Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-12-11

of the people, to the peril of their liberties
and the great increase Of their taxes. LRe
passage Of such acts by the British Par
/ lament would bring every man IN Eng
/ land to his feet, Gun in hand. Such acts
have been condemned By the English PEG
pie and by the British Judiciary long ago
/ In the reign of William Sd, military
commander called on Chief Justice Holt tc
send Constable, with his soldiers, to pre-
vent a mob from tearing down o house.
| What will you do" said the Chief jus
tice, ii the people will not obey your or
| ders. but tear down the house ?" We
will fire into them " was the reply. II
you do" said the Judge, "and any maa Is
killed, [ will see that your soldiers are
hanged. The laws of this kingdom are
nott to beexecuted by the sword, hese mat
tiers belong to the civil power and you have
nothing to do with them. .
In the opinion Of this Grand Jury such
sentiments should animate our Governor,
our Judges aud our Legislature. The civil
arm is sufficient for the execution Of the
laws and the preservation OF the peace III
North Carolina.
TO checkmate this military and danger
ous mode Of executing the laws IN Orange,
with the sword, an organization was formed
at Cedar Grove, composed of the most Or
themselves to aid in the execution of the
civil law. whenever it was resisted
IL the county of Orange and at the
same time, to forbid the Governors armed
police or militia putting their hands or
swords upon citizen, at the risk of having
their guns taken from them by unarmed
men. We are glad to say the armed police
or militia for executing the Law has not
been formed in Orange, nor has the I'M
armed company been called for.
The Graud Jury 90 further present, only
to repel with the Indignation it deserves,
the charges made by the Governor TO one
Nelson A. Miles, that the white men in
North Carolina are secretly accommodating
arms, for the purposes of instruction 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 portions Of the county,
knowing it to be false IS to this county,
believe it to be false as to all and that it
has sprung ouly from malevOlence and for
political fleet in the late election.
4th. The Grand Jury do present Judge
history, treacherous and hypocritai in its
designs and altogether unworthy a Judge.
If the Judge really believed there was dan
ger Of civil war" as he preteDds, then he
should have had the parties preparing to
make war arrested and bound to the peace;
and, finally,
9Th, This Grand jury DO present, and
truthfuliy represent 20 your Honor, 3 stran
ger to them, and 10 the county, as we'll as
to the judicial history Of North Carolina,
that the people of North Carolina, especi.
ally to the county of Orange, have ever
cherished and maintained an habitual re-
gard ard reverence for the Judiciary OF
the State. The people OF Orange have had
for Deighbors, personal friends and
associates such Judges as Murphy,
Norwood, Cameron, Nash, Mangum, Ruf-
fin, Manly, Battle and Baily. As men and
neigAboI&, they are remembered by the
people Of Orange with the fondes6 a1fec-
ton. We have named these Judges. be-
cause they were our companions, neigh
bors and friends Tie people OF the State
did hot allow the people uf Orange to go
before them III love, admiration and re-
spect Tor the whole Judiciary-the whole
ana every member OF it, The high charac-
ter OF tie Judiciary e North Carolina, as
exempHiied i'll the lives of Moore, Hay
wood, Henderson, lay Ior, Castor, Ca!a-
well, Daniel, Badger. 'aundeGs, Seaweii,
Settle, Strange, Jt&Ttu Yoomer, Person,
Osborne, Douue}I. Barnes, Warren, Ellis,
Fowle, Gillian, MerJimon, Dick, IS well
"a tAe iliustri0us names before mentioned,
Wa: well calculated TO iii ana inspire the
people ~Ith confidence and love tor the
Judge and high respect for the Office.
The GRAND Jury regret to see the pres
ent Judiciary SO utterly uumindiul Of the
example Of their iilustrious predecessors,
and especially, III these days OF political
chaos and social upheaving, to see the
D.
ing vitUperatiOu and personal abuse with
the Bar and with penthouse politicians
each the a9saiisnt and in turn the assaiIed
the Beach charging the Bar with larceny,
forgery and mule stealing the Bar retort.
ing that the Bench had been ca Sded by a
negro upon a debt justly due, forced, 10y
this harsh process OF the law, 10 pay the
money, after being called out and forfeit
ing his bail ! Che Bar also charging that
the Bench Was d iail-bird aud IL convict
from the PeniteD tiary OF Ohio All this
very naturally ending III a eight, between
The Bench and d member OF the Bar, as
the former journeyed on his way 10 Court!
The breach Of the peace between the
Bench and the Bar, occurring on the train,
and Ill the ladies' Car and SO much to their
terror aud alarm, that the Conductor
threatened TO put the Bench and the Bar
cl TIC tidii. notwithstanding Inc OAR
loudly proclaimed himself director of the
Road
These things are we'll calculated to bring
both the Bench and the Bar into disrepute
and to degrade them in the estimation of
the people. The Bar should be the seat of
all that is knightly, chivalrous and true
the Bench the abode of justice, dignity,
integrity and calm dehberation: both
should be above suspicion.
Let the fountains Of justice be poisoned,
and the waters that flow therefrom will be
bitter as the waters of Merah to all who
drink of the poisoned stream.
The Grand Jury do present each and
every one Of the Judges, who have taken
open and active part on the hustings, To-
wit: Chief Justice Pearson, and his AS
sociates, Justices Reade, Dick, Settle and
Rodman; and the Circuit Court Judges,
to-wit: Judges Cloud, Jones, Watts,
Henry, Russell, Pool, Thomas, Logan,
Cannon and your Honor. as guilty of con
duct unbecoming the neutrality-suspicious.
saving and excepting Judge Mitchell and
instead of presenting, they do thank and
commend him for his political silence
and noble bearing as just and upright