The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-08-13
OUR JUDICIAL SYSTEM.
THE SPECIAL TERM OF THE UNITED
STATES COURT.
A Sudden Adjourhment-The Way
Jurfes are Packed:A Promise OF q
Full Disclosure OF the Radical Jug
glery.


The Circuit Court OF the tsa state1 con-
vened at this place yesterday, lfspeeiA term,
and on the same day adjourned. Ghe only
maoFs of any Importance beforaolt were the
cases of onesr.ta persons charged with vio-
lations Of: "tho enforcement act" Sn or
dA wa1 efanted for the discharge of W. H.
Trezevant, who has been the victim ofSmost
f.rocious persecution on the part of the gov
crnment officials, both civil. and military,
giving great plcklngs TO the greedy cormor-
ants who habg about this codrt epd rake up
the prosecutions. This case has cost the gov.
ernmsnt great deal OF Nancy, but the con-
fesslon by all the parties engaged In 1t, that
the defendant is an ENTITY innocent man,
i kgs no blush. to the face of the officials, but
only makes them more hungry for new cases.
It ls with the officials Of the government only
q question Of making money. Congress, at Its
last session, made ridiculously 16Fge appro.
priatlon for the extraordinary Expenses Of
these trials, and the sleuth-houn6s' OF the law
are determined that they will show now 'e1-
traordinaryn the expenses can be-.
1t is whispered among the knowing ones
that Judge Bond had denied authorizing the
special term, as the order for i6e same >had
been Issued by Judge Bryan alone, after the
former left Charleston last spring; but those
who ought to know, say y was at the special
instance of Judge Bond. 1t has always been
bath In this State and North lrolina, to hold
the court in te,rore'n over the unfortunates
within It's G6tches. The court being manipu-
lated as terror to keep the people OF the
up-country out of politics.
The sudden adjournment was not, there
fore, q surprise. But 1t seems 70 me that
Judge Bryan would have been oil ked to ad-
journ for another reason-even@ 40 1t not
particle of self-respect could haye ascended
the bench and sat face to face W Ith the grand
AMI petit juries OF this special term.
The jnrlps brought 10 this place In Novem.
)ber last, at those notorious assizel and THOSE
produced at Charleston in April, - Dow to
have been carefully packed with negroes, Rad
Ical officials. members OF the Legislature, and
others of violent partisan feelings. But on
each Of those occasions there were five or Six
men OF respectabillty to be found upon the
grand and petit ries. At this special term
an observer wound have been struck with hor-
rcT II the spectacle presented by the Jurles OF
the court. Nearly every man upon both Juries
was as black as the ace of spades. The jury
box, from which they were drawn, on the In
Even the mulattoes seemed on this occasion
to have been excluded, andlesto white men
their faces were not to oe So.
As one glanced at the eager countenances OF
these Jurors 1t was amusing (if scene of dis
gust can be SOY to watch the dlsappoint-
ment when 1t wa1n4nouoced that the court
would adjourn. Doep anu oltter were Tue re-
diets already made up. Another feature about
these Jurors, worthy Of note, Ia that they were
not only black, but as we were assured by
gentlemen from many OF the counties, most Of
them were persons who have been prosecutors,
informers and witnesses against the accused
they were brought here to try.
1t Is perhaps net known to yonr readers
how these jurIes are obtained. Under on
order passed when Judge Chase presided al
Charleston, the clerk was directed In April of
rave re1sns Ts" "eollectors Of the State to ffs
each one hundred names, and the three hun-
dred 40 furnished were placed IN the ]ury-oox,
and from II the clerk and marshal have drawn
the ,urIes. Mr.. Corbin, the district attorney,
Ia said TO have been the inventor ana proPosel
of this order. At the time IL was signeo, Tue
cases to be tried were almost entlrety lor VIZ, ~
aaen Mt once that 1t was the OBJECT OF tne
order 10 get jurors who would convlct ln lnal
class of cases, and 1t may, therefore, be saiely
amid that since It's passage no fair or lmpartlai
lury has been drawn in the Circuit Court OF
the United States.
When the ku-klnX cases Decane proinIntI'
as those which tho court would try, these lacile
Internal revenue colectorsstook the cue al
once. The juries drawn for the speclaI tefn
came from the first box, specially prepared fol
| the occasion. aud have fully satisfied the eX
pectalions Of the most violent partlsans. Il
has. however, brought most complete disgrace
on the court which has permitted 1t. All THESE
matters of the packing OF juries and stufang o.
the Jury boxes a9e well known to the olllclals
abont the court, and must be 10 Judge Bryan
he will fall far short Of his duty II ne ever al
lows another Inror to be drawn therelrom, mo-
| tn say that he, as q man, would be derelct lt
everything becoming man, II ne does NOT pro
trct his fellow-cltIzeDs from this post deIesi
| able outrage, and clear the court over Wnlcl
he presides Of disgrace more tn 40 odlous: u
| would he no more than right In MIN tnaC ne
order the Jury box to be taken from tine place
Suhsnce last il came" and be carried to the
Mace of public execution, and Dy tne common
hangman be burned. u,,, f,,,
We are promised ct q near day Win lul
disclosure of the frauds practlced in thls mat
fer of Iurles, how they were ootaineo, ant
,1ho were ihe directing and controlllDe
snirits therein. OF Mr.. Horlbeck, the ett1cien
clerk of the court, it is known that he no
only knew nothing OF 1t, but views the Whols
Thing with horror and disgust. vi Juog'
| Rrra1's opInions In this matter, every one II
we'll satisfied; what his iellow-citlzens com
Main OF ia, that, knowing he will not act. Q.