The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1868-04-16
Radical Rule,

w nave not room IN our pupcT luIa
week to publish an official correspon.
dencc between one 1t. johnson, CON-
handing the post at Jacksonville. Ala
and Judge b. L. Pope, Of the 18th
Circuit in the same State. But the
correspondence is all in our possession.
This shoulder strapped u. S. officer
arrested Judge Pope while upon the
bench, and sent him to Jail. He dis
solved the Court, and ordering the
Courthouse to be cleared, told the
Sheriff to lock the doors and bring him
the keys. Judge Pope's offence was
that he did not have some negroes as
members Of the jury for his Court. We
will give Ii. Johnson's first letter to
the Judge.
U. S. MILITARY STATION,l
Jacksonville, Ala, March %, Us.
Hon. d. T. Pope, Judge Circuit Court o.
Calhoun county, ala:
SIR:--I am informed that the Jury sit
ting upon the Circuit Court now in session
for Calhoun county Is composed entirely Of
white men.
In compliance with orders and instruc-
tions from Headquarters Third Military
District. ! am compelled TO notify you that
the present jury will not be allowed to
serve longer, Some citizens Of color must
be members of the jury for said Court be-
fore 1t can proceed further with the bust
ness before it. CmAs. J. JOHNSON,
lst 1T. Y. 5. Infantry,
Comm'dg Post
Then follows IL correspondence In
which Judge Pope argues in a mos
humble spirit that he has no known AL
thority to discriminate in favor Of per
sons OF color that he does not under
stand he must ignore the statutary
qualifications such as mot being habit.
ual drunkards,' and being 'bondhold.
ers" or "free holdcrs," competent to
discharge the duties ofgrand and petit
jurors with honesty, impartiality, intel
ligence, &c. The 1t. wants no dis.
elimination made as 20 color, yet some
must be niggers. 1t seems to us that
any one not q fool could see that the
Judge must discriminate in order to
not discriminate, according to this wise
Daniel of U. S. authority. The editor
Of the Gadsden Times who was in
Jacksonville on the day Of arrest thus
alludes to what he saw:
On Monday las. we were in Jackson.
vile and witnessed a sight sickening
and revolving in the extreme. After
the arrest of Judge Pope, who was so
feeble from i'll health that be could
scarcely walk, and as the guards were
conducting him to Jail, M aged, grey
haired man so afflicted with paralysis
that he had not walked for years with
out the aid of crutches, too outraged
to contain himself, cried out, Judge
are they taking you TO jail? Well d-n
me if I'd 60 with them" For this
monstrous uttcrance, a soldier made n
tilt at him With fixed bayonct. The
cholcrie old man bestowed q shower of
oaths on the soldier who turned away
and leN him. His friends now coming
up, got the old gentleman in his bug
gy ard started out OF town with him
Lieut.. Johnson, commanding the Post,
came up abou. this time and order d
the buggy stopped and arrested him
As he "a being conducted to Jail he
again cursed the 1t. and guard, and for
this was beaten Nth his crutch un-
III IL Uds broken over him.
Another is breathing the tainted at-
mosphere Of the dungeon there for
even q less offense than this.
These are no exaygerations. We
could mention other victims for ever
otfenscs still, If ofTenscs these
he at all. Citizens are arrested and in
carcerated at the caprice of this small
who by the potency of a Is,
Lieutenant's shoulder straps, lords i,
over the patient and tolerant and law
abiding citizens of that section.