Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1860-04-17
For the Spectator.


Judge, or by the number of cases decided, i will
now proceed TO discuss Judge Thompson's man.
ner of performing his business as has fallen un-
der the notice and knowledge of the citizens Of
this and other counties. Our own experience
is our best teacher; and, as have said before,
when we wish to determine fully and carefully
the labor that any one has performed, we do not
consider SO much the number of days that per
son has worked nor the quantity OF labor be has
performed, as the quality of that labor; not on
ly what he has performed. but his manner of
performing it. A man may exc out whole
year and do but little at last. He may not get
to bis work until the day is half gone, and may
cease labor before the day is done. He may
waste the day In useless palavering and vain ex-
periments, and put off for the morrow what
should be done to-day He may do a great deal
of light work and but little heavy; and at the
end Of the year have nothing to boast of except
the praises and pufings of few interested
friends. e3g.s -e.tt5s
No matter what "R. L. j." or ~" or any one
else may teach, we must judge man by his ac-
tioDs, and / hold, as I always have held, that
farmers are as capable of judging of Judge
Thompson's industry, fidelity and .frmness as
are the lawyers. As to bis learning and legal a.
bilities, will express no doubt if we can judge
from his twenty years experience and applica-
ton; but q man can fully understand all the
principles of the science of Law and then not be
q good Judge. He may labor all his life at a
trade or profession. A workman may fully
understand bis business, and set perform it in
such manner as to produce dissatisfaction to
his employers. He may do his work well e.
nough when he does it.; but if be has his custo-
mers to quit their business and run to his work
shop whenever he says it, and disappoints them,
while lie lies abed or takes his ease, those Gus
toners will soon become dissatisfied, (snd just
ly,) and take their custom from him. ~ .,;.,,
What analogy, my fellow citizens, is there be-
tw cen this case and the one you are to decide at
the polls? How often have you left your pfows
standing idle in the field, and your tools inac-
tive on the bench, and travelled ten and twenty
miles to attend Court as witnesses or suitors,
and all for nothing? The hour for Court came
but no Court opened. Useless delays and
creeping functionaries at length brought the
hour for the opening, but aso the closing of the
Court, and you are sent home with the consola-
ton that you should leave your labor and return
on the morrow, or suffer the penalty of o de-
taulting suitor, or contemptuous witness. You
come, of course, and, after attending Court of
three or four length, were told, perhaps, to
return on the morrow again, or that your suit
would not be called this Court Gould stole
philosopher blame you for becoming indignant
and dissatisfed9 Could you be blamed for rails
ing your violent protest against such tyrranyq
Judge Thompson's advocates may tell Us that
this cannot be helped They may tell US that
this is one of the unavoidable consequences of
all courts They know better, and we will not
believe it. The law has given remedy for ev-
cry eyil--stubborn lawyers, defaulting suitors
and delinquent witnesses, not excepted
When "R. L. j." boasts SO profusely of the
labors of Judge Thompson he should be told, as
a sensible farmer, talking of this contest, once
told me, ''that he knew nothing about hard
work. II be would get up at daybreak, get to
work at snn-up and quit at sun down, or if he
had to maui rails all day, as many man has to
do, he could then say he had worked hard."-
| And when this same "R. L. j." speaks of Judge
Thompsons modesty, that will not allow him to
boast OF his labors, he does not seem to think of
| his friends, who applaud him so loudly and 80
much, that he himself can sit down at his ease,
we'll satisfied that while he lives he shall never
want putting. 49,.
| In conclusion, let me ''add few words on
subject on which all men (according to cele-
brared Englisbman) are supposed to be fluent,
and none agreeable-self." All are egotists, and
/ hope am excusable for indulging in mite of
| egotism The friends of Judge Thompson seem
| to think that more depends upon raving at Mr..
| Fultz and his friends than upon any solid argu-
id about the Staunton Bar, but find that was
mistaken, if we are to Judge the rest by "Z."-
His strength consists in picking flaws in the ar
ticles of his opponents and in bullying express
sions. He harps eternally upon the supposed
fact that am warning against lawyers as class,
and trying to nstigate others to such war. Mr..
~" knows better. He knows, as every one who
has read bis articles and mine must know, that
have neverEappealed, as he has, to the pas
sons of the people; that he was the first to
write an elaborate article upon this subject of
wars upon classes; that in that article, after
dealing to US mess of his own life and giving
us list of great names, he went on to place the
lawyers and farmers in direct opposition, and
then appealed to the people to decide. The
farmers must have no voice, the lawyers must
have it all. He knows too that he and his
friends were the first to make this contest be-
tween Reform and anti Reform, "Old -fogyism"
and anti-fogyism, the Oonstitutionalists and an
| IT, -Constitutionalists. "R. L. j." in his very
first article, calls the Constitution "new ma
chine" and Mr.. Fultz one of ist "patentees.'-
Mr.. Fultz may be proud that he is one of the
patentees of such machine, together with
| thousands of his felow-citizens. "R T.. j."
seems to disregard the fact that majority of the
better people all over the State--those very peo-
! pie for whose votes he has been writing-are
.spatentees" of what he sneeringly terms the
| "new machine" Has he ever been a candidate
| to work this ''new machine?" Does he ever
expect to be9 Perhaps lie would revive the old
patent. 1t popular belief at least, that those
who oppose the new machine are the first to
seek employment in working it, Mr.. .R. l.. :"
should recollect that this is very delicate point
that the people are very jealous of their rights
as guaranteed to them by the new Constitution,
and that any sneer at the new machine is an
insult upon one of the dearest privileges of
free people-that of selecting their own rulers.
Mr.. II" consoles himself by advising me to
retire beyond the bounds of civilization. / will
leave my readers to judge whether what have
written is not civilized. But if the disposition
of his articles is indicative of his own DISPOSE
ton, it is no doubt as rugged and zigzag as the
signature he has selected, and / would, perhaps.
find more true enjoy .nent in the society of pan.
there and wolves than in his own. Everything
/ have written | have written calmly, not from
a desire to be sin print nor in CONTROVERSY. >
have written more than ever expected to
write upon this subject, and am heartily tired.
as suppose the people are, of such an epithetic
war Glad that another "Junius" has arisen
| shall cheerfully lay aside my pen, or only use
it for some slight skirmishing, leaving him TO
work the heavy ordnance, for which he seems so
well tit. | will, however, have the last word
and when | can speak no more. will make
mouths, like Brownlow, or signs like the nm
famed shrew. ~ have one consolation, at least.
that have, it seems, drawn the animosity of
u" from the object of his real hatred to myself
and his attention from, ssTnr;nc fIIoll - n.