Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1871-12-23
Judge RocIscfcller's Charge 90 tho
Grand Jury or MOnfOur County.

on Monday last, Mt Danvile, Montour county.
On opening Court tho Corrt House was filled to
Its utmost. Amer the Grand Jury was en-
panclled the new Judge delivered his charge to
them ne follows,
GENTLEMEN OF TuE JunY Tho institution OF
Grand Jurcs hold tho most distinguished place
In all places aud devices established for securing
the wise and uniform execution of the criminal
law. This institution, 1t Is said, Is the boast of
the common law aud that the era of Its COM
meucement Is concealed behind the veil of u very
remote antiquity. The origin of charges to
grand jurles, which were no doubt introduced
and properly Intended to assist them In that duty
to which they are callcdby the country, Is per-
haps equally ancient. To assist them In the per-
formance of their duties Is the primary aud priu-
cipal object of charge by the court, but dlgrcs-
sous, In the strctncss foreign to the occasionare
frequently aud perhaps properly INDUCED cs-
pecially at the first or last Sessions OF u recently
elected or retiring President Judge.
! Under this Indulgence we may he allowed at
this time and In this place to congratulate the
people of Montonr county aud of the Judicial
district on their good fortune In the past OF the
present Il Is moi for us to speak, and of the fu-
turc II is not given us To know. Previous TO the
year 1850 all the Judges Of the several courts Of
this State were appointed by the Governor, but
In that year the constitution of Pennsylvania
/ was amended, aud from that time all Judges of
| the courts have been elected by the people. The
! first election under the new amendment was held
| In the fall of 1851, which resulted In the choice
of the Hon. Alexander Jordan, of Sunhury, Nor
thumberlund county, as President Judge of this
the eighth judicial district of Pennsylvania.
We need scarcely say that Judge Jordan has
| acquired and mcrited most enviable reputation
as u jurist, and no Common Pleas Judge has ever
retired from the bench amid greater expressions
/ of profound regret on the part of both the bar
and the people, All believe him to he an honest
man, Christian and gentleman, Having
served with so much satisfaction for two success
sive terms ortwenty ycurs,no ouc doubts hut that
had his health permitted him to uccep. II re-
nomination, he would have been again elected
for another term without opposition. At the
last September Sessions he delivered his last
charge to II grand jury of MontOur county, and
whilst ii Is to he hoped that he may long live To
enjoy retired lie, the scene here Is entirely
changed. Other faces are seen and other voices
are heard ullrunishing us of the successive
! charges that are continually going un all around.
We ARE fully impressed with the great rcspon-
sihility that dcvoves upon us In assuming the
judicial functions. 1t matters not what may
have been our experiences rs an dvocatc or
counsel, rs II Judge It can hardly be expected
that the business of the courts will at once be
conducted with rs much dispatch us might be
done by one with twenty years experience on the
bench,
Our aim and highest ambition will be to ad.
minister the laws of ptnusy sylvnula with strict
imparlmlity, aud to the hest Of our Judgment,
mctc out evrnhanAcd Justice to all.
The due administration nt Justice cannot be
tho highly appreciated. II comes homc To every
one. The people look To their courts of Justice
for protection in all their rights, uppertaining To
life, liberty and property. No greater calamity
could bc'all II free people than to be burdcucI
with corruW or Inefficient Judiciary. They
stand between the honest ana the dishonest, the
pure aud the corrupt They must be actuatci
by pure motives and honest intentions. They
must possess integrity of heart, ilrmncss without
ohstinacy, discretion without timidity, knowledge
without conccit ANA Judgment without prcSump
lam 81 Nnit1 t1,.1 l,s
law gnorantly, partially or uncertainty admins
tered, Is the worst KIND of tyrlny.
We live In an age u: crime. Murder stalks
throughout the lund, and crimes of every grade
are icuriully on the increase. In this judicial
district, within the short space of II few months,
no less than three wilful murders have been
committed for no other or manifest cause, than
that the unfortunate victims were willmg to
work for reasonable wages to earn bread for
their dependant families. Yet no citizen or oil.
Ger o! the law has ever made the slightest effort
TO bring the perpetrators Of these horrible out
RACES to Justice. This shoad not be SO. It is
the duty of every good citizen and of every peace
officer. when II crime Is known To have beer COM
mttcd, be il what it may, to use duc diligence In
endcuNuring 10 ferret Ou the criminal and have
Him puui,hcd The time has come when the
courts must ngiGly enforce the criminal laws of
the land. The cnd ana object of all human pun
iNhmcnt is the prevention of future offences of
the same kind first ny the umcndmcnt of rctur-
nation of the offender himself; second, by de-
tcrriug Others by the dread of his example from
uilcnlng In like manner, aud lastly, by dcpriv
Ing the parry mjuriug of the power TO do future
mischief Experience has convinced us that in
our day the mi,duCss of the courts sentences has
not had the desired effect \ fine of few dol /
lars or an imprisonment for a few months In the D..
county Jail, where access by friends Is freq lcnty
permitted and ever encouraged, has generally /
had but slight, 1t any, influences IN tIc rclorml {
tion of the culprit, and he only remembers his /
trial. conviction aud punishment with feelings of
contempt Inr the weakness Of the law and Oi dis |
regard for the penalties It imposes.
Geutcmen, you have jast been sworn TO the F.,
exercise of one of the most important parts ot /
the administration of public Justice; you are to I.
stand Ia the middle, to guard, protect aud justify
the innocent man from The false suspicious aud T.
accusations, and ut the same time to guard the .
laws, TO bring the criminal TO Justice and see
that the public laws are not suffered 10 be VIC. /
lated with impuuity.
Your office h but temporary, but at the same
time let 1t be deeply Impressed upon your minds |
that II is of the utmost Importance to you, your /
families aud your fellow citizens.
The man of whom the drstmics of this great .
nation once seemingly depended, after having |
successfully commanded her armies, aud after .
having iicd the highest Office In the ylft of the .
American people for eight years, was afterwards .
called to act as n juror, an IN that occasion, .
freely aud unheStatiugly declared that of all /
the positions he had ever occupied, he felt, that
to act as juror on questions Involving the for /
was the most important,
Would that all men when they are summoned |
to court rs Jurors would earnestly reflect upon .
the grave Import of their duties aud how Naslly /
they concern their fellow meu.
You have, by your oalhs, appealed to the Su.
preme Being to Judge of the integrity Of your .
deliberations and prcsentment,, aud this trust Is .
one oi those of which YOU must give an account ,
at the great day. You have Iirst sworn that yuu
will diligently inquire aud tue prcsrnluicnt (
make of all such articles, matters and things as /
shall be given you Ia charge or otherwise come I
To your knowledge, touching the present service,
the Commonwealth Couusrli your fellows, und /
your own you keep secret, that you will present |
no one Tor envy, hatred on malice, neither will |
you leave any one uuprcscntcd for fear, favor or
affection, hope al reward or gain, but that You
Will present All things Truly ns they come To Your
know ledge according to the bost OF your under
standing,
The subjects ON which your deliberations arc
10 be exercised are such us are given You n
charge, oT such as Nuu know ul your own kuoWl- I
edgc-biils ot indictment, with the uame, of the
Witnesses, Milbe given Nuu hN the District At
torucy Tor an nilruccs known 10 hiu or tur which
public prosyvutiu have bucu cuulmvucydi but II /.
the jury, ot thcir owu kuoN Nlvige, az the kuuwl-
edge ol ANY "i lhrn, 90 nom the examination uf