The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1868-06-30
The Federal Court
From the Raleigh Sentinel.


The Circuit Court of the L. s. Judge Brooks
presiding.) after session of more than three
weeks with heavy docket. adjourned ON We'd
nesday last,
We learn that q case which excited Some in
terest, came up before the Court, day or two
ago Several wears before the war, Northern
man, calling himself Rev. John p. Nevill, set
tied in Raleigh. and became the purchaser of
real estate and negroes. He did not claim con-
nection with any Church here, but built him
house of worship and preached son his own
hook. In 1861, when the war broke out, Mr.
Nevill, sympathizng with the North, left Raj
eish and went to Minnesota, leaving Agent
to sell his real and personal property, including
the negroes The Agent, In obedience to IN
structons, sold the negroes at public auction, and
MIR W. +. Askew, of this city, became the pur-
chaser of one of the negroes, girl, fer the sum
of $685. and according to the terms of the sale,
gave his note for the amount to the Agent
Under the sequestration acts Of the then Con-
federate government, the Sequestraticn Agent
or Receiver sued the Agent for the delivery of
the property or effects of the said Nevll, then
alien, in his hands, and obtained decree ofthe
Confederate Court to receive said property.
Whether the note against Mr. Askew was all the
funds or property of Nevill, in the hands of the
Agent at the time, are not advised, but the
note of Mr. Askew was delivered up to the Sc
questrat on Agent or Receiver, and he after
wards collected the note from Mr. Askew.
Some time ago, Mr. Nevll commenced suit
against Dir Askew, in the Federal Court in this
State for the recovery of his property, which
had been illegally sequestrated. The was
brought: j. Z: Nevil of Minnesota, vs. VIM. F.
Askew, Of North Carolina, and regularly tried be-
fore Judge Brooks, at the session of the Circuit
Court just ed,-Messrs Phillips and Battle
appearing for the plaintiff, and Col. Ed Graham
Haywood for the defence. The case was ably
conducted Oh both sides, the question turning,
in the mind of the Judge, onl y upon the point
whether the note was sealed note or otherwise,
and he so charged the jury. Various other
points were made by counsel, but were not
noticed in the charge. The jury brought in a
verdict for the plaintiff and Mr. Askew WILL
therefore, be compelled to pay the note twice.
The defendant was, perhaps, entirely liable, i'll
view of the fact that the Federal Court has
heretofore universally decided that payments to
Confederate Sequestration Receivers, being in
valid, could not discharge the debt The ques-
ton, whether contracts for the purchase ofslayes
made in 1851 were valid, was not point in the
case.
We refer to this matter to show the utter
want OF consistency in many Radicals in regard
to slavery. Mr. Nevill perhaps denounces slave
ry, with all its eoncomitants, well our form
shareholders, bitterly N Minnesota and yet
will sue man, who bought his slave in North
Carolina, aud who held her until she was freed,
having paid fer her IN Confederate times, and
who now after the loss of almost everything, is
made to pay Il second time for the slave although
the Radical party denounccs all such debts as
invalid, and denounccs the men who attempt to
collect them. Such is the Northern sense of
justice. 1t is wrong to pay a Southern slave
holder for negro you purchased Of him, but it
is all right when you bought The negro of a
Northern glaveholier. So we 20.