The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-03-18

ana AID strength 10 this American lnhdellty.
l hope and trust that this conspiracy may be
defeated; that all Christian Governments may
exert their power against the further extension
OF this scourge of our race. / would most ear
nestly invoke the Christians, philanthropists and
patriots of this and of every nation and kindred
and language, to exert their moral influence,
their legitimate powers, for the overthrow, the
final eradication of this indelity from the earth,
for upholding the natural, Heaven endowed
rights OF man, for the progress, the moral ele-
walton of our race, until all shall understand
the will and obey the laws of our common
Father, and attain that happiness which consti.
tutes the ultimate object of human existence.
From the Philadelphia North American.
JUDGE wILM0T AND THE THIRTEENTH DIS
TRICT.
An attempt is being made, as many of our
readers must already know, to abolish the thir.
teenth judicial district of PENNSYLVANIA, and
annex the counties of Bradford and Susaue-
hanna, of which it is composed, to the twenty.
sixth and eleventh judicial districts, respect.
| lively. The motive for this action is neither
more nor less than to get rid of Judge Wilmot,
the presiding judge of the thirteenth district.
AS the law now stands, presiding Judge is to
be elected by the people of Bradford and Sus-
quehanna in October next and the probability
| amounts almost to q certainty that Judge Will
mot will be the choice of those counties. Hence
the attempt made by portion of Wilmot's DO
him from the bench by destroying his district,
and defeating the will of the people of two
counties.
Of course, it becomes necessary for those en-.
gagged in this attempt to assign some reason for
their conduct, and they are not slow to charge
Judge Wilmot with incompetency with enter
tanning political prejudices, which warp and bias
his mind, and with personal habits unbecoming
to an occupant of judicial seat. For those
who know anything of Judge Wilmot, the first
and last of these charges need no refutation !;
| and the second is wholly unsustained, 80 far as
we are aware, by specifications. The accusa-
ton is brought in general terms, and might as
we'll be levelled against any other occupant of
the bench who is known to entertain political
opinions of decided character. Bills have
lately been introduced into the Legislature with
the object of effecting the changes in the courts
for Bradford and Susquehanna counties, to
which we allude. In both branches these were
referred to the Judiciary Committees, and the
gentlemen who appeared before these commit
tees failed to specify, much less sustain, an in
stance of official misconduct, or of an exhibi-
ton of undue political bias on the part of Judge
Wilmot.
With us, it is a matter of indifference to what
party the Judge thus assaulted belongs. We
should speak in his behalf, were he Demo
crat, as quickly as we do, he being Republic
can. 1t is not the man, or the party alone,
that is involved in the present case. 1t is a
principle 1t is manifest that an act of injus
tice is being attempted against one who has
long been honored with the confidence of his
fellow citizens, has held responsible trusts from
them, and has played no unconspicuous part in
public affairs. This act originates in personal
and partisan antipathies and it seeks its con-
summation by an appeal to partisan feeling.
And besides this, if the attempt of the oppo
nents of Judge Wilmot was successful, it is
manifest that the wishes of the people of the
thirteenth district would be disregarded. They
would be rudely overridden by party ma ORR
ty in the Legislature. We cannot bring our
selves to believe that the bills introduced will
be acted on, or, at all events, passed. The
precedent would be dangerous in the extreme;
and the measure would be insulting to the peo-
pie of Bradford and Susquehanna. The mem
bers of the Legislature, who would lend them
selves to its passage, would not be forgotten,
and would ultimately have to pay the penalty
of their deed.
CoNNECr1CUr.-Mr. N. D. Sperry, of New
Haven, one of the leading Fremont Americans
of Connecticut, explains why he endorsed Mr..
Scranton at the late American State Convention
at Hartford, as its nominee for Governor, and
makes out defence for his conduct, but places
Mr.. Scranton in disagreeable plight before
the public. Mr.. Scranton appears to have
INDUCED in Americanism to Mr.. Sperry, and
in Democracy to the Democracts. Mr.. Sperry
now goes for Mr.. Buckingham, the Republican
candidate for Governor, and there will probably
be no American nomination against him. Mr..
Scranton, of course, 10 Just fit man to 60 with
the Lecomptonites, but cannot carry many with
him, 80 the field is now clear for grand Re-
publican victory in old Connecticut the first
Monday in April.
As further indication of the signs of the
times, the New Haven Register admins.
tration) reads Mr.. Strong of Hartford out
of the Democratic party, for his bold antiLe-
compton speech in the Democratic State Con-
vention on Wednesday. Even his acquiescence
in the milk and.water compromise resolutions
does not save him, and he is denounced az no
better than Black Republican, which is true.
He will feel better to take out his freedom
papers entirely. He can't stay with the De-
mocracy if he wants to, and he ought not to de-
sire to. Mr.. Strong was chairman of the Com.
mittee on Resolutions at the State Convention.
Barbarous punishments are still retained in
the British army, and a private underwent at
Northumberland on the 9th ultimo, the sentence
of a court.martial, booming him to receive 450
"gashes cut at the rate of nine at a time on
his back. The victim resisted, but was stripped
| and tied to the triangle by six stout men, when
| the operation proceeded as follows:
"Forth stepped one of the largest drummers,
| armed with cat the length of the handle of
which being eight inches, the nine tails the
same length, armed with pentagonal pieces of
case hardened steel, eighty one in number. At
| the first blow of the 'cat' q piercing and IN
| earthly shrek rang from the strong man in his
agony. His lacerated flesh CAPPED under the
| blow, and Jumps of flesh at each fresh blow
were detached from his bleeding back, and
| hung high about the walls of the racket court,
and on the clothes of those standing by. The Off
GERS and soldiers standing by could not endure
| the spectacle, and several were carried away
| faiDting. At the forty-ffth stroke of the in
strument, that is, after receiving 405 gashes,
| the unhappy wretch, whom fortune saved from
| the hands of an Indian, to fall into the hands
of an English Nena Sshib, positively burst his
| bonds in the contortions of agony, and fell in
| q bloody heap to the ground. He was again
tied up, and ether forty.6ve wounds were in
| Aicted. Not q single drop of Christian blood
could the Shylocks of the Fusiliers be per-
suaded to abate. Their victim received the
full tale, and was carried to the hospital deliri.
GUS, in a state which rendered it doubtful
whether, in the event of his physical recovery,
! he would not be the inmate of mad-house for
life."
L