Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1867-12-12
Cores on lence Of the Beacon. J
Washington Dec. 9th, 1867

aShington Dec. Jlii, lco''
The trial of Mr.. Davis seems to be one
Of those matters that never will be brought
to a point. judge Underwood will DO all
in his power to stave it off 50 long as there
is the least possible chance Of the Chief
Justice sitting III the case with him
Should Judge Underwood find any oppor-
tunity of trying the ease alone, there Is no
doubt that he will begin and hurry it
through with all possible dispatch. Did
you ever see Judge Underwood p! | sup
pose not. The Judge is neither remarka-
bic for good looks MORT for legal ability :
| am sorry to say he has not pleasing
face. He is rather below the medium
height. His eyes are large, widely sep
aratcd, his nose regular pug and he al
"
dresses in the shabby-senteel Style, with a
high-crowned silk hat and his haY long on
his shoulders-from its appearance, one
fanciesl it is not often disturbed by the
comb He wears long thin beard Of a
mixed red and sandy color. If you did
not know him, you would fancy Judge
Underwood to be just sucha looking man
The Judge halls, think, from that good
old Safe, Connccticut Some few years
ago, he found his way to Virginia and
turned his attention to getting money and
teaching school. The former he succeed
ed in pretty we'll AS to the latter, do
not think the youth of Deco uon and its
ncighborhood were much benefited either
by his preccpt or example. The Judge
took the short cut to money in the short
est possible way. He married 4 la1y who
possessed, III her own right, some Of those
things formerly called niggcrs but now
freedmen His Honor found the institu-
ton not a paying one and converted then.
with all haste, just before the war, into
vulgar dollars and cents, current coin of
the realm Although strong in Southern
sympathics, the Judge found the climate
of Occoquon unhealthy and too warm for
his constitution. Besides, the good peo-
pic of that region had 4 playful way Of
putting persons of his stamp through lit
tie performance or the tight rope The
Judge, not finding this consistent with the
dignity of his position, shook the dust from
his feet and left for thc5 cooler and more
healthy climate Of Washington We
hear Of him Is Judge of the t. s. Court,
charging the Grand jury at Richmond and
informing them that that city LAS one of
the greatest slave markets in the world
We suppose the Judge carried his negroes
there to be sold. as he seems 50 well ac-
ouaintcd with transactions of that charac-
ter. He once introduced Fred Douglas to
an audience az "a friend and brother. p"
Fred looked very much ashamed of being
caught in such company and his cool im-
pudencc of manner forsook him for the
first time
Business continues almost at a stand
still here 1t is universal subject of
complaint Old merchants who have been
in business here all their lives say they
never krrcw trade 50 dull as now Every
one is afraid to take any step, not know
ing what Congress may do. 1t seems to
be the same ease all over the country
Every branch of trade is paralizod, and
there is no prospect of any Improvement.
Mechanics and laboring men are looking
for ANYTHING t. do to get bread and shelter
for their families during the coming VIZ =
ter. So long as Congress is threatening
the country day after day. with civil war,
we shall see no change for the better, and
may look for much worse state of affairs.
The negro has now had the benefit of
seven long years Of legislation, and with
all its advantages, they are a thousand
times nearer harbarism than when III the
most absolute slavery. Would it not be
well to give a year or two Of Legislation to
the benefit Of the white man Suppose
we try it and see how it works. Ex-dc-
tective Baker, by his testimony before the
Impeachment COMMITTEES has again cross