Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-12-07
LOCAL INTELLGENCE
DEFERRED ARrIcLRs.I

COUNTY, d. c., December Tenn, lsss -f;sn,l..
men OF the Grand Jury: On the day appointed bv
law Tor the meeting Of the Criminal Court. and
In obedience to It's command, this tribpn,l &.
now open for the dispatch Of business. The CON.
scientious, Intelligent and Independent dispossl
OF whatever matters and inquiries Il may be OH =.
ciaiiy incumbent on you or me to decide will I'm.
Volve more or less Of the peace and safety of the
community. Let rs, then, each In his several
department, labor with assiduity and full dsvc-
tisn Of all his faculties to perform his Who'll.
DUTY so that he himself will know and feel that
he has met his bligatiOns to the public. Nobody
Is so hard to satisfy with the mni,trationx q, an
honest oficial as he himself. II he mistakes. 10
soon discovers H-whatever faults he has arc o.,
miiisr to him, while the display Of talents. the
plausloiIty OF ingenuity, the interest taken I'm
'he pending question, may conceal them from
others Next 10 Integrity, guided by Intelligence
the most impo tant quality In those W ho direc or
Paicci?ite a Jurors or otherwise In the admins
uduoh OF law and justice, is hrmness and indie
pendsnce o. Official action, which shall Tsisa
them above all outside iad uencex that NAV .a.t
70 approach them from any quarter, and enable
inein 70 decide In such case according to the evi.
dence that Is head from the stand and tbe Law
as IT Il known and recognized to be the govsT,.
Ing rule Tor all Of every degree and condition in
There must be no wavering; no tremuIo,s r,o-
ton OF tue hand that holds the scale Of insticr.
no looking TO consequences; for, however mo,
msntouS they may be TO individuals ana to tbs
public, your business ard mine bavIng ss,Iss "a
ourselves that the law and testimony point n
esr.ain conclusions, is to declare them without
rear or favor. From this there must be mo d.
pa'ture, so shall we know that we have dis
charged our duty according to the best Of our
ability, aud feel that, although many complain
anu te" approve of what may be done, there
no Just grounds Of censure, and that we can af
ford TO wait for more calm and deliberatr ey
preston OF puolc sent ment, which, when the
pfrssa'e OF untoward circumstances is removed,
seldom fdlls 10 correct its too hasty and jIl adj
ylsed opinions. have no reason to suppose tbat
the gentlemen associated with me here in aayca
pacIty have acted, or will act, OF herwiSe than g.,
this independent spirit; ana hope I NAV nsv-r
see the day when a different conclusion shall he
forced upon me, for insecurity TO every citizen
and to every right and possession that is worth
an effort to preserve will be in its wake as Ger
talnly as the night follows the day
Your experience in life and observation of men
ana things as you are passing through the world
should be consulted at every step yoi take Tbev
can Tafely fail TO conduct you safely aIong the
soHeiimes dlftcult paths Of inquiry that YOU will
be obliged TO tread. The Court will ALWAYS
cheefully Instruct YOU; and II is the dutv of the
District Attorney, on yOur application, to- inform
you In regard Of any legal difficulty that may
arise in the course of your Investigations win
this aid you are entirely competent TO the fnII
performance of whatever duty may deyolye on
you As grand jurors Courts and juries are in
vested with Powe' that the guilty NAV be pun-
ished ard, more, that by the example OF those
who sCf-r the penalties imposed by the law.
