Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-05-08
RADICAL JUsTKCE - m EAST
TENNESSEE.

AENFLoSAGs
The manner in which s'Rebels have
had "iustice" dealt out togthem- by the
courts in "loyal" East Tennessee, espe-
cially the upper portion of that section,
is being brought to light. The Greene
vile Union charges that in Washington
county "juries were packed for the trial
of causes between Rebels and Union men,
50 as to get juries of certain political
complexion with preiudices favorable to
the latter" and that in damage suits,
Union men, without a solitary exception,
fill the jury-box, while "Rebels," nearly
as numerous and quite as competent are
not even summoned as jurymen. Under
this state of facts, the Union is justifia
bic in charging that juries care packed
to secure to political friends the advan-
tage of political prejudice" But it ap-
pears that this s. stem of dispensing sjus-
tice" is not confined to Washington
county. Our Greeneville contemporary
gives this instance:
GA Radical in Sullivan county, where
it is almost impossible, from want of
material, to pack juries all prejudiced in
favor of Radicals, having an action
brought against him by Rebel, swore
that he did not believe he could get impair
tial Justice done him in Blouutville, and
had the venue changed-to what place 7
To loyal Garter county. When time for
trial arrived, the following card, one of
which is before us, was circulated around,
where loyal jurymen could seethem:
To TIE PUBLIC. - "'We, the IN
designed, loyal citizens of Sulli-
van and Washington countiGs, Ten
nessee, state that of said county,
has persistently, from the beginning to
the end of the late rebellion, deported
himself as faithful and loyal citizen of
the United States, remaining true amidst
the detection of his neighbors, the loss
and destruction of his property, the ter
rors of persecution and the horrors of
civil war. As such man we commend
him to the respectful consideration of all
loyal citizens (Signed by forty seven
names)"
Here was direct attempt to influence
the jury in Carter county to decide in IA
vor of the Radical and against the
'Rebel," not because justice demanded
such decision of the case, but solely be-
cause the one was Radical and the other
''Rebel." Would such bold attempt
to corrupt jury by appeals to their po-
litical prejudice, to obstruct justice in the
reprehensible manner, have been tolerated
any where but in 'loyal East Tennessee"
and in a court presided over by bitter
partisan Radical Judge9 The means
adopted to inform the jury in Carter
county that the defendant to the suit in
question was '1oyal citizen" shows
conclusively that he and his
friends expected to gain his cause
through political influences alone. Had
the Judge of the court trying this case
discharged his duty as an upright, fear
less Judge would desire to do, he would
have ordered the arrest and trial of the
forty-seyen men who signed the docu-
ment circulated around where loyal ju-
rymen could see it." upon a charge of
conspiracy to tamper with jury and OBJ
struct the administration of justice. Had |
"Rebels" been thus guilty, there can
hardly be doubt that they would have |
paid the penalty of their temerity. These
facts explain why the Radicals of East |
Tennessee howl so piteously over the
change in the judiciary provided for by
the new constitution. They fear that
Judges who tolerate such scandalous pro-
ceedings as have been exposed by the
Greeneville Union, viii be shorn of their
power to wink at a like dissertation of The
name of justice The Radicals have on
y lacked the power to perpetrate these
1utrages in all parts of the State. When
hey held revel in the capitol, they enact
ID law giving to 'qoyal" men the right
o object to 'Rebels" serving on juries,
md this was done that 'loyal" men hay
NC suits with "Rebels" might avail them
selves of political prejudice in the jury
box. East Tennessee had larger ratio
If '9oyal' men than the other sections of
he State, and the Radicals there appear
o have had every thing their own way in
;uits with s'Rebels."