The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1869-06-23
The Legal Innocents.

~ iohS aS'hly Wulciii Inc lawyers Hdvc
been undergoing was not terminated on yes
terday, as had been, anticipated, but the case
was postponed until to-day at nine o'clock.
This was caused by the absence of several
OF the criminal lawyers. The case of Mr..
Moore was to have been decided first, but
bis mental and spiritual exertions for the
last few days had probably caused him to
oversleep himself, and he failed to put in an
appearance. The other lawyers were also
non est ingeatus. They were all on hand for
the United States Court, however, and the
circumstance excited no little remark. As
the day approached, their. courage oozed
out until at last they were obliged to have
the trial put off day in order to recover
from their panic. Such demoralized set of
gentlemen we have never before seen. They
have no comfort, but are full of misery. Their
decentralization has become so evident that
yesterday the Sentinel was obliged to ap-
ply the party lash to drive them to
the contest This may have been
right enough, but we thought our contem-
porary was little too cruel with them 1t
told them it didn't care if they starved
to death, and even went so far as to init
mate that it would be good for the party if
they should. 1t further distracts the un-
happy lawyers by telling them that, if they
don't stick, the Democrats will get new
leaders. This threat is plain confession
that the protest was gotten up for party
purposes, and that the insult to the Court
was intended to result to the benefit of the
so-called Democracy. We have before told
people that this was the object of the pro-
test, and now our assertion is made good by
the confession of the Democratic organ. Let
the people remember this, and also remenl-
Der what men were so base as to prostitute
their own profession and endeavor to injure
the reputation of the Judiciary for party
purposes. L is an old saying that it is a
dirty bird that fouls its own nest, yet this is
what the lawyers have done. Their crime
now stands confessed in all its hideousness.
They are betrayed by their master. The
object ofthe Sentinel in making the confession
is plain. The lawyers showed evident
signs of weakening. This confession was
then made in order to leave them no alter
native, but party ostracism or open defiance
of the Court The desire of the Sentinel is
to have the rupture between the Court and
the Bar made irreparabe. 1t is willing to
sacrifice the whole batch of them upon the
altar of party, The lawyers can now see
what tools they have suffered themselves
to he made. Let them boast no more of
their being keen lawyers, for they have
shown themselves to be the veriest ounces.
They, they who prided themselves upon
their sharpness, have suffered themselves to
be made tools ofby few worn-out political
hucksters And this is the wisdom dis
played by the talented gentlemen of the
North Carolina Bar! Oh, with what pride
must they reflect upon their blindnes and
gulibiIity! How proud they will be when
they recount this noble history to lawyers of
other States With what feel
ings of awe and admiration will the
legal gentlemen of neighboring States gaze
upon real live North Carolina law
yer! Their fame is now as imperishable
as that of the three wise men of Gotham.
They have achieved fame in the shortest
possible space of time, but we must confess
that it is not of kind that will be much
admired by posterity. Neither do we think
that the present age will have much rever-
ence for their legal abilities. While our
people may admire them for their rare SIM
plicity of character and innocence of guile,
they will at the same time be very chary
of employing them in legal capacity, as
lawyers, as general thing, are not valued
for their simplicity and innocence "The
father of the bar" too, seems even more
simple than his children, for he it was who
got them into this scrape. We imagine
that the flial feelings of the lawyers are now
below par. We advised our legal friends to
retire from the case altogether, and to put
themselves entirely in the hands of the
young legal sprouts. This good and disln-
terested advice they have not followed, but
have chosen Vance and Graham to defend
them. The father of the barr should have
done this. but grief and other things have
rendered him unfit for the task. We shall
visit the Court tomorrow and see what hap
pens. If the Court does its duty, there will
be weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth