Southern shield., 1857-01-24
AN BE.
BY A RETIRED ATTORNEY.

In the autumn of l8-I had made my ar engagements to retire from the practice of law, and preparatory thereto had gone up into the country for vacation of a couple of months at the old place, out of the reach of business or clients.
 But some way it happened that I could not keep away from a courtroom, and one morning learning that Judge - would hold circuit in the town that day, I rode over to shake hands with some old friends, and gather the news of the county.
 It was a brilliant morning. The noun tains were covered with the tints of autumn, the sky was surprisingly clear and blue, every thing invicorating to city man. The ride along the country road was so in- spiriting that, as I reached the front of the old court house and sprang from my horse, it was with a freshcr and more lively flow of spirits than had felt in years.
 As entered theroom the Judge was stand ing near the stove, with a group of lawyers surrounding him, and, as joined them, the sheriff entered with half dozen prisoners.
 ''Criminal business to-day ?'' inquired some one.
 ''Yes,'' said the District Attorney. ''We propose to try the two murder cases if we can.''
 E'Who are the prisoncrs?'' l inquired.
 GA negro, Johnson-half the negroes in the county are Johnsons-is indicted for the murder of his wife; and a young fellow named Randall, for killing old Solomon Davis. You ought to remember the old man?'
 q do, well. remember hearing of the murder"
 There was no interruption to tho joking and laughing around the stove; the entrance of the solemn-faced prisoners had no effect on the group.
 That scene, which is one of daily occur renee in our country, is worth pause here to sketch. It can not be possible that any man who has witnessed t,as often as 1 have, can fail to desire the addition of some so- lemnities and formalities to OUT system of administering justice. There is terrible carelessness in this custom of trying men for capital offences in the same way that we discuss a dispute about fifty dollars, in the same courtroom, with the same attendants, and no more form or dignity. I could almost ask to have the big wig and the black gown restored.
 The sun shone pleasantly in at the win dows and fell across the wooden seats, and chairs, and tables, and on the torn carpet, from which a sparkling cloud of dust arose at every footstep.
 The bench was occupied by acounty judge, who was waiting to sit as associate judge in the Over and Terminer He had not re- moved his lat, but sat leaning back in his chair, with his feet elevated to the wooden desk in front of him, exposing his soles to the examination of all who chose to look at them, while he was leisurely chewing the stump of a half finished cigar that had gone out few moments before.
 Three or four lawyers and clerks were busily writing at the table in the bar Twenty or thirty jurors were scattered around the room, with their hats on, and the seats of the outsiders were beginning to be filled with crowd of country folks, ca ger to be present at the murder trials. The Judge stood near the stove, twirling his hat in his-hands, and talking of the weather, the prospect of frost, the price of grain, and sundry commonplaces of that sort, while hum of loud voices filled the entire court room.
 In the midst of all this sat the prisoners. Four of them were indicted for minor offen- ses, and two for the highest known to our criminal law believe there is no higher grade of crime than murder, though treason precedes it in the statute. a
 The four who were to be tried for the lesser oHenses were hardened-look men. It melancholy fact Chat jail imprisonment