Middletown transcript., 1874-08-22
observation, although It may look triae

formation OF a Republican meeting to be
held in Louisville to day. But although
be had just come from there and was an
interested party, he did not have sense
enough to give even tolerable expression
to his ideas, ii he had any The most
could get out Of him was that :, de
meetin was for the interest Of de Publ
can party"
" Who will speak I asked.
g Seb'rel gemmen, | s'pose."
% Who called the meeting?"
g do know, sab | s'pose de Publi-
can party"
And this man, ignorant and stupid al
most beyond the powet of language to fit
ly describe, sits in Judgment over the
rights of the white property holders.
hears testimony and intricate points of law
discussed, and gives decisions and pro-
nounces sentence upon transgressors.
The judiciary here. from top to bottom
is shame and scandal The Supreme
Court is composed Of three Judges" !"
one stupid negro, one carpet bagger
from Maine, and the other is none other
than Moses, the father of the disgraced
Governor, When the South Caroinians
compare their court now with what it
used to be they are ready to cry aloud
with anguish.
lie LOOKED GUILTY.
A lawyer from Che aster, heavy negro
county, gives me many incidents illus
trating the Africans judicial capacity
Not long since Il negro offender was
brought before nc gro Trial Justice.
The prisoners offence was, in fact, no of
fence at ALL and it was only out of malice
that he was arrested a white mana
most respectable armer--had given him
some cotton seed, and he had taken it
without thought but what the title was
good. But another negro claimed the
cotton seed, and had darkey No. arres-
ted for stealing. The Trial Justice heard
the testimony and sentenced the poor ne
gro to ten days impr sonment and twenty
dollars fine, although there was not par
ticle of testimony upon which he could
reasonably base conviction. 1t happen
ed the Circuit Court was in session and
the Judge was informed that an innocent
man was in Jail. He had the Justice be-
testimony, which the law declared should
be in writing
Z" hain't got any, said the black JUS
tice. don't do no writin in my court
keeps it all in my head"
i" What testimony did you have against
this man J" demanded d the judge
He could not give any.
"Then why did you convict him +? u
the Judge asked.
Cause, sab, noticed him close, and
he looked guilty
" You convicted him then on his looks
and not on the evide nee 2"
d" Yes, sab, he looked guilty and
found him guilty"
The black judicial officer was theroupor
given some advice as to how to conduct
his . court" and de parted with bow ant
a " Yes, sab"
NICE OFFICIALS.
asked the law yer as to the othel
t Chester county officials. He informed IN,
that the county was represented in th,
Legislature by three members, all negroes
One of them was preacher, whose pecu
larity was that he would never take NOR,
for his vote than SO He did not thinl
it was wrong to sell his vote, provided HI
did not exact an exorbitant price Tel
dollars he considered the fair figure.
J 4" This thing of gettin "A hundred dollars
for vote" he says, " is all wrong /: tel
dollars is as much as it is wof"
The County Comm issioners of Chester
| was told, were two ignorant negroes ant
one drunken Irishman The juries in tn,
courts are usually CO imposed of four or iv,
white men and seven or eight negroes =
As jurymen TIE nrgroes all seem desirous
to do right, but the trouble is their igno
rance. In matters Of account involving
written documents and figures how is
negro to be of service as a juryman wher
he does not know u figure from an excla.
nation point? Another difficulty expert
enced with them as jurymen is tho con
: stant effort required to keep them awake
In hot weather, under the soothing inAu
} ences of testimony and argument of which
, they understand nothing, or at best bu
little, the African disposition to relapse
: into doze is almost irresistible. In tht
courts here the testimony aud argumen
are frequently Interrupted by the Judgs
ordering the Sheriff to wake up those
, jurymen." If the Judge has not had his
dinner, or if, having it, it sits heavily OF
his stomach and he feels generally annoy
ed, he sometimes breaks out, after shor
stock of patience il exhausted MIR
Sheriff, wake up the IN niggers /"
To us outsiders nll this may be very
amusing, but to the people of South Caro-
lima it is sad reality and the humor i.
lost in the gravity Of the situation. They
look at each other blankly, and say :
When and how is this joint reign o
, ignorance and rascality to end ?"-Cor
rcspondcnce Cincinnati Commercial
Do you believe what the Bible say.
, about the prodigal son and the fatted