Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1861-04-06
Once More, Dear Friends--That Letter

Whenever party offers documentary evidence in
case in Court he is bound to read the whole of it
as well that which makes against him as for him.
He not at liberty to say this that part of it is
immatera or this or that part of it concerns other
people, and therefore must be suppressed. The
Court would say to him. No Sir, you have by read
ing part of it made it the property of your adver
sary, and it is for him. under the direction of the
Court to say whether the rest of it is GERMAN to
the issue trial or not" An attempt TO leave out
any part of document is what the lawyers call
gdr6ting and no enlightened Court will permit such
a thing This rule of law is the rule of common
sense and fair dealing.
Now to apply this to the case of the letter. Mr.
Lewis introduced the letter as evidence against us in
the late canvass. Mr.. Branch enabled him to do so
by sending the letter to him. The letter by its ad-
dress and transmission became the property of Mr.
Lewis and he had the legal right to do with it as he
pleased. He fit to read part of it against US,
and thereupon right accrued to us to have the
whole of it brought out. If the shoe pinches Mr..
Branch or any o. Mr. Branchs friends, it is his mis-
fortune to have bestowed his confidence on ledky
correspondent but that cannot alter rights and
We must insist upon the 1OhOle letter. Until the
whole of it is produced Mr.. Lewis is in the wrong,
and there is another principle of law that bears hea
Wy on both of these learned gentlemen. It is this:
whenever party is bound to produce in Court
written document and tries to garble it by suppress
ing part he is what the same law calls spoliatOr,
and very unfavorable presumption is to be made
against him. We have right to say, therefore, upon
those rules which these gentlemen will understand
and from what we heard read and remember that all
the material parts of that precious epistle have not
come to light. So we say again we want the whole
letter-every jot and title of it.
But we are told by Mr. Branch, "If you find any
disposed to cavl about the Withholding of even
that you at liberty to show the whole letter to
any responsible gentleman who may ask for it.
under such conditions and restrictions your sense
of propriety shall suggest" Aye! aye! So it
seems that Mr.. Branch had some misgivings that he
had not come up to the mark fairly and squarey in
prescribing what part Of this letter should come be-
fore the public, and to relieve himself from the
awkwardness of his position, he agrees to let the
letter be seen under conditions and restrictions by
any Irresponsible gentleman" and these restrictions
and conditions such as Mr. Leois' sense Of pro-
priety shall suggest! Who is going to call Tor the
letter on these terms? How is it to be determined
who is "a responsible gentleman:' Is it to be left
to Mr.. Lewis sense of propriety to determine this?
No one of any selfrespect would expose himself to
a refusal by being told he was not one of the re-
sponsible gentlemen alluded to- and therefore, can
see it. So of the restrictions and conditions
these to be left to Mr.. LIS sense of propriety
He might want us sworn to secresy, or he might
wish US to acknowledge oursef an impertinent fel-
low, or to do any other humiliating act that his
sense of propriety might suggest No! no! We
will have restrictions and conditions. It's no
business of to be going to Mr.. Lewis after the
letter on terms such as these. 1t is Mr. Branch's
duty to make clean breast and come out with the
entire letter, and in order to do that Ire ought to
put it where it is open to inspection without restric
tons or conditions