The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-09-02
The Fairness of Judge JackSOn'S
Rulings.
All the Facts in regard to the Jury.
E;Iitort of The IatSHI1eneer:

upon the actors concerned in this lawless
scheme the apprehension Of aIl honest,
law.abiding citizens, whether Republicans
or Democrats.
II is matter of establishment that
the correspondent Of the RSgtSter did
not assaiI his Honor, the Judge. Sure
It Is, that his digniicd bearing, and
tho fairness Of his rulings, firmly refusing
TO be dragoOncd by Incorporate language
and appeals into q mere servant or instru.
mcnt Of these men, Is what discounted
them so sOrcIy, and not the composition
and findings Of the grand jury. They no
doubt calculated on q willing iurthGr0nCe
of their plans by The Judge on account OF
his political convictions, and though dis.
appointed they, for party purposes and
reasons, Of course prefer to visit their
thundGrs Of vengeance not on his head,
but on the grand jury und the attorney for
the United States. 1t is claimed tho
grand jurywas packed. The Marshal, on
lis oath IN open court, stated that he sum.
moned most Of the jury during the term
at Parkersburg, at which time he could
not have known that any questions OF o
political bearing would come before the
Jury: that he wrote to different friends OF
his in several counties Of the State for the
names OF gentlemen Of responsibility and
character who we're frcehOlders, and made
up the rest Of the jury in that way. He
was asked on examination by Col.
Jackson if he inquired in. his letters
rs to the politics OF the jurors to be.
He emphatfcally denied ANYTHING OF the
sort. .,E. ST..
On the preceding day, the first day
of the court, the Judge instructed the
Marshal to summon other Grand Jurors,
in compliance with the late act OF Con.
grcss, instead OF my already summoned
who had served on n jury In his court
within two years. These Grand Jurors,
three or four only, the Marshal stated he
had picked up in Clarksburg, and as the
Judge Ind instructed him TO do, he had
preferred persons not resident there The
Marshal being Republican, his intimate
associates and acquaintance through
out the State arc naturally
enough generally Of that party, and he
must summon his gr0nd jury from persons
KNOWN no IiTM TO be responsible citizens
and frecholders. In writing to friend, u
Republican, tho same cause would oper-
ate in his, in all likelihood, getting Re.
publican's name. The Judge, after suits.
iying himself aNer intcrrogating the Mar.
shal, land recOllect this was and is a Dem.
ocratic Judge that the jury had been
fairly summoned), proceeded to question
each Juror US to whether he was n regis.
trar or DISTINGUISHED person, or had
formed any such opinion or intention us
to the enforcement Act" US would pre-
vent his carrying It into effect con-
scientiously and fully. One registrar and
one DISTINGUISHED man hud been summon.
ed bv the Marshal, and were ordered TO
stand aside, with some others disqualified
on various accounts to serve. Remember,
this Jury was summoned for the greater
part by the Marshal before he had notice
Of this Enforcement Act coming before
them, and one DISTINGUISHED Democrat, o
rebel soldier, inter, among them. The
unfair supprcssions oftaCts in the Register
article will be apparent on reference there.
to.
The Court after cmpanclling the
Grand Jury, delivered his charge to them,
in which he construed the Enforcement
Act to render liable 10 the penal
ties therein set forth any registrar
who had refused or knowingly neglected
to register any person qualified by the
laws Of the State Of West Virginia 10 vote.
This construction we learn by your issue
Of Yesterday is not accepted by the U. S.
Attorney General, nor by Judge Bond, the
U. S. Circuit Judge, TO whose Court the
rulings and judgments OF the District
Court would DC carried up for review.
Still, such being the instructions Of Judge
jackson to them, the Grand Jury retired,
and failed after deliberate examination Of
witnesses in effect 10 find that there was
probable cause for believing that any Reg
istrnr had refused or knowingly neglected
tO register any person qualified by the
laws Of the State Of West Virginia to vote!
The statement that Gen. Golf gave the
grand Jury in their room, his construction
Of the law on inquiry made to member
of the Jury appears to be uniOunded. It
was Gen. COTS official duty to attend on
the jury at their sittings, but that lie, an
officer Of Judge JaCkson's Court would
dare to instruct the jury to disobey the
Judges official charge. il would be hard
To believe even II this was not denied at
all. Gen. Colts business in the jury room
is to assist the jury in the examination OF
witnesses aud in matters Of detail and 10
this, the testimony is, he confined himself
Nothing was said MS TO the construction
OF the law Or US to the Judges
charge, but the jury decided the
charges against the registrars to be
frivolous and trumpet up for corrupt
purposes Such is the manifest effect Of
their action in ignoring all the Indictments.
The Flick Amendment 10 the COnstitu.
ton, liberal in its provisions enough to
welcome all back to the full rights Of suE'
fragC and citizenship. and cndeayoring to
change the law, in legal way, from one
DISTINGUISHING the late Confederate sol.
dier, to one eniranChising him, Is approved
by the Republicans, and by many, II
not most Of the Democrats. But the
legal way Is too slow for those whose
lust Of power disrcgards all restraints
of law or order. Hence their despe.
rate, dcvilish effort TO prosecute those
charged with its execution. We arc among
these who favor abolslling In the State
Constitution and registration all diSa6ili-
ties on account Of rebellion, but this must
bO done in legal way, and rs long as the
law enforcing these disabilities Is a lao It
must I've regarded, and all high handed
CndCNvOrS to make our courts corrupt and
venNl yet mighty powers, like the Fisk
tribunals Of New York, owned and run
by individuals TO subvert the very law
itself, should and will be execratGd by
good citizens regardless Of party.
CLARKsBURG.
DEATH OF AN OLD CITIZEN. Mr.
Simeon B. Purdy, an old and respected
citizen, died Mt his residence, on Sunday
evening. 91st ult. Tho deceased was well