M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1863-05-07

innocent man is attackei--if he j.
threatened with a prosecution from
apparently malicious motives, or fu
the purpose OF serving come poiitica
JOB, it'll most likely that his fellow
citizens will viow such preceding
with indignation; that they will con
slder his misfortune in some measure
aS their own ; and that, from a prin
clple OF humanity and Justice, as vel
Asa proper regard for their own grea
political and constitutional rights
}hey will be impellod to stand fortI
as the protectors Of innocence. an,
the defenders Of civil liberty sgains
the illegal encroachments of arbitrary
and unconstitutional power. LookeC
at in this point Of view--rcgarded al
a bhlwark erected to guard the citi
zen from tue unjust and illegal assaults
OF organized political power--thc
Institution Of a Grand ury as model
cd and administered iu modern times
may challongethe annals of the world
to exhibit a tribunal 50 admirably
calculated for preventing abuses II
that most dangerous and subtle payt
OF the executive power, which relates
70 the prosecution Of political oitnscs
Such being the high and dignited
position Of Grand Jury, when con.
sldered a5 an organized body of free
and intelligent citizens, sworn to dis.
fcharge all the duties pertaining to
lthat Office, it follows, as q moral if not
logical sequence, that each individual
member Of the Jury should bring to
the ministration Of the office, "a temper
'cong9nial with the high truSt imposed
iHpon him by the laws of his country,
aud a mind anxious to appreciate and
IdIscharge all the responsibilities, alike
,ine to the State and to the Citizen
There is a SCGWlar gospel known
Iamong all good and true men, subor.
dinate only to that other gospel dsc!a.
| goI through the mandates O, Deity
and thAS ia, full ana strict pol.ytm
ance Of dmy, in all its vital relations,
whether 90 our ieiiow men, to society,
20 the iaw3, or ID the government
Isnder Thiea SO lgo. There is no
higher conso.aiiOn-there certainly
can bo no creator reward, TO u well
regulated and virtuous mind, than
that which springs rom conviction
that rectitnde OF purpose and an hon,
est desire to do right, regardless of
personal consequences, has marked
the course OF him upon whom a re.
Sponsible public duty has been devol.
we'd. Take with you this spirit Of du.
ty; this determination to discharge
fearlessly all the obligations belong
ing to your Office let this lofty spirit
characterize your deliberations and
guide your conduct, when passing
npon the rights Of the citizen as well
as the demands of the law, and you
will carry with you back to the bosom
of the people the consciousness OF
duty we'll performed, aud present a
bright example to those who shall
come after You in the performance Of
similar duties.
Toa fair ana impartial administra
ton OF the Office of a Grand Juror, it
10 also essential that all political, re-
iigious and social prejuuices should,
as nearly as possible, be excluded -
1t is almost impossible for the human
mind to divest itself entirely of pas
sion and prejudice. Indeed if we
look into the structure and organiza-
ton Of the human character, in a
spirit Of practical philosophy as ap-
piled to human nature as we find it,
it is doubtful whether we should come
to the conclusion that it would be
better if all passion and prejudice
were abolished from the nature Of
man, when viewed in relation to the
motives and incentives to action, by
which alone he is energlzed into, pow.
er for either good or evil. A sound
moral reasoHer would hesitate to de
clare thatit would positively improve
the condition of mankind to make 30
partial charge in their nature
Were it not for these incentives and
aspirations; and which are most uni
versally fostered by prejudice Of some
kind, man would be a mere elod OF
the valley, objectless and aimless in
his views, aud wholly unfit to reach
and fill the high destiny for which God
has created him. While, therefore, it
can not reasonably be expected that
a grand jury will be able to exclude
all prejudice from their deliberations,
the psople, whom they represent,
have right to look for a high degree
Of integrity Of purpose, strong sense
of natural right and justice, and
an honest determination to discharge
their duties without fear, favor, or
affection, on tie part of a body OF
men whohsyo betH especially set apart
from their ielioy citizens, as the agents
Of the law, in an essential branch Of