The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-07-27

Charge OF Judge Aldrich to the Grand Jury
mt Camden, 9. G.
We are indebted to the Sumter Ne,os for an ad
vance proof Of the following very able charge.
The Court OF Common Pleas and General Ses-
sions was held in Camden week before last, his
Honor Judge ALDRIcH, presiding. The folio wing
is the substance Of the Judges charge to the
Grand Jury:
When opened the Court in Charleston, in Jan
nary last. there was no man in the State more
hopeful of the future than myself. 1t is true we
Phad just come out of a long and exhausting war
chastened and subdued-we had been deprived of
that portion of our property invested in labor val
ned In this State alone at over two hundred mil
lions OF dollars, and which was really the loss of
30 much capital-but all classes of the commun-
ty, from the most distinguished general to the
humblest private, from the most learned civilian
to the most obscure citizen, had frankly accepted
the condition, and all had gone to work bravely and
msnfuly, to retrieve their broken and ruined for
tunes, determined to do their duty to the Govern
ment which sad experience had taught them was
too strong to be resisted. we had the right to be
hopeful. We were conscious OF our sincerity. The
President, with large patriotism and wise
craftsmanship, had issued his proclamation in
Viting us to reorganize our state Governments on
certain principles, and the State Conventions had
met and accepted the conditions. The Congress
had passed a Constitutional Amendment, which
could not obtain the requisite three-fourths
majority or the votes without aid, and at their
invitation, although we saw ruin in the measure
the Leg gislature ratified the amendment. The de-
partment was commanded by general who had
the reputation OF being good lawyer, and who
had been prominent as member Of the old Con-
gress. The Courts we're opened at the invitation
OF the Government. Under these circumstances,
lieve that the stream OF justice would be permit
ted to flow without interruption. But to my sur
prise and modification. at the close OF
msnding the Distriot and requested to revoke
the sentences, which, as presiding Judge, had
imposed by the authority Of the laws OF the
had no power to do so. the Sheriff was prevented
from the execution Of the sentences, and, I since
learn, the prisoners 80 convicted and sentenced
ished and the p hority Of the Court was set at
naught before tn. people, Submitting to this hu-
initiation because had no power to prevent it,
been subjected to great indignity, made up my
mind not to proceed in the discharge OF these
high duties until I could receive the assurance
that such indignities would not be repeated.
formed, have as-ured me that the President does
not approve Of the proceedings Of the military
authorities, and that his General Order No. 26 is
handed and tyrannnus interferer ces. therefore
Immediately applied to the Chief Justice to briug
the matter to the attention OF the Court Of APP
peals, aud proposed "to resume the holding OF the
Courts in this Circuit" the law having vested in
that body the power to order special courts;
tht M my nnSo did not meet he
that the members Of the bar, the offieers Of the
Court, and the citizens generally, OF this District
(Kershaw) held q meeting and respectfully pro-
tested "against the policy, wisdom, and propriety
OF my action in the premises" know, also, that
some of the newspapers and public men OF the
State held the same opinion. OF this do not
complain, because every citizen in this country
has the right respectfully, to bring to the notice
Of public officers what he may consider o griev-
anoe and II there be truth and justice in ths COM
plaint It is the duty Of the officer to correct the
evil. But all such questions have two sides. "The
lawyer, the officers Of court, the jurors and the
citizens generally" look at 1t from their stand.
poiut, which Is the standpoint Of interest-the