Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-08-08

OF THE COURT, FROM AN uNhA
PFcTFD QUARTER.

Chancellor Royce and the Vermont Central
yrSnrcArIoN OF THE COURT, FROM An uNEN-
PEcTED QUARTER.
The scurrilous charges brought by MI,
Sanborn, special railroad correspondent ana
Editor of the Springfield Republican, against
Judge Royce of the Supreme Court oil ct
mont to the effect that he had been cap
tured" by Governor Smith that ne Is i
"rinr iudge." and that by corrupt decls-
ions and subserviency to Governor smith ne
is making the name of Royce to stink'
have at last attracted the editorial notice
Of the St. Adams Messenger. The Messenger
now devotes to the subject four column
leader. the more material portion of which
we conv below. In reading it, it is to be
remembered that the Messenger is bitterly,
though guardedly, hostile to Governor
Smith and the Central trustees and mana
gers. What personal piques before the
recent suits and complications, and what
subsequent considerations of interest and
ownership, led it into this position, 1t Is
not necessary to inquire. twill be enough
flour readers remember that its position Is
not friendly to the managers or as the
RepuJLoan-having first explained that
Bradley Barlow of St. Adams Is ian able
man. who knows all Governor Smith ;
secrets and now detests him most cordial
ly"-puts it: albert Clark, OF the
St. Adams Messenger, sides with bar
low in his warfare on the Smiths
That side of the warfare P" had pinned
great hopes on the result of the petition to
the court for the removal of the trustees,
and the adverse decision of the court was
heavy blow to them Yet the Messenger Is
constrained by its sense of justice, lin part,
too doubtless, by force of public opinion,) to
acquit Judge Royce of corruption or cor
ruptibility, and to bear testimony to his
ability. integrity and high purpose OF duty
Under the circumstances, the Messenger
article is the severest rebuke to Mr. Sanborn
that has as yet appeared in any paper
The Messenger represents Judge Redfeld
asa mere man of straw in the case, not con-
suited as to the decision permitted only to as
sent to Judge Royce's opinions after they
were announced, and thus made to serve
merely a. a sort of buffer to ward off adverse
criticism. We do not think Judge Red
field would have consented to hold any such
relation to the case. We understand that
he was invited to sit with JIdge Royce IN
the trial of the case: and that he was con-
suited before. during. and after the testl-
mony; and it is fact, which the Messenger
seems to have forgotten, that the main de-
cision in the ease-that on which the case OF
the petitioners, broke down, and upon hear
ing which their counsel announced that he
should advise them that they had mistaken
their remedy, viz: that the court would not
20 into the matter Of the ear wheels, as 1t
involved an accounting, which would
come properly before Master inChancery-
this decision, irdS announced by JUdgeRedfleid-
We see little else, calling tor comment, in
the article. We copy it,omitting the open
ing paragraphs explaining why the Mes-
sengcr has not noticed the Republicans let
tiers before, and why it does 50 now, which
are of interest chiefly to the Messenger sub
scribers. There is also a column and hall
at the close, containing a great number OF
"supposes - some hits (Which do not
touch us) at 81 hired writers, and journals
that have not published line Of the testi-
mony - some talk about 'selfconviction too
apparent for discretion and too restless for
repose,'' which we do not exactly under
stand, but suppose to be an allusion to the
Messengers state of mind; statement of
its own disinterestedness and self-sacrihce,
so exalted, it would seem, that they remind
its editor of Christ, though Of course with
no distinct intention of comparing himself
to the Redeemer of mankind a confession
under sudden revulsion of feeling, that he
is mortal - an expression Of desire to
" favor the right, and pious committing
of" the rest to God. These, our limited
space does not permit US to copy to-day.