Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-12-12
NORTH CAROLINA.
Remarkable P-esenfn,snt by Grand


Remarkable PrPSenfmant by n Grand
Jury.
The grand jury of Orange county, n.
c., according to the Raleigh Sentinel
have recently made 4 presentment Of
somewhat novel character, embracing
charges against Lieut.. Crockett, Freed
mems Bureau officer, an article in the
Raleigh Standard, an address signed by
lightweight members Of the Legislature,
and various other topics. We copy the
following passages of the presentment
We present, as dangerous to liberty, all |
secret political organizations, whether
known as Loyal Leagues, Ku-Klux
Klans, Red Strings, Heroes Of America,
or by whatever name they may be known,
or for whatever purpose they were orr
ganized.
The grand jury do further present,
only to repel with the indignation it de-
serves, the charges made by the Govern
or to one Nelson A. Miles, that the white
men in North Carolina are secretly &C
cumulating arms, for the purposes Of in-
surrection and rebellion. No evidence
has been offered TO establish the charge,
and this grand jury, drawn from the body
Of the people, and coming from all porS
tions Of the county, knowing it TO be
false as to this county, believe it to be
false as to all /; and that it has sprung
only from malevolence and for political
effect in the late elections.
The grand jury regret to see the pres
| ent judiciary so utterly unmindful of the
example of their predecessors, and es-
pecially in these days Of political chaos
and social upheaving, to see the bench
descending to the hustings, baudying vi
tuperation and personal abuse with the
bar and with pOthouse politicians--each
the assailant and in turn assailed; the
bench charging the bar with larceny,
forgery add understanding; the bar re-
torting that the bench had been ca SGed
by negro upon debt justly due, and
forced by this harsh process Of the law, to
pay the money, after being called out
and forfeiting his bail The bar also
charging that..th bench was a Jail>bird
and convict from the penitentisry Of
Ohio All this very naturally ending in
a fight between the bench and member
of the bar, as the former journeyed on his
way to court This breach of the peace
between the bench and the bar occurring
on the train and in the ladies' car, and so
much tc their terror and alarm, that the
conductor threatened to put the bench
and bar off the train, notwithstanding the
bar loudly proclaimed himself director
of the road
These things are well calculated TO
bring both the bench and the bar into
disrepute and to degrade them in the es-
timation of the people. The bar should
be the seat Of all that is knightly, chival-
rous and true; the bench the abode o.
Justice, dignity, integrity and calm de-
liberation; both should be above sus
piciOn.
Lee the fountains ofjustice be poisoned
and the waters that flow therefron viii
{ be bitter as the waters of Marah to al
, who drink Of the poisoned stream.
The grand jury DO present each anC
every one of the Judges who have taker
, open and active part on the hustings, to
, Wit Chief Justice Pearson, and his as
: sociates, Justice Reade, Dick, Settle an'
q Rodman; and the Circuit Court Judges
f to-wit: Judges Cloud, Jones, Watts
Henry, Russell, Pool, Thomas, Logan
= Cannon and your Honor, as guilty G
k conduct unbecoming the judiciary-al
) ways saving and excepting Judge Mitch
r ell; and instead OF presenting, they d
}. thank and commend him for his politics
silence and noble bearing as a just an
3, upright Judge.
r, And the grand jury do unanimOusl
n and respectfully ask of your Honor tina
d, as a part Of the history o. the times, an
e that posterity and the Judges may knO'
Of what this grand jury think of politics
% Judges, this paper. writing be spread
full upon the minutes Of the court.