Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-02-06
JUDGE GNEALL on THE Law REpORTs, &c.

JUDGE UNEAIL UN THE Law RkPURTS, &c.
THE following is the principal part of letter
recently written to the Patriot q. !MouutaineerT:
by his Honor, Judge O'NEALL. The first por-
ton is in reply to certain criticisms upon tho
more recent Law Reports; while the latter
brsalhes tone of high compliment TO worthy
son Of Carolina. The whole will be found in
teresting-ED. ADV.
have been in the Appeal Court for twenty
fiys years, and nm rot conscious of the falling
Oft in the opinions which you and others Of my
friends charge. have never believed that an
opinion was to be judged Of by its length. Go
back to the old Law Books, take Salkeld for an
example, and am sure the most important prir,-
cipes are enuncated with great brevity-Com-
pare The decisions since '36 with the opinions in
N and McC., MeC., Harper and LIST Bailey, and
do not think the decisions since 80 will be
foand 10 be inferior in any particular.
1t s very true, give 10 the Law Judges time
to report their cases as did when was a Cir.
cult Judge merely, by stating tho facts and as
signing reasons for the judgment, and have no
doubt many Of my brethren can write as long.
as well, and as'learnedy as our brethren Of tho
Equity Bench. So, loo, give US separate Court
Of Appeals, and the Judges ean write as elabo-
rate opinions rs can be desired, Another thing
ought to be mentioned in the comparison BE-
tween Law and Equity. Many of the Law ca
ses are very small, and yet perhaps, settling
some principle. Does lawyer argue sum. pro-
as he does great case in Chancery? Is it e1-
pected that a Judge should deliver an opinion
about hog a cow, dog, or a contract less
than SS5. with all the parade of learning which
a contingent remainder or executory devise de-
mands? Decide rights the great charge upon
Judge, and, with few exceptions, think that
will be fonnd to be the case with the decisions
in 81 Hill, Dudley, Chcves, Rice, McMulIen,
Stfobhart and Richardson. So much think il
due from me to the Law Court of Appeals 1t
is we'll known that from "a to Sc, thirty two
years, have been in favor OF separate Court
of Appeals; but am conten: for the Legisla-
ture and the people to decide as they please in
reference to it. My duty can and 'Oiu do as we'll
as can, in any position whrh may be assigned
to me. If do not like my position, I can quit Il
and return to the Bar l would have acted
'cisely to have done that in December, 1885,
when the Appeal Court was abolished. Defer
ence to the opinions Of friends retained me-
where have since been.
have just read, with delight, the Report of
my friend Wm Elliott, Esq of Beaufort, az
Commissioner Of the State of South Carolina To-
the universal exhibition at Paris 1t has given
me great deal of information: especially that
part, relative to the cultivation Of Sea Island
Cotton in Algeria, was new to me. The Empe-
ror Napoleon Ill is showing that he is worthy
successor of Napoleon the Great. never have
any respect for despo,ic power, except whenI
see it, as in Russia, covering the country with
gigantic railroads; or as in France, making su-
ger out of the beet raising Sea-lsland Cotton
in the previous wastes of Africa bringing again
back to that inhosptabe coast the arts, scen-
ces and productions which once made Carthage
the rival Of proud Rome, and in growing France
with every Improvement in arts or sciences
known, or to be- known, to the present age. It
is, however, Illuminating to see proud and haugb-
ty England trucking to the child of fortune who
struck with that, in the part stated by Mr.. Eli
oft, that England was about embarking in tho
cultivation Of seq Island Cotton in Algeria. She
had much better make common cause with our
seaboard planters, and buy few plantations
among them; but England may carry out in
planting, the folly which placed her gallant SONS,
side BY side, with the heroic French in tho Crmea.
hope Mr.. Elliotrs Report will be read by all
of our people. He ought to be more generally
known; he is one of our finest scholars and best
writer's he is IN enthusiastic Carolina planter;
he is as pure and patriotic man as ever lived.
have known, admired and loved him for thirty
years. trust others, who have not hitherto
known him, will now know him, and that South
Carolina, ever generous, will, in The evening,
remember and reward him whom she neglected
and passed by in the morning and meridian Of
life. Yours rs ever,
JOHN BELTON 0NEAEl.
FREEMEN DESIRING TO BE ENsLAvED.-The
following paragraph from the Riehmend DIS
nalch will certainly aslonish the denizens Of all