The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1866-01-17
!" The Time.Honored Custom OF
So Virginia. 80 - :, ~

4 D
lished an indecent, dcfamatory and sour,
rilous editorial article, personally d''re
spectfrl to the Judge ofthis Circuit, aoo
mauifcsuy designed to cast rldicule ana
contempt on the Court and it'pFooeeo'
! ings. :,
j.; Mex. dry, the Judge, not deem'ns 1t
proper, VIC presume, tbutthc court should
continue its official connection With a
newspaper which! was 10 the habit OF OF
treating its proceedings with contempt
quietly and without assigning any rea.
500 therefor, had an order. entered of re-
cord, directing that thcelcgal advertise
mcrss. thsrcsftor ordered By the Court,
should be published in the West Eir'
yinia JornSAL, unless otherwise direct
cd. Tho order itselfis in STRICT pursu'
aucc of law. Ifithud not been made,
The COur, would have been wanting 10
sclf.respccs, and justly charseable with
timidisy, or q mean subacryiency to
the doubtful loyal influence which seems
to cou,,ol the editorial columns of that
paper-a trait, however, not very per-
ccptible in the olfciul actions Of the
Judge. Though quiet and unassumIng'
whether off or on the Bench, he is not
wanting in moral drmness; the want Of
which has destroyed the influence and
usefulness of some Ct our wiscst and
greatest men.
The following day, when the order was
read in Court, it was more than amusing
to witness the discomfci;urc Of the pc
cu,iar patrons Of our cotomporary-par'
,icularly 0: an Up town scmi-syupathiz'
ing firm, who are supposed to exercise q
controlling influence over its columns,
and its new-lcdgcd editor.
In its issue Of December Goth, as was
to be expected, the organ has long,
loud and dolcful wall over the order Of
the Court; and. on the Judges account,
is very much distresscd-.fearlnq that he
has irrctricvably injured himself. It is
to be hoped, however, that the nerves OF
tho Judge will not Je greatly disturbed
By this weeping and wailins; and that
loyal community will not be Mortified
at the great wrong done to the organ
No ono but the organ, aud its sharp
sighted patrons, has been able to see any
thing Of a political character in the order
referred to.
During the last year, on vqriops occa'
sions, the Governor and the State LegIs'
laturc we're mos, bitterly assa;lcd through
the same paper, in language and style
too coarse for repetition.
What means all this constant fault
finding with the new Sta;c-with the
Lcgislature-wi;h the Executive, and
With the judiciary ? We shall sec.
No such complaints are made BY the
loyal papers of the State; nor BY the
loyal people.
1t has a meaning! The Governor is
known to be honest, capable and loyal
and who Ia, eyer questioned the hOucs'
,y and capati'i,y Of tho Judiciary? or
of the members Of the Legislature? No
loyalist.
What, then, docs it mean? 1t means
that there is in our own midst, under
the name "coasc;cutire," and at Wheel
ing, under the name of " democracy" q
settled, determ inel, hostile and organ
lied opposition to the New State, and to
its chief Executive, Legislative and Ju-
dicial officers; and, it may be added
to the fai,hful administration Of the laws
It's said to be a common remark, in
certain social circles in our town, that
"there is not talent enough among the
loyal elements Of the State to administer
its public aEl;.s;" and this idea, they
say, "mus. be pressed home to the. minds
Of all thos. who are conservativc!y in
cl:ncd.' All tho cbivalry, and all the
best men oc tho State, you krow, went
South, in search Of lost rights They
have returned without any booty, OK.
cept-they are pardrned. That wipes
out the moral faint, rs we'll as saves them
from an infamous punishment. Thu:
purified, if not sauc;iied, are they no.
our best, wiscst and most .fuihfM citi
zoos, as we'll as most Competent? Why
not allow them to resume their former
stations? Then we should not have Pc
litical judges, nor tyrannical Govern
mcnt, no, a rlischi evocs and ccrEup
Legislature! The pardoncd chivalry