Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1859-05-07
To the Public.

The report Of the late Grand Jury, In which
have been fo0shly assAiled. having just come to
my notice, deem Il pecessaFy ~ make the follow
ing statement for the benefit OF my follow ctizenH,
who ere not. perhaps, quite - well posted in mat
tiers 81 public interest a. the 0mniPOtent Grand
Jury might kGre been, had they discharged their
duty in q manner more becoming their dignity and
uelf-respect.
That have been ,OanfoNly cpneUred BY thirteen,
ont Of eighteen composing the Jury, will cndeavOr
IN establish a. briefly as possible; and trust those
who designed manufacturing ethical capital through
such cOntemptible conduct, may have the measure
81 their hopes beuped up, pressed down, aud run
ming over.
This rerv Discriminate aud august aseemblage,
make the startling assertion that have not Aiten-
ded 10 the duties u my office in person. Probably,
had resided ct PIneervie during the past inclem-
ent season, they would have hnd occasion fF the
charge; but PreIeriDg my present residence, for
reasons best known TO myself aud aware Of the in
convenience that would necessarily ensne BY re-
mOval Of the books and papers htherward, and TAX
lug ER granted that Mfee:ffths Of the population
resided south Of the South Fork and that such re-
mOvnl would em0arraas those most directly Interest,"
ed and sensible Of the fact that had the right TO
reside where pleased, OccAsiOUed me TO appoint
Deputy at the County Seat 10 constant attendance
up0u the Official duties during my absence.
Again. "And it does not clear that il is law
fnl for him 70 appoint deputy a. he has done. "
There certain kinds Of intelects. such ~ vege.
tate ia dough or wooden heads, that never any
verbal opinion Of Judge Howell regarding the mat
ter. will quote the same, although it may not
cdr TO al heads, especially th0se Of the swollen
complicated kind: ANY County official mot Judi
cial appoint as many Deputies as he plehycs, 50
long his securities accountable fer his Depu-
ties acts"
Again, "But IL even Deputy can lawfully per-
form the duties of the office we still believe there
is just ground for complaint, iuasmuch as he has
DOt either by himself Deputy, visited any or but
few Of the schools Of the County, as required BY
Law, although the year is nearly half gone"
The most reliable information in the foregoing
extract u the astonishing truth that tie y'ur ~
nearly hd.F gone" The remainder szvOrs Of n stu.
pdity quite nuPerAuOus, or downright ignorance Of
The facts. The finishing clause a. this epiaOIs pur.
me thus, and virtually decapitates me after the
manner 10 which the IFishman once cut of the tail
Of dog-jHt dehiRd the cure: THE Supcrintcn-
dent is well paid receiving twelve hundred duIIars
year, and from nl that can learn, the duties Of
the Office have not been well performed"
Now, by what rule Of hOc"s:poc~s did You, gentle
men Of the Grand Jury, acquire oil the information
you have 81 graciousy set firth in your recent Re-
port to the Hon. Court Of Sessions Did yuu, in
duty bound, and rs 10 customary in such cascs, ap.
point committee % wait upon my pePntE, examine
books and Statistics and otherwise have sought
truthful and reliable information If all matters relA
ting to my official duties, aud the manner in which
thusc obligations have been discharged.
II would justly be considered remnant Of barbar-
ism in this, the nineteenth century, to execute a
under Of the dignity, Judgment and discretion
OG Grand Jurors, have Illuminated . series Of Accu
s1iiIns against myself and Deputy uusustained by
even the shadow Of evidence. when, at the time you
were in possession Of the authority and the means
Of aaccrtininR each and every particular necessary
10 crafty the personal and political aDimOsitits VI
your nquisitOTial court.
Men are not usually capable Of passing CORRECT
Judgment upon matters Of which they are totally
ignorant, aud il therefore devOlvcs upon me to fur
nj In he nj In a nj
the Grand Jury in particular, few facts which
they could a. easily aacertained upon inquiry.
So far as relates " the conduct If my Deputy,
that gentleman has my fullest confidence. and am
satisfied that he has done all 10 his pow er 10 pro-
mote the interest and welfare Of the schoolS. He
visited last fall, every scOOl the a0uth side 81
the river with the exception Of two, and would have
called upon them had they been in session. He
SOIne time since, nOihed me that he would soon be
prepared TO revisit the same. He has ever been
ready tn wait HpOR teachers and trustees When
they have called TO transact business. design
also, to visit the schools in person, aud then shall
have performed my duty. though the year Is near.
ly half gone" am censured for not having visited
the schDOls at hi. Gregory and at Kelsey. ! CON-
fcss had serius objections 10 the altitude If the
former locality the past winter, and at the Latter
place school has not had an existence since my
election.
IAN snrprs d that in this unconditional onslaught
If the immortal thirteen, that not reprimanded
for having refused to apply present appropriations
TO the liquidation Of ani1uated debts Of the Depart
mcnt, since such applications have not been unfrr-
queni. To make a long story short, I will merely
remark that II WAS certainly gratifying to my feel
ingS to notice that this famous explosion was signed
under the following Protest by five gentlemen,
Whose good sense and prlprieiy must certainly
claim the respectful consideration Of all, who dis
penSe and claim jUafice in all MiDgG.
PROTEST.-The undersigned, GVand Jurors. con-
cur in all Of the above repOrt, except far it
atcs IN the implied censure cast upon the SupeTin
tendent If Public Instruction.
Signed, William Roush, Hiram L. Parker, G. L.
Vaughn, J. II. d. Wetherwax, W. X. Creque.
In conclusion. will venture tile assertion, that
few more such IGVx POs Perpetraied by Grand Ju
rOrs, will verify the assertion Of . late eminent
jurist that "he aysteNn u nWisdhce and GhOUki Be
dbattd." II. L. PEASE,
Superintendent Common Schools.