The Abingdon Virginian. [volume] (Abingdon [Va.]) 1849-1883, 1863-03-06
For the Virginian.

- :
for in Kentucky.
For the Virginian.
Negro CONSUMPTION in Russell.
MEssKs. Ep1roRs II ask the favor of the
use Of a space in your paper, to offer 80 mere
marks upan the action Of the County Court,
here. few days since, in furnishing Russell's
norton If negroes to work on Publications.
/ 10 offer structures upon the. action of such
dipnifed judicial tribunal as modern Coun-
ty Court. affords ME naplcasure. But when
men, in their official capacity, undertake to
transcend their authority, it is proper to let
them understand that they will not be per-
mitted to escape with IMMUNITY.
The law conscripting slaves seems plain
enei,gh to understood by men, even Of COM
mon intellectual ealibre. The rollof the slaves
IS to be made out; and each owner to furnish
by lot or agreement, his pro rata share OF the
whole number in the reauisition. Hired slaves
are in the eYeof The law, to be enrolled as If
/ in possession of their owners. In the pro-
ceedings If the Court, these provisions OF the
Elaw are wholly disregarded. The pro rata
distribution is kicked out as some outlandishI
thing, and the gentlemen composing the ma
tiurity of the Court, coolly laid aside the law
and undertook to act upon "a device OF their
own imagination. They seem to have mis-
taken the purpose for which they were called
together, viz: to carry out the provisions OF q
lay--not to make new one. They seem to-
have ignored the fact that they were judicial
officers, and strangely Gmagined themselves
Northumberland to have forgotten that
thew were in Lebanon, and fancied themselves
in Richmond. We are all sometimes subject
mere or less, to these strange Authorizations
of the mind but the Court, in this instance,
could not be 4sfotch to they seemed to,
have sshad method in their madness, and per
sisted in their error, although that error was
Haunted in their faces.
This Court was called upon to furnish 40
slaves out Of the whole number in the county.
In the law before them, the rule OF their ac-i
ton was plainly laid down. But in their 81
perior vi dem, they deemed it best to lay a
side the rule Of law and adopt a device of their
own brains, 5y arbitrarily and independent
of all testimony, selecting a few individuals
in tue whole county, upon whom to put the
burden Of the whole requisitien made BY the
Governor. Out Of 1876 slaves. owned by "a
masters, they thoughtit best to select q mas
ters owning 80 slaves, from whom to take the
whole 40, leaving 10 masters, ownings96
slaves, exempt from the levy. When con-
fronted wirh the allegation, that their proceed
ings were in disregard Of the rule of law and
partial and unjust in their operation, they
sought to justify themselves by admitting that
'.they had not made the levy by lot or agree
ment with the owners, but by taking the whole
levy from men, whom they thought it would
least injure." When, on account of this arbi-
trary proceeding, an appeal to a higher tribu-
nal was threatened, one of the Court replied
that such .appeal would be kicked by the
Judge, out Of his Office"
They had put the levy upon those whom
they thought best able to bear it. Pray, by
what authority did they constitute them
selves into an inquisitorial tribunal. to roam
in their imaginations over the county AMI Sc
! lect few fancy" victims, upon whose shout
ders to place heavy and illegal burden -
| Did the law justify them in making nice dis
tinctiops according to their own fancy and
independent Of all testimony, and to enquire
as to the peculiar ability or inability of GER
tain few, to be conscripted? Their action up
on the subject assumes that the Act of Assem-
bly, gave them carte blanche to fill the re-
QUESTION AS they thought proper. Inflated
with this notion, and ignoring the rule of law,
lexempting themselves and many others equal
Fly liable to the levy, it is no marvel that they
made the borrowed horse" (she "a masters)
"ride Free
Some have thought it strange, that the
slave holding portion of the Court who man
aged this levy, did not exempt some Of their
own negroes, and others feel puzzled over
some rery remarkable exemptions. These
things are easily aaoodnted for. This majo-
rity Of the Court had Left law and its Vulgar
adjunets down in the valley, whilst they were
promenadins hemountain tops in .tthe plea
SAINT realms Of fancy" selecting from amongst
the Outside barbarians" such broad sbonl-
dered fellows as were lin the Courts .estima-
@tion} ezpressy fitted to bear heavy BURDENS
In such high state Of exhileration, it is qnite
natural that they should forget se!f and should
not even seek to recall to memory sre1y mean.
and dear friends and relatives. ss h
The, coarse reply which one member Of the
Court made to the intimation of an appeal to
higher authority, probably occurred before
the majority had descended from the; upper
realms Of fancy, It s. well that there are
higher judicial tfibunals. to correct the fam
cies Of q County Court especially ons; that
ayowedly lays aside the rule of law, and most
unaccountably imagines that some device,
hammered out Of its OWE brains, is q better