Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1866-07-06


that President johnson would not come into
their views but vetoed several acts, intended
to give him great power, at the expense of the
liberties OF the people. was particularly
pleased at his vetoes OF the Freedmen's Bu-
READ bill and the Civil Rights bill, so-called.
thought his arguments unanswerable, but
The faction in Congress passed the latter over
his veto.
About six weeks ago, observed in your
paper that DR.. A. H. SoMRRs of Rockville,
had been arrested under this BILL on war
ran. issued by Justice of the Peace named
MONDAY, at the instance of q negro woman,
who charged the Doctor with an assault on her
husband with intent to kill. saw it stated
that the Doctor had been brought before Judge
Bowie, on writ of hdbeds corpus, to determine
the legality of the arrest and, Of course, the
validity Of the Civil Rights bill The Judge
postponed the case for four weeks, letting the
Doctor go on his own recognizance, and when
that time had passed, he again postponed it
for two weeks, which brought the time to the
End of July.
In the meantime, there was much specula-
ton as to the course the Judge would take in
the matter Some thought he would sustain
the laws of Maryland, particularly as the legis-
lature, in passing the law of March, 1865,
which repealed all the laws that the negroes
had any ground to object to, refused tc allow
them to testify in cases where white persons
were concerned For my part, considering
the manner in which he was elected--his de-
cision in favor of the Infamous Registry law,
and remembering the opinion he gave in the
Fair Grounds, ten years ago, when he was
supporting the Know-nothing party-that it
&c was better to go wrong with your friends
than right with your foes'' I felt pretty GER
tain that he would consider the Radicals, with
Stevens and Summer at their head. as his
friends, and the great mass Of the people OF
Maryland as his foes.
And another reason | had for believing he
would take this course, arose from a state
ment made by Jso G. ENGLAND, Esq, in the
Orphans Court, some three months ago,
where, in arguing some case about appren-
ticing negro boy, he went out of his way to
attack Judge Bowie, by saying that the Judge
had persuaded himself aud others to vote for
the new constitution, and then declined to
ySte for it himself; and furthef that the
Judge had been assured hy President Lincoln
that II he would support his policy, he 1.-THE
President) would guaranty his election as
Judge, and soldiers were very plentiful in the
State of Maryland at that time.
On the End instant, the Judge attended,
and DR.. Somers appeared before him, with
GRo. PErER, Esq, and THos. ANDERSON, Jr.,
Esq. as his counsel. The Judge came with
ms OPINION written OUT Delote ne Hdu HchTo
the counsel for the accused. But Isuppose ht
had consulted with other prominent men o
the party, in the six weeks he took for con
sideration. The Judge, however, has sew.
eral eminent presidents for forming his opin
ion before he had heard the argument Their.
is Judge Norbury, who hung many people af
ter the Irish rebelion-amongst them the emf
nent patriot Robert Emmett, who accused tn,
Judge of condemning him and others before.
hand; then there is the celebrated Judge JEFF
fries, OF the times of James the Second o
England, about one hundred and eighty years
ago, who condemned many people to death OF
pre-judgment and political prejudice. | d.
not know that these judges brought the
written opinion into court before the trial, bu
they certainly had formed them. And, then
there is the case of Rhadamanthus, who tn
heathens, thousands Of years ago, imagined Il
be the Judge of the Internal regions, or, as vi
now call it, He'll, who used to punish first ant
hear afterwards. These are all good authori
ties for pre-judging cases.
The Judge decided, as / expected, in favo
Of the Civil Rights bill, or rather the negro
equality bill, and handed the Doctor over t
Squire Monday, who held him to bail in th
sum of eight hundred dollars to answer fo
the alleged offence at the next term of the Cir
cult Court for Montgomery county. fnlly
believe the decision was made in opposition
to the constitution of the United States anC
the State of Maryland, and as the Judge sale
he intended to publish his opinion, hope yot
win print it, SO that we all may see the law we
at present, live under. do not like to MAKE
any criticism on the opinion from hearsay
but shall wait for its publication.