The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1868-03-14
No. SO
Negro Jurors


FFsR the Public Ledger. March
Xesterday the ease of j. tfn3iarsls and T.
+ Martin (negroes), for numbering y negra IN
! Nonconnah bottom, was brought before the
/ Criminal Court and Sheriff Winters sum.
: moned large number of negroes as jurors.
the present State law rendering this class
I eligible as jurors. The fact was no sooner
announced than Capt Harry S. Lee, ane OF
the Radical bright lights and generally M
derstoOd to not only regard Cuifee as " a
! man and a brother, but large nuIaber 5f
blood relations, jumped up and protested
! asaihat the introduction of his col0red
/ brethren Under the circumstances he did
not wish to proceed further with the case
/ lie believed such a proceeding wholly Illegal
and suggested 70 the Court that tie CcaFt
had no official knoNiadge of the passage Of
any such. Captain Lee grew e.8Quent, and
| urged the Court to dismiss the negroes
whom the Sheriff had summoned.
s(lrville Yerger Esq, for the defense, aad
no objection 70 offer, and desired the case to
60 on The laws rendered colored men
eligible, and besides the gentlemen #he had
SO strongly objected was not even connected
with the case. The State and the defense
were satisfied with the SheriH's action, and
he demanded that the Jurors be called to
answer the cali of the roll
Judge Hantef, from the bench, remarked
that tie objection opened UP several ques-
tions. Itbad been announced IN the news
papers that a law rendering colored men
eligible as jurors had passed, but he had
seen no certified copy Of the act 1t was a
question whether the present Legislature
could legally repeal the sixteenth section of
the franchise law. He desired. the case con
tinued until MondaT; that be might examine
the question. In his opinion the consent of
counsel could not make Incompetent Jurors
competent
Attorney General Wallace said such
things weSe IN coinnion practice, and cited
number of illustrations. He believed ne
groes competent as jurors under the law,
and wished The trial to proceed
Captain Harry Lee again protested, as
sertlr g that there was no law in existence
that rendered negroes competent jurors
Messrs. Herger, Bullock and Sale believed
it to be the right of defendants to Insist on
the negroes being called and the case going
on. They believed them competent as
jurors
Pending decision, the Court adjourned
until o'clock
At that h ,ur Mr.. Yerger produced an
official copy of the act, and the negro jurors
were. accordingly called and sworn in
ne mention this incident at length to re-
veal Of those negroes who are able to under
stand plain propositions the hollowness Of
the professions of their pretended friends.
Captain Lee is regarded pink of Radical
ism lie rolls the negro as sweet morsel
under his tongue, and regards his perfume
sweeter than those of Arabia To him it is
balm of a thousand flowers and fragipani
But when the practical test comes he is Mt
dar" So anxious was he to keep negroes
off the juries that he did not even await
case In which he was interested as counsel
Of course the law is unconstitutional but
it passage was secured in the interest Of
Radicalism. Radical politicians ike Lee
could take aa Official copy into the Loyal /
T.ca2ue. turn to gaping Africa ana say Be |
hold, beloved brethren, what we have done |
for you. We have given you the right to /
vote and the right to hold Office and sit on |
juries." When the test comes, they plead /
unconstitutionality The negroes will learn /
to distinguish between their friends and |
Office seeking pretehders after awhile.