The Van Buren press., 1866-06-02
The Federal Court.


session. No case of importance has been
disposed OF since our last issue, except the
case of United States rs. Price. \ good deal
of testimony was elected in this case, and no
attempt made to get out under :" Grants Or
der" All the witnesses were negroes. They
gave in their evidence in plain, unsophisti-
Gated, ncgro-like manner. Counsel seemed
rather disposed to override these poor crea-
lures, and to make quite an onslaught on
them generally. This mode of conducting
an argument before jury may be an effect
i've one. but we must protest against its want
of charity. These negroes were charged with
being -barbarians, Injun niggcrs," &c.
Now, II all we are taught be true. this, of
course, was not to be expected by Cgfee. His
friends &? are moving heaven and earth to
force him OH 10 the witness stand, and into
the jury box, and it does seem to us that those
friends ought not to berate and browbeat these
poor semi -barbarans" when they do get on
the witness stand. If they are qualified to
testify, then there can be no objection to them
because they are semi mi-AErbarans. Those who
are so blatant for their peculiar rights, and
desire to have the negro made equal In all re-
spects. certainly ought not to attempt to over
ride the testimony of the negro. If he is a
sem-barbarian, he certainly cannot, by legis-
lation, be made equal to civilized and en-
no force and certainly no justice in attempt
ing to impugn his conduct or as a witness to
destroy the validity of his statements. A
white man and negro are assumed to be equal:
if so, then semi-barbaran and an enlght-
ened and civilized being are equal True the
people of this great and famous nation have
done but little for the past five years upon
which they can base claim to being cOnsid-
cred enlightened; but still we maintain that
we hold this "claim :" orer from previous to
the five years last past.
United States rs. Arson ID. Price. In this
case, which was charge of murder i'm the
first degree Price was acquitted, the jury be-
ing absent but short time.
The United States rs. Wm. Riddle and Jo-
seph Riddle, indicted for the killing of John
White, white man, in the Choctaw Nation,
in 1864, has been on trial during the week
Vim. Coon, indicted with them, was not put
upon trial, but used us witness on the part
of the United States. Geo. Riddle, who was
also one of the parties under arrest, escaped
from prison at Fort Smith, short time be-
fore the setting of the Court. Ben Male, an
other party, died here, while in confinement.
All the circumstances, attending this case, go
to implicate the man Coon as the principal.
1t seems that it was not but few days after
the killing of White that he commenced liv-
ng with Whites wife, and continued so to do
until compelled by the laws Of the Nation to
marry her. The parties now on trial are
quite young, and were, if connected at all
with the murder, mere lookers-on. The Jury
after somewhat protracted sitting found Jo-
seph Riddle not guilty, and in the case OfWm.
Riddle could not agree, and he was held for a
new trial at the next term. The Judge then
discharged the Jury from further service du-
ring the term.