Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-10-06

monthn confined in Jail, and have been
pronounced innocent by a well-selected
jury. They were most of them poor peo-
pie; they were taken from their homes
and from their daily work, necessary to
the support of their families, imprisoned,
subjected to enormous charges of counsel
and witnesses to prove their innocence.-
The merciless vindictiveness of the 'best
government on earth" was not able to
convict them of any crime, even construc-
tive, and they were pronounced mot
guilty. But IS any reparation made for
the outrage, for the false accusation, for
the arrest and illegal Imprisonment, for
the expenses to which they were subject
ed to regain their liberty, for the loss of
time and the ruin OF their crops, and for
threatening starvation Does the best
government make any atonement for the
grievous wrong? Not a bit. The only
sign of repentance is the seizure of q fresh
batch, to be subj ected to the same indig-
nifty and torture.
The case of one of these acquitted is
singled out for comment by a Raleigh
paper, and the details thus given:
On the 30th day of June, F. A. Shot
well. respectable young man, and the
son OF Presbyterian minister, was ar
rested and committed 10 Jail without o
hearing. In Marion, thirty miles from
his home, the Federal court holds it's ses-
sion. This young man was handcuffed
like a felon and taken to Marion. From
Marion he was brought TO this city and
lodged in Jail until the 9th day of Sep
TENDER.
Imprisonment without hearing before
judge or other officer Of the law is the
highest crime against liberty and law.
The trial of young ShotweH began On
the 18th and closed on the goth, when the
jury pronounced him not guilty. The
Jury who tried him were political enemies,
picked, not by drawn ballot. as all iuries
| should be. Nor is that all. A paid prose-
cutor Of the unoffending boy acknowledged
to his shame IN open court, that he gave
the marshal directions as to what manner
of Jurors should be summoned to sit upon
| the case. When the jury pronounced the
| boy guiltless and the court was about to
order his discharge from the fiends who
had for their love OF torture, shackIed his
limbs, the malignity Of his prose cutor,
| heretofore solemn, could no longer be sup
pressed, and with the fury in his eyes and
blood rushing to his face. he said. "Not
50, your honors; we have other charges
against him." The boy is remanded TO
the dungeon, where he remains for eight
days longer. Paid spies aud detectives
were at work day and night. They put
questions and made promises to induce
| men 10 TESTIFY aBdlueG uelouO@A''
For once malignity itself is satiated, and
Phillips agrees to young Shotwelis dis
charge. A more abominable persecution
was never known, except among canniba!s
and brutes. This prosecution and perse-
cution of an innocent boy shocks every
principle of humanity and law; it's parallel
in North Carolina can only be found when
Holden turned Kinks hell hounds loose
Hpon the people of Alamance and Caswell,
when irons aud ropes were used with a
liberaity becoming Spain in the days of
her bloody Inquisition. We need not call
for it. as such lnhumanity and violation of
American law and liberty is sure to receive
the indignation of every lover of liberty
and law. Such enormities must bring
down the adherence of the people upon
the heads of the oppressors. Such legal
lied iniquities shall have no abiding place
among us.