Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1860-05-22
For the Spectator.

| For the Spectator.
| Mesws Editors After perusal of the last
Essay of "a Countryman" think his friend
Fultz may well exclaim sssave me from nv
friends" Mr.. Fultz has been the worst groomed
animal that ever before appeared on the race
course; and now, in conclusion, his legs being
broken and his ham-strings cut by the Joint
mismanagement of "Junius" and "A Country
man." the latter benevolently knocks him on the
head to end his suferings. This little two horse
concern of "Junius" and ga Countryinan" has
been beset and worried by dogs and bulls until
it is fairly run into corner from which there is
no escape. "R. L. j." had asked sIf Mr.. Fultz
was treated unjustly," as he and his friends al
legged "why not appeal to higher tribunal ~
The 'Man in the Moon" asked-"If all the out !.
RACES the Fultzites complain of had been prac.
tised by Judge Thompson, for thirty years, why
had Mr.. Fultz never disclosed, either to dear
clients or dearer people, the wrongs they were
suffering till the prospect of q fat Office brought
him up to testify 2" Something must be an
swered to these questions, or the people would
conclude with the sagacious 'sMan in the Moon"
that all their accusation was CANNON -trumped
up for electiOneering purposes. Under these
pressing circumstances-in this crisis of their
fate, "A Oountryman"-th great mouthpiece of
the party, VINO is supposed to be admitted, face
to face, into communion with the great Prophet
himself, and to speak to the people in has words,
answers and says-"People do not sufficiently
estimate the power and position of Judge
They do not consider that he ia the supreme
head of the Court-that if it is in his mind (and
especially was this the case under the old Con-
stitution) be can be as uDyielding, as uncompro-
missing, and as tyrannical as the veriest despot,
I'D Ixuho ;o rI hos,
music than the clank of chains, or the murmur
of slaves. He may indeed be impeached, but
who SO bold and daring as to attempt to i'm
peach him, when backed by powerful party,
wanting neither the means nor the will, and
bound together by all the ties of sworn and self
willed Oligarchists9 If Mr.. Fultz had attempt
ed to report Judge Thompson what would have
been the conseqence2 He would have been
throttled by the Court, and howl, deeper and
longer than that which succeeded his announce
ment as candidate for Judge, would have gone
up from Courthouse Alley and its collateral ad-
juncts. An intrusion upon the Holy of Holes,
can never be forgiven by these legal Pharisees.
There is the whole answer, word for word, and
the simple English of it is just this: That Mr..
Fultz his clients and the people have been treat
ed unjustly-that all the wrongs he and bis
friends complain of, we're inflicted by Judge
Thompson, for years. and yet that through era
ven fear OF being ''throttled by the Court" and
howled at in "Court house Alley" he submitted
to it all, and never whispered it, even to his eli
ents, whose interests he was sworn to protect,
till the silver shield of a Judges salary would
protect his tender skin from injury. He could
cot dare the tyrannical despot, in the cause of
his clients and country, but when his own inte
rest is at stake he cries nightly, and calls aloud
on those same clients and people to help him in
to an office What picture to be drawn of a
man, by his own trusted friends What recon-
mendations they give him to public favor!-
Heretofore their best and strongest commenda-
ton of him was that he is hated and mistrusted
by those who know him best-his associates and
brethren. Now they urge his election, because,
as lawyer at the bar, he is afraid of an magi-
nary despot that no one has heard of, or believes
in but himself, and has, in trembling silence,
submitted for thirty years to injustice and out
rage practsed on his own clients and the whole
people! Better, far better, to admit that Mr.
Fultz was mistaken in the charges contained in
his card against Judge Thompson, and that his
advocates have fallen into the same error,
through over zeal in his cause. His worst ene-
mics would rather suppose the latter than be-
ieve, as his friend insists, that he could have
been so faithless to his trust and his country-so
overwhelmed with unreal fears. Yet the ques-
tion is narrowed down to this: Either the grave
charges of ineficiency, idleness, despotism, &C.,
made against Judge Thompson by Mr. Fultz and
his friends, are all groundless and founded in
mistake, or Mr.. Fultz himself, in failing hereto
fore to bring those things to public notice, has
been influenced by craven fear, and guilty of
consequent neglect of sacred duty as lawyer
and citizen, which should be Very far from com
mending him to public confidence.
On the other hand, how stands Judge Thomp-
son. on his claim for re-election2 While Mr..
Fultz's friends insist that he is hated by all his
nearest associates, Judge Thompson is so beloved
and honored by his, that his enemies complain
of it as chief cause of objection to him. While
Mr.. Fultz is afraid to whisper of injustice done
to has clients, who have paid their money to
have him take care of their interests, Judge
Thompson possesses sublime and unterrifed
moral bravery and love of justice, that on at
least two memorable occasions, have enabled
him, aoith0ut pay, and at the risk of popularity,
in behalf of powerless and unpopular criminals,
to face frowning and angry public prejudice,
on the eve of his electiOn--to turn deaf ear to
the outside pressure, and looking alone, with
stern bravery to the law and evidence in the
causes, to risk his election by saving in one case
the lfe in the other the liberty OF frlendless men.
1t he had been mistaken in the law and the
evidence OF those cases-tO err Is human, and
his kind heart erred on the side OF mercy-what
noble mind would not still have applauded his
fearless determination to do what he believed
was righta But he did not err. In both cases
the criminals were sent before other Judges, in
to communities as intelligent and pure as our
own, but free, from prejudice, and the result in
both cases was prompt acquittal, by the Juries
there, which acquittas were approved by the
Judges and by the people, thus sanctioning in
both instances the action Of Judge Thompson
The poor creature who signs himself "a Country
man" thereby soiling an honorable appellatlon,
thinks this delicate subject" tor Judge Ihomp-
sons friends to talk about-"delicate alike to
Judge Thompson and the people-a subject con-
cerning which every man of refined feelings
must revolt at publicly expressing an opinion"
| No wonder that the apologist, and adviser OF
one, who, he says, has for years suffered wrong
to himself, his clients and the public, through
bodily fear of complaining, should be unable to
understand or appreciate the moral subllmlty OF
Judge Thompson's course on these trials. AS
soon expect the Bat in the darkness of its cav
ern, to comprehend the Heavenward flight OF
the E .gle. But he will find that the high
minded and just people of the circuit understand
| it perfectly. and that they have no sympathy
with the adelicate and refined pheelins" OF Mr..
Ful'zs apologist.
| Looking to the integrity and moral courage OF
the Judge as the great bulwark of the peoples
rights-nay, as better and more important than
learning, talent OF any other qualification, they
| will say HE was right, as is proven Dy the
result of both trials, in onr sister counties; but
whether right or not, he was honest, and ante7d
l , 4 TLo,o 10th