The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1868-01-18
BARNwELL, january Z, 1868.

SA
BARNwELL, january z, 1868.
4 'S::77I reply 'i4pmed9tely to.yPur note Of
the 4th January, just received
!. l did not expect, and did pot ask, that. you,
al MidtarJ Gomnandcrj would consider the
constitutionality of the Reconstruction Acts.
But I did expect that,you would point to the
CLAUSE in those Acts. which empowered you to
suspend me from tho performance of the duties
of, my, Office, and thenr to sdeprive Inc of my
property in that office, by ordering the State
Treasurer to withhold the, salary which the
Stats contractel to :2pay mo when was CON-
missippaeafl; oqq, cof her judges. YOU will re-.
melmnllcy, I'm that am still a Judge Of South
!Carolipa, Aou, hayc. not Ncntured to remove
nc yet, and if you had, Jon cannot deprive ue
Of my office. 1ou .canuot point to any au-
thogity in the Acts, but excuse your injustice
and usurpatiqn by sayipgr "that as your action
involved a a!scrious dClay. in the administration
Of justice, and imposed; upon tho State, in its
condition., additional expenses
for the maintenance Of prisoners and for hold
ing spccinl terms Of the courts in several Of the
districts in the Southern Circuit, ! did not
consider it propcroq or just to add to those bur-
dcns by authorizing compensation for services
that were not rendered"
Wi Indignantly repcl this slander was in
the actual performance Of my duties, under the
laws Of the Statuiof- South Carolina, that had
conferred OH ne'iify judicial office, and to whom
alone, am accountable. When you, by high
handed usurpatimn of authority, not conferred
ON you by amy lawrof Congress, or article of
War; suspended 'mc jim tho worry effort, was
making to administer Justice to a suffering pco-
plc NV hat j UsrIoBwas to, be administered by
such jurcs' as, you hasl' directed to be drawn?
Youi know :er should have known, that your
ordcras to juries, was not authorized by any
Act nfs Congress. You lnow or should have
kaiownytthat juricS selected as you directed
presented tho comost serious impeachment to The
administration of Justice. You know or should
mvc known that my oat!, Of Office prevented
mo from carrying ont Your ortlcr-and yet as
mere partisan without considering the dignity
of MY position, the character OF my beloved
State or; the responsibility Your own station.
in the very wantonncss n power. yen put upon
nc m ihd.nity Which was unworthy Of the
great government You represent. and must
add, appears TO nc ncw to lc Tot cnly resent
fnl, but nniin'hiy. I.E7 Your H. r,
fHDs CT TIE ON ..rSy 1j'rfp.
AS conxcien.icu~ judge ard : sn::. Of hol.y; ).
gould 60 ~, not e;yry oEt yom order without vio-
latins my oath cf cliicc. | said SO traukly.
You Suspended, me. | yielded without {; mur-
muir ana now, because have conscience,
that will not permit nc as think, to violate
my oath OF Office, with hish-handcd tyranny,
you not only deprive mc Of the dignity Of hat
office, but rob mc Of its sttrpurt. and then in
sultingly tell me that my faction has involved
h serious delay III Observation-Disclosures Of Justice
folscttihs that it %as yunr own unauthorized
and oilicious interference with tie laws Of die
State, that placed the first and only impc,li-
mcnt- iii thc way Of Justice With what con
sistcncy ran you tIlktahout tlc 'mlovcrishcl
condition Of the State, when only on the Sd
December last ), you issued General Orders No.
139, assessing Il tax for the very salary you
have directed the Treasurer to withhold. and
did actually make an appropriation for its pay
ment How docs it help the people Of an
impoverished State, to wiring taxes out Of them,
%hirsh YOU afterwards direct to be locked UP in
tho treasury? II,
Why trouble yourself about State burdens,
when tho people q mean whito people, tax
paycrs); ;iwith singular unanlnity approve my
course, and sustain me under my present
trials a sqfsr is
No Sir, I am not deceived, nor is the conn.
try, by this mere subtcrlrgc. You cover this
bold and bad attempt, to destroy the indcpcn-
dcnce of: thc" judiciary, at tho same time. that
you make your effort to break down the great
bulwark of lberty-rIE TRIAL BY JURY
with fiimsy veil.
commend you to the pcr,<al of General
Ilancock's Special Order No 2O3, to show you
what patriotic officer can do, whose desire is
{ TO heal the wounds Of lrYstratc and bleeding
country.
!, But do not complain. Ny only purpose