The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1866-05-26
Miscellaneous Selections.


From the Weldon State
THE HON. GEORGE w. BROOKS.
We copy the following article from
the ''Williamston Eepositor," edited by
Abner S. Williams, Esq:
WHO IS HE?
owe see that one Hon. Geo. Brooks
is playing United States Judge at New
bern. What Brooks is it ? 1t surely
can't be Captain George w. Brooks of
Elizabeth City, who all agree in saying,
is not even first class county court
lawyer. Oh no! it can't be the Brooks
we know for he could not nor would
not take the oath having in the begin
ming Of the war, led gallant company
of militia men to the defence of Roanoke
Island, for which services to the Con-
federacy he was paid. If it is he we
shall not despair of yet being President
and shall from the refusal of several able
gentlemen to take the position from a
feeling of their INABILITY to discharge
the duties of the office be convinced Of
the truthfulness of the saying that fools
rush in where angels dare not tread.'
We are at a loss to understand why
Brooks, or what prompted the editor of
the E,epOsitor in using language so dis
paraging to a high officer of the United
States Government, who has discharged
his duties with ability, and, so far as we
have learned, with entire satisfaction.
But be this as it may, we do not con-
cur in the sentiments expressed or
acknowledge their correctness, and as
-h,
we know to be clever and high-toned
gentleman, we desire to make few
statements to disabuse the public mind,
so far as lies in our power, of erroneous
impressions which may have been made
by the above unnecessary and unpro-
voked attack. And first, when the ''E!r-
p0sitOr'' newspaper asserts, in the above
scurrillous article, that Mr.. Brooks call
agree in saying, is not even a first class
county court lawyer" he wrote what he
fabrication. Mr.. Williams we believe
is '..jack-legged lawyer" and conse-
quentlv may be more competent of
classifying members of his profession
than we are. But one thing we do
know, and that is, that in the estima-
ton of such lawyers as Smith, Hinton,
Martin. Grandy and others, and Of the
public in Eastern North-C Carolina, Mr.
Brooks ranked as one of the first law
yers of the State. His great success in
his profession is corroborative of this
fact.
The &C E!rDOsitOr' further says that
Mr.. Brooks 'ecould not nor would not
take the oath prescribed by the United
States Congress, he having led gal
h. IL
fence of Roanoke Island" We do not
rccollect whether or not Judge Brooks
ever lead a company of militia to the
defence Of Roanoke Island. We know
that at the commencement of the war, ut
the solicitation Of his nei@hbors he con-
sented to act as militia captain IN his
District for short period. But adj !
mitting that he did 90 to the defence
of Roanoke Island, we do not see why
that should stop him from taking the /!
oath prescribed for Federal Judge |
If he went at all under orders from the 7,
Executive Department of fNorth-Caroli- |
na, and his action in the premises was
not voluntary, and the Government Of
the United States on this account, cam
not and does not hold him responsible. |
The "ErpOsitor'' says that Several |
able gentlemen refused to take the
sition " from a feeling Of their i,eobiii,y i
to discharge the duties Of tie ofice'
This is news to us, and hard of compre-
hension. If cable gentlemen refuse to !
take the position OF Judge because they
distrusted their ability to discharge the
duties of the office, we do not see the
justice Of attacking Judge Brooks on
this account. 1t appears that Mr.. Brooks
though he is put down by the ''E,cposi-
tor'' as a third rate county court lawyer
did not distrust his ability to discharge
the duties of his office, and from what
we think he is fully competent to dis
charge, with justice to all, the repon-
sible duties which he has assumed.
And now, in conclusion, for we have
said more in this connection than we an
ticipated in the outset, we desire to say
that whilst we disagreed with Mr..
Brooks, in his opinions, yet we are OBJ
liged to accord to him consistent Union
principles and high legal attainments,
and we think that if any man in n North-
Carolina could have taken the oath pre-
scribed by the United States, for Fed
eral Judge, that man was George w. |
Brooks. But, Notwithstanding his
OnloH procllNlIleS, ne mas not SHOWN
before OF since the defeat of the Confed- |
crate armies, any disposition to oppress
the Confederate soldiers or the people |
Of the South. On the contrary we
know that he has used his name and in
huence with the United States govern
ment to obtain the release of Confed- |
crate soldiers who were languishing in
prison. From our knowledge of the
ability and sterling integrity of Judge
Brooks we think that his appointment
was a fortunate one for the people of
n orth Carolina, the opinion of the editor
of the WILLIAMSON EepOsitor to the
contrary Notwithstanding: We have
reasons as a Confederate soldier to say
these things.