The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-06-07
JUDGE GRAHAM,s CHARGE.

jury OF the present term Of court for Charleston
sCounty:
Gentlemen or the Grand Ju'y-It is a source O.
great pleasure to the court, and no doubt to the
country, that We have such an Intelligent grand
jury as that now present.
l.. The duty o. the grand jnry Is perhaps more I'M
portant now than at any other time III the history
OF the country, I r It stands, as 1t were, the organ
OF the people speaking to the d!t1ereng depart
lmenis OF the government. If An officer, Tor IN
stance, OF the judicial department OF the govern.
men; neglects his duty, IL is upon you
TO report that fact TO the court. ana tine court mas
8 summary manner OF competing sacn oncers W
perform his duty. Or II an officer ofthe executive
department., or one who Is a creature OF the ex-
! ecutive fails in the performance OF his duty, you
are the organ through whom the executive de.
| partment Of the government. ts informed OF the
fact OF such .remissness. If there is a law Of the
| country which does not work well. and which
should be repealed. 1t is through you mat the
people e can an Request 5sc51 OF Inc iSsY pasIIio sna s6e she a lem
slemen O; the jury, your duty is very important
The trust that Is reposed IN you Is {. great one.
Il cannot out be expected, gentlemen, tnatln
| the radical changes which have come over our
| country, particularly in the laws which have
been constructed for the administration OF our
local affairs, 1t cannot.but be expected, l say, tnat
mistakes will occur. the laws unoer WINCH OUT
local affairs are administered are entirely new,
| entirely unknown In the country before. and even
the best men viii be liable to err IN their admin.
istration; aud particularly, gentlemen, Wnen new
RSE, dQU, III ,lU6u3 lu9lnQlC53 AAS
have been placed In office; and knowing human
nature as we do, 1t cannot but be expected, 100,
that there will be some instances OF oppression
among us, and that lraud Miil someeimss oe plaU,
the ones to bring TO the attention OF the court and
the country the omissions OF duty on the part OF
the officers OF the land; you are the medium!
through which the country Is to know that any OF
your fellow citizens have been oppressed, and
that any fraud or dishonest practices have been
perpetrated. And your duty Is more important
In that o man put IN of1ce is thereby inssstsa
can Cypress with IMMUNITY his fellow.cltizeas VINO
might be in humble circumstances and conse.
quently in fear OF the power OF that onlcer, and
who dare not bring him to justice. But, gentle
mep, 1 have pc fear that you will not appreciate
the responsibilities Of your position, and deal
Justly In all mar'ers brought up Tor your consil.
GRAFTON. irrespective OF consequences, 80 that me
humLlest individual can come before you and tell
his ale or wrong with an assurance OF perlect
!mpariality in the perform nee ofyour duty.
lou have also sworn. g, .tlemen. ana the court
would impress It up n your recollection, that al
the transactions III the roons OF the grand tury
are to be conducted with secrecy, and the names
OF no persons shall be revealed, asd nothing done
there is to be spoken OF outside. II q man comes
before you and reports that he has been Cypress
ed by q public officer. or other person mas suffer,
ed Injustice at his hands, and that man Is learlul
OF the power oil that person, Il Is your duty TO
keep the nane OF that man a profound secret anu
report the matter TO the court In order to have
the offender properly punished.
To come to particulars. 1t Is your duty II an
officer Of this court is negligent In the perform
ance OF his duty, or has committed an act Of op.
preston, or violated any law OF the land. 70 re-
port the fact to the court, and the court can ap-
ply the remedy, and In q summary NAME, com,
do 80 with regard to the Officers OF this court.
With regard to other officers OF the land-l'l
refer to those who are the appolntees OF me GOV
inquire II they have done their duty-acteo as
good: citizens aud officers OF the country, VINO
have an eye single to THE Interests OF tne coun.
try: or haze they made their ofdces q vehicle OF
plumber as c mea1s.o. livelihood, regardless as TO
whether their acts were according TO law or not.
You. should inquire diligently Into these maners,
aud report to the court any such violation q law,
and upon the verdict Of the petit jury against the
offender the court will impose the proper punlsn'
ment. You should inquire also as to the com
potency or these officers, whether or nos there are
among those occupying that position men lncom-
.petent to discharge the duties or their oh:e-men
OF bad character or insufficient education, so that
the Governor. might provide Tor their prompt re-
You should feel, then, gentlemen, the weisht OF.
the responsibilities that now rest upon your SHOULD
ders, aud particularly at this %Juncture OF a1airs.
All Of US desire a good government ana capa0ie
depends upon 1t, aud no body OF men Is 80 enec.
tive In reforming the condition OF the community
and bringing about those results which Will De
conducive to the welfare OF the citizens than the
RTHuu uEl vi IL NONuJye
Again, gentlemen, II there Is anything going on
In our com un.ty which Is notaussorissd 0y law,
you should Immediately inquire into the matter.
II has been brought to the a'tehtion OF the court
this morning that the Charleston Charitable AS
ISOLATION, for the-bene6r OF the Free School Fund,
Ia not authorized By law--in other Woras, .tnati !.
iS91otleryy aud ere court directs you 10 inquire
iutSdtFerysparticularly, and see whether or MOI
aIiS suchyan association as the law permits, aud
n It IS CUnducteGacc ding to law.
The court deems II necessary TO i'm press upon
sc1ion Of your business, and would Instruct yeu
further. ~ your duties thar it L necessary, IN al
cases. thai tWhIfe Of 1ou5 should aHrea before q
bill Sn1s S e ol g. fSsda Sn IL Msaqen ssnt h issp sour 'r room n
to be examined by you IN reference TO any case,
but II after the examination, OF one witness you
arrive ct che conclusion that the matter saoulu oe
brought to the attention OF the court, you need
90 no further. That examination Will sufnce.
But II, on the other hand, after the examination
.df eleven witnesses You are DOL et Sailsnea' itis
your duty 70 examine also the tWenta-to tthe
the testimony OF all unless you come 20 a concIu-
sion before. HE court will make q dfnereAt AZ
tApsementowith regard ito presenting the. olHs,
anu will District you upon the various onences
Charged. ~
thinks 1t worth while to speak, Is the subject OF
Jury daty. think II Is incumbent upon our clti.
Zens to perform that duty, and the court IL suuCh
with astonishment that so many, particularly
seek to rid themselves OF the performance OF tnls
duty. particularly when 80 much fault is found
with the government by this very class OF men:
They say that our government Is q failure, put
Just when the government so acts tn It the tntell-
gent people OF the country are selected to serve
upon the jury, they are nwnln TO come ior.
ward to the performance OF that duty. Now, the
court will see that they obey the laws in that re-
spect There may have been q wrong impression
among the people with regard to the matter. Ine
law says that q dafaulting juror shall be nned
twenty dollars. Now, as far as the fine Is con.
cerned.t tie court canu0r impose more, but VIII
say this, mat any Juror who despfses the process
of this court. and fails to appear without o good
excuse will ind himself In jail. 1t a duty owe
to the country to set an example and am deter
mined TO do it..
STATE CouRr.-The Court of General Ses-
slons was opened yesterday morning at IL O'CLOCK
Hon. R. F. Graham presiding. The grand jury
were called, and thirteen answered. Five jurors
were then, by order Of the court, ed oy
md tho