New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-11-11

The Rights OF Counsel.

.:caas are 70 be denied the right O: Ge!ense
by counsel. 4. any rate. lawyers who take
charge Q: cases for Republican prisoners
are - be identified with the C:ieases.
which. according to ;ae theory OF tae pros
ecu;;on, their clients nave committed.
The following communication OF MI.
White illustrates the difference IN this re-
epect between the Democratic press OF
Franklin aHi ths Republican journals
everywhere. In a lawyers war ike the
present. one would suppose any infringe
:ue... o: the right. o: ,he knights Of the
green Das would be promptly irowued
down:
ERASxL.S. La. November :. !3::.
Eo:roR REpCB.ICAS:
pern;. ms to use the columns OF your
paper 70 reply to mos. violent atsac
agaas. me in the Enterprise OK this place,
0. q recent date. the article was written
because appeared as attorney tor twelve
colored mea WHO were charge! wish sios
and assault
The laws 0. our State guarantee 20 every
prisoner ...uch counsel as ne may desire.
and i. is the duty OF the court trying him
TO see ths: he is heard by an attorney. Now.
suppose q brilliant and talented lawyer
had been assigned by :he court to tile de-
:ease Of .Lese prisoners. In such an event
they w0.id have had ;1losc able clanp ploo.
Th. sun can. not shine without dazzling,
and every act OF man OF genius j. stamped
with the impress Of greatness. " zen that
attorney saw q point in favor Of his clients
ne would take advantage Of i as naturally
as the blacksmith strikes while the iron -
hot. Il is natural tor lawyer to lit.ga:e,
70 Ii Oh. owe: his ground inch By inch:
NV defense was as mid as defense
could be. Idenouced the fonen.ors ct race
prejudice IN the most unmeasur9d terms:
| deprecated il, and advised the colored
people always 70 bear jus. as much wrong
as it was possible tor human nature to
endure.
Tae article said that when my speech was
ended 1.-The blood OF every ju-yman there
was boiling with volcanic teryor," and that
they were "a &c: Of iIturiated negroes pant
iny for vengence on the white man. no.
ticei one or two of them more than halt
asleep. and the only time they were thor
oughly aroused was when the attorney tor
the prosecution was addressing them. It
was an extremely long and t!cssome case.
and was argued late a: night.
Only shor: time ago. ! cleared colored
woman for killing a colored man. and many
said that it was very bad case. and that
she should have been condemned to the
Penitentiary for fourteen years. But was
no: ,ualigned for that. Now. l submit TO
the calm tribunal Of publ, opinion this
proposition: When the coloced people zee
sucn violent feeling aroused. when there ls
question Of race involved. does Il not
have a tendency 70 keep up tae race pre;u'
dice:
I defv any one to show tia: did any
thing in the cOnduc: o: that case which
could not legtimateiy be done by an attor.
nev for the defense. When the prisoners
objected to Juror challenged him. No
attorney for the defense will permi: his
client to be tried by those Of known hostil-
,ty to him, if it can be prevented. As to
bribery of the jury. which is mentioned in
the same issue Of rhe Enterprise. defy any
one to show the slightest shadow of suspi-
cion against me. was not paid enough for
common assault: and battery case. and q
bribe from me would have been an anomaly
indeed.
As to "the curses Of the great Cod" am
no. afraid to meet tina: Gcd who ais con.
suminy fire." and who says ''the wicked
shall be turned into hell" aud from whose
eternal and implacab!e wrath I know there
is no escape for the c0rrup: a. heart. I am
ready. as the writer Of :hat article. 10 lag
my heart bare to the scrutiny OF Infinite
Justice.
The article in question says that stated
that the tour prisoners mad hern nuntea
down by band Of white men, This is
not true. ! did not sag SO.
have been assailed a g:eat many times
within the last two years. DEFY any OF
those who have slaniered Me to show by
facts and figures that deserve their furious
onslaughts. can. at least, without any
hesitation, say that am no more depraved
than the very best OF my :raducers. They
seem to be determined to blast my eputa.
ton. have bu: one course to pursue. l
shall use al! diligence 10 take care of my
character. aad shall leave my reputation to
be taken care Of By those vill;fsrs. feel
that these calumnious shafts rebound from
me as cueri;e darts from FURNISHED shield:
perhaps they may We. recoil upon those who
hurt them. I could reply in caustic Ian
guage. Human nature prompts Us to obey
the !er talsuis, bu: shall leave time to tell
Its own story OF me. W. e. WHITE.