New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-06-11

exciting. We hear Judge exclaiming: Mr..
Attorney, l have overruled your point dis
tinctly at least six times If you make it again,
this Court will feel it to be It's duty to come
down and lick you out Of your boots p
while Mr.. Brass responds proudly and passion
ately, "Come on, your Honor and see who
gets licked frst.n Then both parties take
off their coats and roll up their shirt-sleeves;
ring composed of all the elOquence and
learning of the circuit is formed, while the
jurors get upon the benches to have ialrer
view. Then, once for all, the relative status
of court and counsel will be definitely settled.
If the lawyer whip the judge, the lawyers
points will thereafter be perfectly satisfactory
not to say irrefragible if the judge whip the
lawyer, he will be likely in the future to
keep civil tongue in his head. Possibly this
may result in a sort of armed neutrality, Ike
that which occurred when Daniel did MT care
straw for the lions, and the lions did MT
care straw for him. In such case, both
bench and bar may have time to consider
the smaller matters of law and justice.
Our next Judge does not practically engage
in the mOnomachy, but from his seat Of
authority he theoretically encourages the
others. His name is Hopkins, and he admin
listers the law in Atlanta, Ga. We must pre-
mise that Alexander st. Clair Abrams is the
editor of The atlanta Herald, and Col. Carey
w. Styles is the editor of The NeCs. Styles
charged Abrams with being partly of negro
blood, Abrams challenged Styles, and there
was the usual rigmarole correspondence which
seems a necessary preliminary of the duello.
But it all came to nothing. Styles qualified
and partially retracted, but refused to fight.
Abrams bought dOuble-barreled shotgun IN
order to pepper Styles into better frame OF
mind, and was just about so to pepper him in
the street when the Mayor lin proprid personal
and policeman arrested Abrams and locked
him up. He was taken the next morning be-
fore our excellent Judge, who decided the case
beautifully and after this profound fashion:
al appreciate the provocation to which the
defendant was subjected whenever charge
lis made by the slanderous tongue of another
"that his blood is tainted Il. e., the other
"mans blood), the imperfection of human ma
"ture (poor human nature y will, in the opinion
"of every man worthy to live, justify resort
"to the shotgun; but at the same time my
"duty is clear, and knowing the defendant, l
feel compelled to bind him over in $4,000
"bOnd." Verify, here be nice distinctions.
slandered man may resort to shotgun;
alter, we suppose, as to rifles or pistols. The
imperfection of human nature justifes resort
to the said shotgun, but at the same time the
provoked man is put under ponderous bonds
not to do what he would be perfectly justified
in doing Only blood can wipe out the Offense,
but the poor slandered one must not be per-
mitted to wipe it out, though "in the opinion
"of every man worthy to live" he has right
to do so. Judge Hopkins's decision certainly
puts the unfortunate Abrams in an embarrass-
ing position. If he does MT shoot Styles, he
is MT "wOrthy to live;n and if he does shoot
him, he, or somebody for him, will be obliged
to pay the large sum of $4,000! He has
promised his sureties that he will not Shoot
ergo, again, he is not "worthy to live" Thus
there is nothing for him to do but to shoot
himself with shotgun, other weapons, such
as rifles and revolvers, being left in position
of doubtful legality, even for the purposes of
suicide, by the decision of Judge Hopkins.
Poor Mr.. Abramsl All his Caucasian blood
has not saved him from fearful bOtberation.
He might as well have been born at least an
octoroOn. We fear that decisions like this
will hardly promote that peaceful state of
society which the South so much needs, and
which the best and wisest Southern men
heartily desire.