Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-01-15
-Frnm fhn ono Sand IournaI.


Democracy Hostile to Impartial Jury Trials.
The election of jurors for the United States
District and Circuit Courts is made By the
Clerks and Marshals. The sacred right of trial
by jury is entirely in the control Of creatures Of
the President. The character of these it is un-
necessary to mention. The trial by jury would
be destroyed by putting such power in the hands
of any man. tbs not trial by jury but by the
Marshal and Clerks; but when infamy is the
first requisite for appointment by the President,
and the applicant can find no road SO direct to
his favor as through some outrage on popular
rights and sentiment, and is compelled to be op-
pressive in office, or lose his livery the trial by
jury, under such control, becomes hideous
mockery. Judicial tyranny equal to that of the
infamous Jefferys is within the power of the
President, and the people are helpless. They
are bound hand and foot under power that a
few years since pronounced, in an official mes
sage, all who opposed the extension of slavery
guilty of treason. With the power to define
treason, and to select Jurors to try it, what safe
ty is there for life or lbertyl Why is not the
plan of selecting jurors by lot from substantial
citizens which is practiced in our State Courts,
sufficient for the Courts of the United Statesi
lift is necessary that one man should have the
control of the trial by jury in the o. S. Courts,
why have jury? Let US have Democratic des-
pot supreme over the lives of his subjects, with
out breaking the word of promise to the hope of
the victim, by the mockery of jury trial which
is horrible lie. There is no danger so threat
ening to the liberty of white men as this, some
of the fruits of which we have already expert
enced BE
An effort was made in the legislature to-day,
by Mr.. Monroe, to get an expression In favor of
some provision for impartiality in jury trials in
the U. s. Courts. He introduced the resolution
which we give below, in the House, when
Democrat brought it to a test vote by molten
to lay on the table, which every Democrat but
one-Mr Pikelhimer-voted for Do these gen.
tlemen know what they are about, or do they
imagine this only the usual Democratic subser-
viency to the Administration If so the sooner
they retrsce this step and blot out the record,
the better for them. Inthe records of sacrifices
of the rights of freedom, by which Democracy
has disgraced the North, there is nothing SO in
famous as this. tits virtually declaration from
the Ohio Democracy, that the people of Ohio
are not entitled TO a trial by au impartial jury,
but that life and liberty must be held subject only
to the will of the President If the necks of the
people of the State could all be combined in one,
these Democrats in the Legislature would offer
it to the Presidential guillotine These surely
are not the spirits of men born on the free soil
of Ohio; they are servile spectres of Oriental
slaves who know no higher ambition than to
bow their backs 10 the knout and their necks to
the bowstring of despot-
The following is the resolution of Mr.. Mon
roe. 1t prescribe no fixed plan; but only re-
cites the evil and asks some safeguard for the
impartiality Ofjury trials:
Whereas, under the present law of Congress
the grand and petit juries, of the Fedral Courts
in this State, are empannelled in accordance
with rule of those courts which enables the
Clerk and Marshal to select as jurors only such
persons as are political partizans, in sympathy
with themselves, thereby making it difficult to
secure impartial trial for political offenses in
said courts, and whereas, we are gratifed to
arm that Hon. Philemon Bliss, a member of
the National House of Representatives from this
State, has introduced into that body bill to
remedy the evil aforesaid, therefore,
Resolued, By the General Assembly of the State
of Ohio, That our Senators in Congress are here
by instructed, and our Representatives request
ed to vote and use their influence for the pass
age of said bill, or some similar safeguard of the
impartial administration of justice.