Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1869-04-16
VOL IV.'""."NO. q.
Inc New Jury Law and its Abatement of
justice.

The New Jury Law and its Abatement Of
Justice.
The trial by jury has we'll been formed the
palladium Of OUR liberties. The inteor;tv ~
she jury.box lies at the Foundation Of all nph.
Ito and private security. To degrade or con.
'aminsse this is ct once to strike tho deadli-
est blow which enn BE- aimed at the interesta
OF society and the right of property and per.
son.
Ihss has been carefully guarded by all poo.
pie who are not lost to- a sense Of soc;,, ordor
and general welfare. II has been reserved
for the lato Legislature at once TO imperil the
public interests and place at hazard ali private
right.
: The late slaves have been emancipoted.-
They are now equal before the Law. They
nave the same rights of freedom, of person
and property. And in this, all have aeoui.
esced.
The late Jury law rendered. them ample
Justice when it practically declared that the
Jurors should be selected from the tax-pay-
ing citizens, irrespective of color. It made
no discrimination It placed OF upon the
same basis. But at the same time, by confin-
ing tho qualifications Of the Juror to the tax.
payers, it secured some degree Of assurance
for intelligence in the jury box.
This, however, did not prove Radical
enough. At one blow the whole security Of
the jury box is swept away, and its value ut
terly destroyed. It is now enacted that the
Jurles shall be SO drawn, SHAT the number Of
white voters thereon, shall bear to tho num.
Der OF names Of eolored voters. as near as NAV
Do, the same proportion as the whole number
OF colored voters in the township, city, or
county, rs the case may be-"
In more direct language, that the juries are
to be drawn from the registered list of voters
instead Of the tax payers, and that these are
to be constituted of oolored men and white
men, in proportion to their voting strength.
This Act makes every field hand, however
ignorant or debased, a juror. For eyery ne
gro over twenty.oue years of age, whether he
can read or write, and without regard to his
intelligence or capacity, is a voter, and, there
fore, under this ACT, is Juror. Aud not
only 80, but it these are in a preponderepce
upon the voting lists, they are to constitute a
majority of every jury.
Ihe Court of Common Pleas, whose ~sittings
are In Charleston, is held for the judicial
County Of Charleston, composed Of the cleo.
ton counties Of Charleston aud Berkelev.-
The Jurors are, therefore, TO be drawn from
the voters in these counties.
AS near az can be estimated by che recent
elections, there are 1917 colored voters. to
5,573 white voters in these counties. or in
the proportion Of three oolored to every white
voter. i.
Now the Act says that tho list Of jurors
shall bear, as to color, the same proportions
'as the whole number Of white voters bosrs
TO the whole Number Of colored voters In
other words, that every jury Of twelve shall
consist Of eight colored aud four white men
This is the result. s;,,4 1a4,
The bare statement Of the case is sufioiant
TO show the nature Of the laws under which
the people of South Carolina are living, aud
tho character Of the legislation Under which
they suffer. s3T - s,,a.s,. M, J,
Never was there d moro monstrous pervis.
ion Of right! Never was there a, moro. direct !,
attempt to degrade aud drag iucthe dust the
administration, Of jasio There can bo ! NO
plea in its behalf. The heretofore law placed
all GLASSES. irrespective Of color, on tho same
footing. u.
This gives iguoranoe the supremacy, and !,
shuts out Intelligence.
The rat'ic welfare, the material interests.
OF the cepatry, and all that is worthy. of ure.
servation, assdres us that the time must soon,
come When justice viii resume hor, sway.y and
when thA laws which strike at tho ,vitals, "a.
the people, and the law. skors who would
shatter in aIcommon ruin all. that ia virtuous
and OF good report, will pass away before ber
ihdi8ss=ht presence. h.S, ,is.. !. 4,
~ 1'h ~. Charleston GOurier.a.sS
A BEATIFuL SENgIMENr.-We Gin tho
following beautiful sentiment. from an OK.
change: "
Sorrow sobers us and makes the mind GO,
NAL, And in !, sorrow We love and trust our 81,
friends more .enderly, and, the dead become.
dearer 70 ns. =, And Ard just % Tho stars shine out