any
rest with those who provoke the discussion
Judge Leigh has nothing to fear from a com.
parison. as regards efficiency or ability. with
any expounder Of the law. " no has ever
graced the general court of Virginia; and a re
ference to facts and figures. some of " hich have
been omitted by"A Member Of the Lynchbure
Bar" will. at length, satisfy even him thai
there il a deal Of pungent truth in the proverb
which declares that comparisons are odious.'
The facts and figures. to which the writer Of
the article referred to above. calls particular
attention." and upon which he bases his 'com.
parison Of the result Of the labor and amount
Of business respectively performed by Judges
Wilson and Leigh, during the ten years from
forty to forty-nine." are to be found in the re-
ports Of the clerks that are contained in vol. g.
Of the documents Of the late convention. We
cannot see, that these reports afford Conclusive
proof Of the energy and industry. as they Ger.
tainly do not Of the abilhy ola Judge. All
office judgments. that became final by the
passing of the terms Of the courts, all non suits
and dismissions entered at the rules. and in
many instances. judgments on forthcoming
bonds. were entered by the clerks in these re.
ports as cases decided; leave given to file an
answer after a bill had been taken for con-
fessed was reF orted as an interlocutory decree
in the cause. All of these matters, We know
require neither energy. industry or ability. on
the part ofthe Judge. If large number Of
office judgments are standing on the docket Of
a court. then the Judge ofthat court. by going
upon The bench and signing an adjourning or
der. can establish. from the report Of the clerk,
that he has decided many cases. though he
may not have looked at a single paper in any
case, and some ingenious advocate may ar
que. from premises such Is these. that the
Judge is a man Of great energy and industry.
But waving all these objections and admit.
ting that a fair estimate of the eneerey and in.
dustry of a Judge may be made from these re-
ports. we say that nothing favorable to Judge
Wilson can be deduced from them.