Others may be deferred from violating the safe
guards whir h il tb rows around the citizen There
Is no teaching so impressive as that which evan
pie furnishes To reason with those over whom
your relation to them entities you to have inf D.
enee, TO address their understandings as TO doing
or abstaning from particular acts Is a great dntS
on no account TO be neglected, and is often pro
ductive the happiest conssq quences; bot exam
pc ioI ed nstin ,tiyeiy, and step by step is
especially IL they have any rightfuI control ovs1
those liable TO be impressed by their conduct
This remark lads me to advert 10 the duty of
guardians and others who have authoritv ovsr
the Young, to guide by precept and example To
the daily habltual observance Of sound morals
IL cannot be doubled that parents are Justly
chaTgeabi with the immortality and increase ~
crime which has marked the latter days OF orr
country: Their negligence Is the fountain Of
their onSpIing 5 disgrace and ruin and of their
own misery. W hen a youth 10 arraigued "a
rental affection IL manifested ia every form m
which II can show itself, as we have often SEE n
In this court hat then the blight has fallen on
the criminal and the cloud of nnhapp;n ness sur.
rounds the father. The training Of The vouno a.
The chief means BY which dishonor is to be avoid
ed and res pectzbiIity in life oUtained Restraint
the Wholesome power Of restraint with wall n
the law clothes parents, guardians and masters
is not exercised as it should be over children
wards and apprentices, who are suffered TO choose
their own associates of the street and to sDsnd
their nights in dissipation and debauchery. The
oest police are the heads Of families / have
dWelt on this subject longer than some NAV
think necessary, especially as 4 have onlv
Pedted what has been often said from this Dlace
out thoroughly convinced Of the Importance
indeed Of the neceSSity-Of rcusiny hom. dis
ciPline into active exercise, IL Is again urged
upon public ateutiOn.
The Ling vacation which has preceded our
dssemoiage will bring before you a list of nu-
msfous cOmpIa Rts and charges various in
their character aud degree as the various dispo-
stions OF men, rising from the commission OF
assaults and batteries and small pilfrrinps nm to
crimes Of dep dye. OF these the large majority
will be Of litfle comparative cTiminaIity some
that hardly fall within the jurisdiction OF this
rf .nA fha~. 49,,
no notice at your hands. II You shs u In the
course Of your Investigations discover any Of the
latter class, as they do not involve the public
interest, 1 respectfully recommend tina, their
prosecution be dispensed with.
The great body Of the accusations that will n.
preferred for your examination will be In ac-
cordance with past experience, such as o .n.raIIv
occupy ths greatest part Of lime of this Conf
Offences which those only commit wh have
fIllen, or are fallen into evil courses and losing
all mo al Principe, descending rapidly tn. road
20 destruction, on which, unless checked e,rIv
they will be brought up at the penitentiarv n,
the gallows- This class Of crimes often inyoly,
the young, who begin their course of disvTace
and infA my for the most part BY acts Of yiolence
and riOting, or bY petty theft$. Juries both
grand and petit are inclined II permit the escape
OF those juvenile offenders, because of thr,r
youth, and because, so far Is known II is their
FIRST crime. '
have always thOug ht this great error. HIs
uslust to the public and unkind to the accused
III YOU cannot arrest a Young person AID esoe
cialiY when he Is araigned for the d st time Won
will try In vain TO do IL afterward He is vet nm
hardened, still the subject Of some virtuous emo
tions, his conscience upb aids him, and N he is
punished his reflections while suffering will
probably deepen the coGtrition tha. must always
follow the commission Of q nrst OF nee; whe feas
his escape Will embolden him, the second crime
Is PerpetTa;.d with less reluctance ard very
soon the modest pleasant boy Is transformed into
the gr1celess villain Observation will prove
that the nrst appearance of a youth nj the bar of
this Court, n he goes from II unconvicted, he is
rarely the only on; and the history of the coun-
try shows ihat very large portion Of the bIa X
est crimes that stain annals a q the uo. r of
those who have recently passed the Threshold of
manhood, and occasionally by those who have
not reached 10 Long as the calendar Of accuxa
tiO0s that shall be submiited to YOU ma y H. !,
requires only assiduOus dsyotina to their i,vesti
CATION 10 carry you satisfactorily 20 the end Of II
The Intelligence aad general Qualification OF the
gentiemen om addressing, assure me that the
attention invoked will not Withheld
Ofvery grave q noes, and those Involving the
heavier penalties, is pleasure to say that they