Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1860-03-20
\ F0rsthe Spectator
To the Editors of the Spectator.

vanity, or caprice can give ana name to anal.
thing and therefore it is not surprising that
your magniloquent correspondent, who pranced
into the arena few weeks ago, calling upon
the World to stand still and listen, while he
ssconstr0ined By a sense OF justice to the commu-
nity-as we'll as to the taco distinguished gen.
tlemen now candidates before the public, for the
important and responsible office of Judge
should Examine CAREFULLY and fairly the pre-
tensions of the respective candidates, and their
respective qualifications for the high position,
and who now stands confessed the unscrupulous
partizan of one of them, and too much prejudiced
against the other and his friends to do them the
justice which truth demands, should arrogate to
himself the great name OF "Junius."
It seems that this second Daniel come 10
Judgment" this just and CAREFULLY Jair man, in
stigated by no consideration but that of ex-
pounding to his fellow-citizens the Just preten-
sons and qualifications of "taco distinguished
gentlemen" has been knocked into pie. dashed
into fury, and, "with great reluctance" driven
ito the necessity of diverging from the plan pro-
posed" when he modestly ordered 'ssilence" in
the world, by the unpretending effort of your
correspondent ''Z"-not to assa Mr.. Fulz. but
simply to defend Judge Thompson against Mr..
Fultzs charges, made over his own name. a.
/.
Was that defence founded in truhY The great
"Junius does not question it; he does not pre-
tend that whist is called the sleeping docket
is not entirely made up, as ~" affirmed, of
causes not ready tor trial. If he would venture
such denial, the record would put him to shame
for there the list of causes stands to speak for
itself. There are about sixty-all told !; and his
friend Mr.. Futz is marked as counsel to ten of
them. Surely his great advocate will not pre-
tend that Mr.. Fultz would have submitted in
silence to have his clients put upon the sssleep-
ing docket" ifany thing could be done in the
case. Surely he will do him the justice to be-
lieve, that the interests of his clients, and his
duty to them, would, without the spur of can
vass for the Office of Judge, have compelled him,
long since, to telIthat ''secret out of school' a.
bout shat sleeping docket" if their causes, being
ready for trial, had been put there to Sleep
But the wonderful wisdom of 'sJunius" has con-
ceived this brilliant idea, that though none of
these cases are ready for trial, yet they should
be placed on the issue docket, $50 as to arouse
them from their sleep at least twice year and
see If they wanted any attention." Well, this
is qnestionsof eKpediency, convenience and or
der, il reference to which, this wonderful man
thinks ore way, while the experience of lawyers,
clerks and Judges has brought them to differ
and when. he becomes to be Judge we shall see
what we Shall see. If Mr.. Fultz in his card had
admitted what his friend nov virtually admits,
that this docket was made up OF causes not ready
for trial, and merely suggested, as his friend now
suggests, that they should be called over twice a
year ''to see if they wanted any attention." "Z'
would never have written word on the ques-
ton, but would have left it, as one of very small
consequence, for the people to decide. But Mr.
Fultz did not choose to do so. He entitled it
'sthat long continued relic of justice delayed, en-
tailed upon US by an irresponsible Judiciary"
and deared that it should "be walked up and
no longer have place on our records Will
the efar" and "just" author of ''Junius" pretend
that he only meant by this announcement in his
card to remove these causes from one list to an
other, and let them sleep on? Was that the
waking up he intended2 Why then did he call
it "a relic of justice delayed2" Why did he
declare it should mo longer have place on the
records ?" Would it not still be on the record,
if only removed from one page of the docket.
book to another? Gould it justly be termed
t'relic of justice delayed, entailed upon us by an
irresponsible Judiciary" if it was only list of
casuses in which all had been done that could be
done, and which only waited for the future ne
eessity of further actions Is it possible that
the friends at Mr.. Eultz are now driven to the
pretension, that by that remarkable sentence, he
did not mean any charge Oh inefficency or want
of industry in the presen Judge; but only meant
as matter OF expediency and convenience, be
would transfer the causes from the sleeping
docket" to the tissue docket and let them
sleep on, just as they do now, till ''they wanted
attention 2" If this is what was meant, let it
b spoken out; let the people understand clearly
that Mr.. Fultz did not intend to charge ineffi-
cheney on his competitor, by his reference to this
sleeping docket, and II" is content-that his
explanation of that docket shall go for nothing.
He did not write for victory, or to criminate any
one, but simply to do justice to an upright and
faithful public servant, whom. lie considered
most ul.justly assailed. This wonderful man,
''Junius," complains OF "Zn fer saying that Mr..
Fultz had ventured to charge his opponent with
inefficiency and neglect OF duty, such as, if con-
tinued, the wheels OF justice, already retarded
in their movement, must soon cease to roll on,
and informs Us that be ''got NJ. Fultz's card and
read it carefully, and m5ra6ile dictu (Which
means in plain English, w onderful to be told)
he could not find Judge Thompson's name, even,
in the whole card" Is the admirable '.Junius"
that fair, just, and impartial teacher of the
people, driven to rest the defence of his friend,
on a dsreputabe bubble? He plainly means
to be understood that Mr.. Fultz, in his card, has
not made the charge of inefheiency or neglect of
duty against Judge Thompson. Does 'Junius'
speak in earnest and by authority The hair
spun sophlstry of his positions would seem to
ndicste that he did. And so, after the honest
and wel-meanDg votersssof the Circuit had
been led to believe, for the last two months,
that their Judge was en- idle and unfathful drone,
(for no falr-lninded man can read those cards
and come to any other conclusion, if he believes
their author) after the charge had been triumph
anuy refuted by the records of tie county, and
the Judge demonstrated to have been prosecuted
and illuminated, his accusers come forward and
say they never meant to make such charges a.
galnst him; that they cannot find "his name,
even, in connection with the charge; that they
are innocent of any such persecution and Ca
lumny; that they meant somebody else, and GER
talnly not Judge Thompson. Well, this is very
satisfactory so far as Judge Thompson is con
cerned and let me assure the redoubtabe "Ju-
MUS that if the supplemented "Zn could have
Mr.. FultzS card in the way it has
been explained to him, he never would have
written word, with all his imputed malignity
against Mr.. Fultz. But if Mr.. Fultz did not
mean Judge Thompson, we supplemented PEG
pie are all dying Of curiosity to know whom he
did mean2 We look with eager impotence to
the brilliant intellect of "Junius" to enlghten u.s.
I es, dear "Junius" US who "has re-
tsrded the wheels of justice so that they must
'soon cease to roll on2" You say it was not Judge
Thomson that he is not even named in connec-
ton with the foul charge. Then who is it, thou
brilliant star of our hopes-tell us, that we may
immediate the criminal. There are many things
we would like to know of thee-such as how