The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1866-05-30
From the Weldon State

THE HON. GEORGE w. BROOKS.
Wecopy the following article from
the "Williamston E!cpositor," edited by
Abner S. Williams, ESQ.,:
WHO IS HE?
"We 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 ne 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 loss to understand why
this attack has been made upon Judge
Brooks, or what prompted the editor OF
the E.cpositor in using language SO dis
paraging to 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
an act of justice to Judge Brooks, who
we know to be clever and heightened
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-
yoked attack. And first, when the "E!c-
positor" newspaper asserts, IN the above
scurrilIous article, that Mr.. Brooks call
agree in saying, is not even first class
sounty court lawyer" he wrote what he
ought to have known to be an unjust
fabrication. Mr.. Williams we believe
is '.jack-legged lawyer" and conse-
quently 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 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" Erpositor" further says that
Mr.. Brooks s'could not nor would not
take the oath prescribed by the United
States Congress, he having led a gal
liant company of militia men to the de-
fence Of Roanoke Island" We do not
recollect whether OF not Judge Brooks
ever lead company of militia to the
defence of Roanoke Island. We know
that at the commencement of the war, at
the solicitation of his neighbors, he con-
scented to act as militia captain in his
District for a short period. But adj
hitting that he did 60 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
Executive Department of North-C Carroll
ma, and his action in the premises was
not voluntary, and the Government of
the United States on this account, can
not and does not hold him responsible.
The "Erpositor" says that Several
able gentlemen" refused to take the r.
sition from a feeling Of their inability
to discharge the duties Of the office
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. Itappears that Mr.. Brooks
though he is put down by the ''EErposi-
tori as a third rate county court lawyer
did not distrust his ability to discharge
the duties of his Office, and from what
we have seen of him upon the Bench,
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 attachments,
and we think that if any man in North
Carolina could have taken the oath pre-.
scribed by the United States, for Fed
efal Judge, that man was George w
Brooks. But, notwithstanding his
Union proclivities, he has not shown
before or since the defeat ofthe Confed
crate armies, any disposition to Cypress
the Confederate soldiers OF the people
of the South. On the contrary We
know that he has used his name and in
fiuence with the United States govern
ment to obtain the release of Confed
crate soldiers who were languishing il
prison. From our knowledge of the
ability and sterling integrity of Judge
Brooks we think that his appointment
was fortunate one for the people o
North Carolina, the opinion ofthe edito
of the WILLIAMSON Erpositor to tn
contrary notwithstanding. We hav
reasons as Confederate soldier to sa,
these things.
LARGE LUMP OF Could've wer
shown this morning. by our vnnno frien,