The Texas Republican. [volume] (Marshall, Tex.) 1849-1869, 1859-06-24
rrom the IeSa. Christian Adspcpte.
THE CASE OF JUDGE wAraOus

citizen, accompanied with a request tur
us To- give in onr columns an article
which appeared under the abov heading
in the New Orleans Advocate Of Jan
18th. 1889 Til, is the frs, time our at
tcuiiun has been specially called to
matter which has been constantly before
us ~ onr Texas exchanges We At"
mol prepared t. decide NJ once, upon the
proprIely OF admitting the comnunlca-
ton.
Perhaps, however, it may not he i'm
proper for us to give lew thoughts On
a view of the ease from nnr owu point of
observation One Of the first things
which occur to- an observer Of the con-
test. i the probability that something
like il could hardly have hc,n avoided.
The state at affairs IN this new country
when Judge Watfous went upon The
bench the constituencies Of the pcopl"
IN reference to landed interests in snci
territory as that Of Texas, acquired as
/, was aud their natural jealousy Il the
iuaiclary taken IA connection with the
peculiar lhcralty OF the Bcuch TO thu
resentment of litigants at Snch periods
and under such circumstances were, we
say. altogether likely la prccipitate a
conflict ike this case of Wattous' 1t
vas more than.possibc, almost, whoever
might have been the Judge and We
think this "A reason why the people Should
be careful to guard against prejudice
aud partizanism in making mp their final
Judgment Arpthcr reason is. that a
great power is in their hands, when they
are appealed h. a. court then they
have ~ giants strength. and are rospan-
siblc Tor it, proper use. THIS ease does
not involve i mcrr preference, as ~ -
popular election: it Is u trial If chnrac
ter. aud the people are called upon t.
pcrilym the grave and difficult duty If a
court The great probability that they
might not be- ahlc to perform the grave
and difficult duty If a court The great
probability that they might not he ahlc
To- perform such duties perfectly il the
reason why lbry have created tribunals
Their own dearest sntrrests require that
these tribunals should be- sustained as
far as possible and c.rl to take special
cases on IT the lands of these we'll
should never bc precipitatrlv .obcy,a
When the proper tribunal declares that
it finds no ta.i IA a man, the people Il
hc deceived lu. dangerous disregard
II all the sanvtil.cs e order the first
law Of earth a. well as If heaven before
they can hear the cry, " Away with INN "
without feeling il tn hc reproach upon
their virtue aud intelligence When
sworn ulicers and uNicial Investigations
are denounced, and any other authority
adopted, the grounds of public f,tlh ate
no lmgcr fixed they iioat whiihers1cv.
cr wind and current may determine -
hong as man stands as docs judge
Wairous. holding the verdict If one trl-
hnual in his band. and pointing his al
vcrstrirs to another, appealing also To-
She Supreme Judge IN witness 81 his rec.
,itu!c. So long is he entitled To- a request
as immuvatlo as the SENSE IT justice III
the soul OF the pillars Of It's strength in
the gov rumrnt,
II popular legal decisions are ever to
hc demanded, the occasion, for such an
t-rcpullican, dangerous cruptgc pro
cccdnrcs must bc very much fewer than
some nf the writer's on this Watrpus
case seem to suppose We editors may
scatter uur praises and blamcs in onr
own necessarily hurried and therefore
halfjrresppn>ibc way. hut when the pcn-
pie speak. especially in condemnation,
IT," superior power ui tier verdict
needs All the Justification which IT can
derive from uuinpcaciahlc justice To
whom eau "A man appeal from the con.
dcmua,ipn "a, pcpplc' II guilty, he
can only turn 10 the dnsi, and long Tor
the covering # the grave. 1t innocent
and vrtnuus. he will appeal To- God and
as certainly a~ that there l. Pro, .dcncc
in the affairs If men. he viii lie vmdica'
ted aud his vindica,inu must bring cor
responding evils upon those who made
II necessary.
Whenever it il understood that the
press can impeach judge, the pu'liN
aud efficiency of the Judiciary * gone
forever. The question IA this ease rs
much deeper aud broader than the guilt
or innoccnce of Watrous. Il Is this g.
will the people permit tribunals 10 al
indge the cases which belong Ia them
calmly aud dispasslonatcly. OF wall they
alluv what the press, or any other quite
~ f,lihlc an authority. may choose Il"
call public opinion to administer the
forms Of ins,ice according IT, its own
wild and uncomfortable cspric.s' That
is the question and II has Just as innch
Interest Tor the foes Of Judge Wa,rous
as fnr his friends