The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1866-05-29
GREAT STATE TRIALS.
From the Richmond Time:

authority to hOlQ Speclal teTm VI tEV
Court of the United States in this city, 1t Is no"
verv generally conceded that ex- President Davis
will be arragned for trial upon the charge OF
aftreason" either in the month OF June or July
The trial will be the most important which
has ever taken place either in this or any other
country. No such State trial ever occurred I'D
England 1t is a remarkable fact IN the history
of Richmond, that if the trial OF ex-Presldent
Davis shall be held here, three OF the most lm-
portant State trials which have taken place In
This country will have occurred in this city.
The trial of John Thompson Calender, in
1900, for sedtious libel upon President John
Adams was The first of these famous criminal
cases
Calender himself was little worthy of the
wbirlwind of excitement which his trial then
excited.
He was foreigner who is represented to have
been as depraved in morals he was malignant
in temper. His case derives its Importance
from the fact that the Democratic leaders OF
that day having marshaled their forces for
terrible conflict with the Federal party, aValled
themselves of his trial, and of the rude, con-
temptuous and indecent conduct of the partisan
Judge who presided, TO break down the alien
and sedtion laws, and impeach the Justice OF
the Supreme Court, who had made himself most
rodious in mercilessy enforcing them.
The alien and sediton laws punished with
fine and imprisonment any one who discussed
with disrespectful asperity the public acts OF
the President of the United States Calender
published harsh and vuI sar political pamphlet
10 which he abused President Adams.
: For this he was indicted, the 18th OF May,
1900, by the grand jury for the Circuit Court
oc the United States. Justice Chase presiding.
The prisoner was defended by Messrs Hay,
Nicholas and Writ, and the whole course OF the
10, al md ind
cent conduct upon the part OF Justice Chase
towards the counsel for the defence He re-
fused all reasonable and proper motions for
continuance, bulied and scolded the counsel for
Calender, and played the part of prosecutor in
a manner to S1nr letely eclipse the district at
torney. His rulings were evidently dictated by
bitter party feelings, and not by justice or pre-
.cedent.
When Writ was proceeding to argue to the
jury that the alien and ,sediten act was uncon
stitutional, Judge Chase iusultin:ly ordered
him to take his seat. The counsel for the de-
fence then refused to argue the After
leng and violent charge from Judge Chase the
Jury retired, and, after all absence of two hours,
brought in verdict of guilty" and the court
sentenced Calender to nine months imprlson-
ment, and imposed fine of two hundred dollars
Calender was subsequently pardoned by Presl-
dent Jefferson, upon the express grounds "that
the law was absolute nuitY as if Congress
had ordered us to fall down and worship golden
image"
The offended and insulted lawyers resented
the conduct of Judge Chase fercely, that
John Randolph, at their instance, preferred ar
Eieles of impeachment against him, five OF them
aere based upon 'CallendeI's trial" He was
found guilty upon the article which charged
crude, eontenptuous and Indecent conduct to
nj oh tod hor oh
Nothing but party sympathy of the Federal
members of the Senate saved him from convic-
ton by a twothirds vote, aud the impeachment
is said to have utterly crushed Judge Chase
The next great State trial. rich directed the
attention Of millions to the Circuit Court Of the
United States at Richmond, was IFat Of Burr
for treason, which commenced the I'D of
Alay, 1907 Richmond was then a city of only
six thousand inhabitants, and it is said that
there were at the commencement of the trial
twice that number of strangers in the city,
Among the striking scenes of that day was that
of lank, ungainly man, named Andrew Jack
son, who Is described as amounting upOn the
steps of a corner grocery, and dcnouncng
Thomas Jefferson for the part he had taken for
frustrating the schemes" Of Aaron Burr The
trial took place in the present hall o! the House
of Delegates, and the struggle for admission
terrible. So great was the number of dstin-
guished persons claiming seats within the bar
that lawyers o. twenty years standing were ex-
cluded from their accustomed seats. Among
the young men OF the town, who had succeeded
in forcing their way In, Winfield Scott, Who
clambered up and stood for many hours on the
massive lock of the door of the hall Justice
Marshall presided at the trial, assisted by Cyrus
Griffin Judge Of the District Court of Virginia
George Hay, who defended Calender was the
United States District Attorney, and with him
were associated Alexander McCrae who at the
time of the trial was Lieutenant Governor of
Virginia. Edmund Randolph John Wickham
Luther Martin, Benjamin Bolts and Jack
Baker" appeared for Burr. The grand juries
of those days were composed of the most emf
neDt and distinguished mep of the State, and
we find United States Senator (Giles) among
the grand jurors, who was cithdraun in con
sequence OF his "prcj udces against the accused"
John Randolph, the great orator of Roanoke |
was summoned in the place Of Senator Giles, |
and was the foreman of the grand jury Con
trast this grand jury with that which so lately !
met at Norfolk, aud after listening to Under |
woods harangue found true bill against Mr.. |
Davis!
After the finding of trne bill, fourteen DAYS |
were spent in getting impartial jury who |
had "neither formed nor expressed an opinion
MS to the guilt Of the accused" Out of renire !
of forty eight but four men were found whose |
opinions were suthclentiy nndeciGed to permit |
them to act as jurors There were but one iurv
man peremptorily challenged by Burr 1t must
be borne in mind that he had, but short time
before his trial, killed Alexander Hamilton ia a
duel.
A person who was being examined as to his |
competency as juror, sharply questioned and
somewhat nettled by Burrs counsel. turnibo tn