Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-08-30
The Conviction of Judge Barnard-A
Warning to Unjnst Judges.

The trial Of the Impeachment of Judge
Court, as brought to a termination on
last SatI rday.
The articles of impeachment were thirty
eight in number. Upon twenty-six of
these articles the Court found the respOn-
dent guilty" and upon the others "nOt
guilty"
The sentence of the Court was that
Judge Barnard be removed from office and
disqualified to hold any office of honor,
trust or profit in the State. This is the ex-
treme penalty permitted in such cases by
the Constitution OF, the State of New York.
The New Y ork World says that if the
Court of Impeachment had 'Ebeen able to
find any eXtenuation of his judicial crimes
the lesser sentence of mere removal would
have been pronounced, instead Of fixing
upon him tie ineffaceabe stigma Of per-
manent disqualification for every office.
intellectually, Judge Barnard was very
we'll equipped for the bench. Quick and
energetic in the dispatch of business, and
fearless public opinion almost to defiance,
he needed nothing but incorrupible honesty
to have been one of the most useful magis-
uates among the thirty-two judges of our
Supreme Court. Unfortunately, he broke
down i'll that one quality which is as in
dispensable in a judge as courage is in q
soldier or chastity in woman; and he is
thereby irreparably disgraced, as soldier
or woman is when the cOwardice or the
lmpurity is established by evidence
his is the way in which criminals are
disposed Of in New Ork, even though they
may wear the judicial ermne and sit in
the highest courts in the State.
We commend the fate of Barnard to
some of our North Carolina- judges. And
they may well heed the advice i'll view of
the habit, that las grown up Of late years,
OF following so closely i'll the footsteps of
our New York brethren in all matters per
tlning to law and legal practice
Under the code and practice in New
ork. judicial corruption ana tyranny in
creased to such an extent that the people
ana the bar rose up en- mdSse and de
illIIded reform. The Impeachment and
convection OF Judge Barnard and the en-
l"fred resignation of other judges will
uolbIless do much to purify the bench in
tilAI State We doubt, however, whether
liiIs mode of proceeding is remedy that
Strikes at the root Of the disease.
i'll North Carolina, since the dept ion Of
tins code and practice, it is undoubtedly
true that we have witnessed judicial cor
rption and Judicial tyranny. We are not
prepared, however, tC say whether or not
tlls corruption ana tyranny have been
produced by tine new system of law and
practice or whether they have proceeded
from the innate qualities Of those men
who have SO degraded the Bench in North
Carolina.
We are inclined to think that both
causes have united to produce the dis
graceful result. In the olden time the
Innate rascality of men found but little
margin for display upon the Bench, now it
mas ample room and verge enough.
In the olden time judges, if they did not
possess the virtue of sobriety, paid enough
respect to public opinion to conceal. if not
10 deny, the fact that they were drunkards.
Now grave legislator deems it no insult
10 The people or to their representatives to