Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-06-12
OUR RALEIGH CORRESPONDENCE.
The City OF RaIeigh-U. 9. Circuit Court
Stay Laws-Judge Brooks-The North
Carolina Bar-Our New Judiciary
North Carolina and the New York Con.
ventfon The Prestdency-The Supreme
COurt-Judge Battle.
RALEIGH, N. c., June 7th, 1868.

RALEIGH, N. c., June 7th, 1868.
Messrs. Editors In the only sermon
ever preached by the late Archbishop
Hughes in Raleigh, he referred to it as a
beautiful city. 1T we'll deserves the ap-
pellation. have never seen any city that
unitcs SO pleasantly the "aus in atr6e. -
The splendid groves, the wide streets, the
tasteful private grounds, the intelligence,
refinement and urbanity of the long time
jewellers therein, all render it a most de-
lightful place of resort. I saw Columbia,
s. c., ere it was laid in ashes by Sherman
and his barbarians, but I think that
Raleigh is equal to it, even as 1t appeared
then. The State House at Columbia, pro-
missed at that time to become a monument
of the highest architectural skill and an
honor to the State, but [ doubt much
whether, even if completed according to
the original design, it can excel the Capitol
of North Carolina. The latter building
grows upon our admiration. Plain, UMPIRE
tending, solid, strong, massive majestic
like the character of the people it repre-
sentS.
AS you are aware, the United States
Circuit Court commenced its semi-annual
session here on Monday last The Court
sits in the Senate wing of the Capitol, and
you may judge of the extent of the business
before it by the fact that there are as many
as three hundred cases on the trial docket,
and between two and three hundred on
the appearance docket, with goodly array
on the criminal docket. The title of many
of the latter is somewhat suggestive as we'll
as amusing. "United States us one STILL ,,
United States Us. three barrels of whiskey,
&c. Parties are indicted principally for
frauds upon the Revenue. The taxes may
be hard to bear, but frauds upon the Reve-
nue., especially illicit distillation, become a
great curse to those engaged therein. De-
lection follows in most cases, but even if it
should not, the decentralization caused by
the resort to false oaths is appalling. Far
better would it be for such parties to pur-
sue the paths of legitimate industry, and
thus avoid both public ignominy and a
scared conscience.
In ante-war times the business of the
United States Circuit Court, at Raleigh,
was very insignificant, so insignificant, in
deed, that the Court was held more as a
matter of form than through real necessity.
Now it numbers its cases by the hundred,
whilst the "Senate Chamber" is crowded
with lawyers, jurors, suitors and prisoners
This change may be attributed to two
Revenue laws, the offspring of Radical
policy, and the attempted evasion thereof
by so many the other, the obstacles
thrown in the way OF the collection of debts
by our own Legislature, and the late $50
called " Convention. Every nonresident
having debt of five hundred dollars in
value due to him by a resident, sues in the
United States Circuit Court for its recovery.
Many residents of the State have moved
out for the express purpose of enabling
them to collect their debts by the interven-
ton of the Federal process and quite a
number of such have cases now on the
docket of the United States Circuit Court.
The result of all this is that, as the bank
rupt law excludes preferences, the property
of our people is sacrifced-sold under pro-
cess of the United States Court, and the
money carried out of the State to non-resi-
dents, whilst our home creditors must stand
by, their hands tied, unable to make sin
gle move to secure their debts Our stay
laws might we'll be entitled Laws to pre-
fer Northern creditors" for such is their
practical effect.
Judge Brooks, who now holds the Court,
is Radical, but do not think of the 'tma-
Ggnant type" [ have always found him to
be q kind and courteous gentleman he is
good lawyer and presides very accepta-
bly, to the bar. The members ofthe ''long
robe, as lawyers are termed in England,
are represented here "from Currituck to
Cherokee" and the reunion is most de-
ightful, literally -'' The feast of reason
and the flow of SOUL" Whatever else may
be said of them, lawyers have always been
the intrepid defenders of right against
wrong, of weakness against strength, Of lib
erty against despotism, of innocence every
where, and to the credit of the North Car
olina bar, be it said. scarcely any of them
proved untrue in the recent contest, to
their race and their grand old State. So
long as such body of men, educated, able
and fearless, espouse our cause, we may
confidently hope that ere long in the flu
ture, the old State will resume her former
place, without degradation, or dishonor,
under the Constitution of the United
States, as framed by the Fathers of the Re
public.
The subjects Of conversation among the
lawyers, and the manner In which they
were discussed, were edifying and instruc-
tive, and turned principally upon the New
Constitution Of the State, and political
matters generally. The elevation to the
bench Of wretched adventurous and petit
foggers excites modification and sorrow,
whilst the antecedants of others elected to
assist in the administration of the laws,
give rise to apprehensions that our Courts
will lose that character for honesty, impair
TALLY and ability so long the boast and
pride of North Carolina.
The merits of the various candidates for
the Democratic nomination for the Presi-
dency were freely referred to. I sat among
a groupe, all of whom are delegates to the
New York Convention. The prospects Of
Chase, Pendleton, Hancock, the two Sey-
mours, &C., &C., were fully commented on,
but failed to hear from any one the
slightest expression of preference. This.
7 think, is a wise course. Reticence on
this subject is, it seems to me, the tr1e
policy OF the southern delegates. Let them
attend the Convention uncommitted, and
there go for that man who may be best
adapted to unite the Earring elements,
and thus secure the overthrow of Radical
ism-the rule of which, as experience has