The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-03-07
Judge N. Harrison's Case.


Judicial District, was certainly the most
Inaccessible and disgracetul to be found
in the annals Of legislation. People oil
West Virginia look at it for moment
and if your indignation be not aroused
and Won do not visit upon these otnciai
recreants the verdict of an emphatic
condemnation. then you are fit only 10 10
slaves. ;,5oo. b;s mn.
elton tbe most responsible and sacred
Known TO civilized government. Inc
1atb section of 9th article of the.Consti.
tnf;on nroyides that judges may. be re-
u u,rY from Office for misconduct, ineom'
netencv or poglect of duty, or on conyic-
t;oo If nm infamous offence" and the
IoaisIatnre of the State is the Constitu,
tio3 Al tribunal for the trial OF an alleged
5oIinouent or offender, How is ne 10
he broupht before this tribunal Upop
distinct charges and specifications set
tine forth his offences, and any citizen
NOT only has a right thus to arraign him'
Init II is his duty to do SO, if ne shall be-
i;ara he has sufficient cause for so doing
What is the sworn duty of the Legisla-
tnte in such a case? To respectfully re-
ceiye the charges investigate them, and
if sustained by the evidence, remove him
from the Office which he prostitutes or
dispraces. Solely vested with the pow
er OF impeachment, and as the guardian
of the purity of the Judiciary, this is its
| dnty, and it is one that it should cheer
tnlly, fearlessly and impartially perform.
1t can only fail to do it by being false to
its high trust and proving itself utterly
unwoItby the respect and confidence of
the people
A citizen of Greenbrier-a gentleman
who isregarded by all who know him as
the very soul of honor,"-arraigned
Judge Nathaniel Harrison before the
House of Delegates upon the grave
charges of "Disl0yalty to the government Of
the United States" perjury" "maladmtnl3.
trQtion, corruption and neglect Of duty IN has
Office of Judge" Colonel Hounshell of
fersd as witnesses to substantiate these
several charges with their specifications,
Hon. Josiah Randall of Philadelphia,
William N. Peyton, Nat Tyler, Harry
Harrison, Andrew Baine, L D. Rutfner,
Richard Laidley, William Skewd, Thos
J. Niche, w. NJ Glasgow, - Bahlman,
GOV. A. |. Foreman, A, c. Snyder. Mrs
Ednis Y. White, Brigadier General Obey,
Federal amy and Col. Benz. H. Smith
all citizens of the highest respecta-
bility
What vas the action OF the House Of
Delegates upon these serious charges
against one of the highest officers known
to the Law, backed by the tender Of such
"a cloud Of Titnessesi" Were they
treated with respect and an Investigation
instituted Far from it. On the con-
trary, Colonel Hounshell, for the at
,evept to exercise a constitutional right
aud duty " Ms state and the people OF
this Judicial District wue erst set upon
hy some half dozen members, who prv-
ceeded to beat and would have killed
him but for the timely interference OF a
friend and the ergeant-at-Arms. and
then these faithful guardians OF the
honor of the State and the purity OF the
judiciary, proceeded to pass series OF
resolutions stigmatizing the action oil
Colonel HOunshell as malicious attempt
10 publicly Islander one Of The Circuit
Jadqsa Of h5 State" directing "he Ser
geant.at-4Tms to eject oil improper person
Ilike Colonel HOunshell from the Hall III
future" and "hdt no future action be taken
on tie subject Of the said 7laudGoa8 pdper
Jut 10 return ito he author, ito be toand.
through the SsygsaHt,at-4rm5
malicious attempt W here i, The
evidence Of malcei Where is the eVi.
deuce Of "SldRderOHs" intent How dare
Won pronounce as 5laRdG0us, charges
thai Fou have hoi investigated. aud arc
afraid TO investigated Oh, slpienf Leg
islators Oh most lame and impotent
conclusion - Why were these charges
not investigated Were they afraid
their truth would be established Why
did Judge Harrison leave the city when
he knew those charges were on The eve
oil being preferred against him Why
did lie rather not seek, yea. demand the
most searching and thorough inve5tiga-
ton! These questions are upon all
tongues II you are cnrious to know
the answers, go among the people tho
are familiar with Indigo Harrison's his
| tory for the last five years who both ask
aud answer
By the precedent thus established, Il
! precedent that finds ITS like in the histO'
! ~ Of usurpers AMI tyTants OF other ages
and other countries, only NC are 10 I'M
deIstaud that Circuit Judge is above
Ud beyond the reach Of laU-that he
| cannot he arTaigned before Radical
! Legislature, no matter what his crimes.
nor 10y whom accusations are made nor
how great, nor how respectable the array
| of witnesses to sustain them He who
may attempt ii will be assailed with
rutiian-IiEe violence III tho very halls Of
iUsticei his charges thrown in his face
and his person elected by force from the
presence Of that tribunal whose sworn
duty it is to see that even the humblest
citizen is protected in the exercise of a
constitutional right
The honest and manly heart il op.
pressed with the indignation it feels
hut cannot express. Language IS too
! tame to denouuca such proceedings in
| appropriate terms The assault upon
! Col lIouusEell was brutal and cowar lly
il the extreme, and the subsequent lc
ton Of the House will ever stand as
rrproaCh upon all who sanctioned it
If anything had been wanting to sat
,SGy even the most skeptical as to the
uritness of the radicals in the legisla
turo for an honest, faithful and patriotic
discharge of the duties incumbent upon
them, surely their action in this matter
will suffice. Every unprejudiced mind
must now say 1T is enough" Their cup
OF iniquity is full" Sword of justice do
thine office XENOPuON