Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-03-18
THE WILMINGTON JOURNAL
"OUtcroppings Of Prejudice >
WILMINGTON. Il. {.
FRIDAY. gnRCH ~. 1859.

attack upon the Judiciary OF North caro-
lima. That paper ''regrets, most heartily,
THAT tho JoT-RNAL should lave been SO
blinded by partisan rancor as to use Ian
l,uooa which is calculatcd-evcn if 1t fails
TO do soto bring the Judiciary OF the
State into bad repute with the people, and
TO iniure their long established character
for legal knowledge, virtue and wisdom.
we said in the article referred to that
our Judiciary Was very costly. There
are ignorant, and, VIC fear, dishonest men,
wearing the crminc in North Carolina
There is a universal want Of confidence,
even III our highest legal tribunal, and
the partisan course Of most OF our Judges
has lost them the respect of the people.
We quote these sentences i'll full in order
to repeat oar thoughtful endorsement Of
every word therein.
We said our Judiciary was costly because
the number, both upon the Supreme and
Superior Court Benches, have been very
materially increased. The county expen-
ges have been greatly increased, notw1th-
standing the abolition OF County Courts.
We have never understood that the same
number Of Judges as before the war could
not have attended to the business. The
increase was necessary only to give Office
to party rnendicants.
We said there were ignorant men upon
the bench, and we are sustained by the
Supreme Court. During the late term Of
that tribunal there were one hundred and
sixteen cases argued, SeUenty-0ne Of which
were reversed, and but forty-1ive affirmed
Dat OF /1e1aty-fOU' appeals from Judge
Watts decisions there were TWENTY reVer-
sails. Are we sustained in saying that there
are ignorant men upon the bench
But outside Of these statistics, did such
lawyers and men as Jones, Watts, Thomas,
Russell, Pool, Tourgee, Cloud, Logan,
Henry AMI Cannon, most of them entirely
above suspicion, contribute anything to
the 90 character for legal knowledge, virtue
and wisdom which has distinguished the
Judiciary Of North Carolina?
We said that we feared that dishonest
men wore the ermine in North Carolina.
There is universal want Of confidence
even in our highest legal tribunal, and the
partisan course Of most OF our Judges has
II
we'll known in Raleigh that ugly and dam
aging rumor8 are aiioat IN regard to many
of our JudGes-that political aud merce-
nary motives have Influenced their action
and opinions IN several notable cases. The
GisgracefuI conduct OF Judge Jones is well
known tho questionable character of
Judge ToUrgco ana his more questionable
~ lie
The partieau course Of the Judges of the
Supreme Court are matters of record.
Last Fall III speaking Of the troubles in
Orange, ChathaEn ana -lIamanco counties,
W. gave il rs our opinion, based upon in
formation received from leading citizens
Of thcse counties, that this condition of
things rcsuI5cl from widespread want of
confidence ii the inapartiaIity and integ-
rity Of Judge Tonrgee We suggested
that he he exchanged temporarily with
either Judges Mitchell, Buxton or Russell,
and these troubles would end In a late
number OF The Salisbury Oh North State,
III speaking Of this same subject, the editor
not only agrees with to the remedy, |
Dut confirms our opinion Of the public es-
innate Of some Of our present Judges |
: . LA" PaA's' s'5'
Isnes * the aIt ~ cdene6 Sf fet ior t "nls
whose duty II is TO administer justice. That this
- scarcely admits q Il dnuo: We would not |
unnecessarily as@2l .'''licia officer, and we
not golna t, aaeal Judge 2ourGeo now. he |
Judge On the bcuch. But he nlust know tnsttbe |
ntcillGonl people oi hi" District do not have that
onII 10 esb INN t. 'o =. an e5ctIxa s ' ang
asotul Judge lie does no: possess any inlIu-
once With thcn' and without the respect of the
~ ~, 'H, l'Stt 3r!i II, sup, sup
ma hnl os.g isr.. +, ina hxI.tt of r"gerencine,
l;olr iud,c,& ,l1o-t., but they do u9t cevarencs
One q the'.f present JMigee wiish greatly i'm
,&'" ' d' "I,h 3 h I,4 o. tins
should III ltt lI.', 70 the end fhst r'"tEer
nav be ...rt.et ,,t jgn+ ,,n.eaIs ,i,a G',n5i.
H,'rca of 81 ratu.s. !. h., Is tho na;e.o:l, ul*u
III. noi4' ,.'.." .''' !,' - '' w. 20 IL let