The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-04-01
TUESDAY EvEN'G. APRIL /, 1873
Judge Rives and HIS MaIigners.


ence heretofore to the recent attacks of the :
Conservative press of Lynchburg upon the
character Of Judge Rives, preferring to
await reliable advices as to the nature Of the |
grounds for such attacks. We find in the ,
Lynchburg Press of Saturday the follow
ing no doubt fair and truthful statement Of
the case, and, in justice to gentleman
who has ever commanded our highest re-
spect, transfer it to cur columns:
Some Of the newspapers of this city
have in repeated articles. couched in
studied terms of insult, assailed the Judge
of the United States Court sitting here
during the present term. No judge Of any
bench, in the State or out Of the State,
commands the respect of the bar and Of
the suitors of his court more universally
or more undoubtedly than Judge Rives. No
court was ever conducted with more order,
more urbanity to all, more dignity, and
with more absolute freedom from every.
thing calculated to offend or to excite the |
feelings Of the public, than this court.
There has been no jar Of any sort during |
the whole of the present term between the
court and bar, or between members Of the
bar, or between any Of the throng which |
have been in attendance. Decorum, good
feeling, order and amicability have
thoroughly characterized the session, a
state of things which, as all know, more
depends upon the bearing Of the presiding
Judge than upon any other circumstance.
Everywhere else than in Lynchburg,
and by everybody in Lynchburg but
a portion of the press, Judge Rves has
been treated with, and is universally con-
coded to deserve, that profound respect
which worthy citizen, good man and
learned lawyer, sitting upon bench which
he graces and adorns, always commands.
But there has been scarcely an occasion on
which he has held court here, on which
he has not been vituperated from the same
quarter as now in terms of wanton and scan-
dalous malignity.
"There has been no complaint, such as
these papers are so full Of, in the court
room. Of all the able and spirited law
yers Of this region, in attendance there,
not one of them has expressed dissatslac-
ton with the judge in any respect, nor ex-
hibi.ed it, and, we dare say. nor felt it.
And surely the bar of Lynchburg is not
one which would remain dumb and abject
if any foul wrong or bold usurpation Of
authority should be committed by the
Judge. So far from demonstrating with
anything which has been done by the
Judge, or uttered from the bench, the bar,
have, without exception as to individual or
as to occasion, shown the utmost Difference
to the judge and satisfaction with his
course. This is the testimony of those
who have witnessed that course; and nc
outcry, no abuse, no insult against thu
Judge has come, except from persons who
have probably not put foot into the cour'
room during the entire term.
{. There has been no real cause for the
vituperation to these persons. What ha'
been the alleged cause? 1t seems that il
a conversation between counsel and thu
jndge during trial. the judge remarked
that forming two lines of voters at thu
polls was illegal, especially when done t.
prevent part of the voters from casting
their ballots that there was no more pro
priety in forming two lines, according to
color, than two lines according to rich O
poor. Then one Of the counsel said, il
may be done to avoid mob or riot
This counsel may have used the words
disorder or riot,' or the words blood
shed or riot The judge in reply simply
repeated this counsel's words, whateve
they were (for they attracted no speca
attention at the time,) and said. better
even, bloodshed or riot whatever tn
words of counsel were,) than that citizen
should be prevented from casting thei
votes. 1t was simply repetition by tn
Judge of the words put in his mouth, an
remonstrance against that or any pre-
tense being used TO prevent citizens fror
exercising the right of casting their votes
''Another charge is. the defendar
being on trial for hindering the votin
and it being testified that the judges {
election tamely permitted him to act as h
did, that the Judge remarked, that the
were really the responsible persons, an
ought to be on trial for the offense. If til
remark by the judge was calculated t
have any effect on the trial at all, its ten
dency was to qualify and relieve the offenc
Of the defendant. 1t was simply an ALI
cation that the judges of election were th
persons who were really responsible fc
the offense. M
"We think the foregoing is q fair stat
ment of what occurred; We certainly in
tend it as such. 1t attracted certainly n,
general attention, and We think, no atten
ton, in the courtroom. The unluck
words, however, got into the notes Of III
reporter and were discovered there by II
irate editors who have made all this indil
nant outcry against the judge. Isl.
'The cutlery has been raised, howeve
from a very low standpoint Ii
standpoint of mere partyism. The publ
know how to estimate such assaults fro,
such quarter, and we don't think that
Judge who commands, to an enviable d.
gree, the respect of all who appear befo
him. can in Virginia and among Virgin