Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1875-02-26
JUDGE BOND AND THE CITY
rsILL-ANOTHEK DURELL OUT
xIsAGE-FEDERA INTERVIEW
rgOs EN STATE AFFAIRS.

A bill in Equity has been recently
filed by Duncan Holmes andDavid Gay,
two negroes of this city, plaintiffs,
against W. P. Oldham and 9th
ers, Registrars and Inspectors of the
election recently ordered by the Leg
isiature of North Carolina, to be held
in this city on the 18th of the com
ing month.
The bill was filed in the Federal |
Circuit Court for the Eastern District
of the State. and the order of Judge
BOND is that Mr.. OLDHAM and the
other defendants show cause on the
9Th Of March why an injunction should
not issue prohibiting the election,
&c. Copies Of the bill and order were
served on the parties yesterday
Judge BOND has one @omnendable
quality that his brother Federal
Jurist, the illustrious DURELL had
not. When DURELL undertook to set
aside the laws of the so-calied sover
eigu State of Louisiana, he issued she
order at midnight, bat when BOND
undertakes to set aside The laws OF the
so-callcd sovereign State Of North
Carolina, he makes no pretence even
of waiting for the darkness of midnight
to cover the foul deed, but proceeds ut
once AID III broad daylight to sweep
away, 10y a bold perversiCn Of iualcial
power, the last vestge of the right OF
local self government.
DuRELL. like an assassin, sought
the hour of midnight for his deadly
work il Louisiana, but BoHD. confident
in the power of the legiOns Of his
master, who presides over the destlnIJs
Of the nation at Washington, moves
boldly and openly to the destruction
/ OF the very existence Of North
/ Carolina as free and independent
member of the Federal family OF
States.
The people of North Carolina, the
people OF the South, the people who
| love liberty in any cline have little 10
| hope from Judge BoND. He IS NAH
despised and hated perhaps as much
as any other man who draws the breath
of life. The chosen favorite Of Grant
| in the execution of the most obnox
| ious laws ever devised for the oppres
| sion of down trodien race, BOND
| has won for himself an Immortality
of infamy unparalleled III the history
OF any English speaking people since
the days Of Jeffries. 1t was of this
man BOND of whom Senator BAYARD,
of Delaware, spoke when he declared
upon the floor of tie Federal Senate
aud in open session that as all innocent
man he would rather run the gauntlet
of the bullets Of a squadron OF Fed
raj cavalry than be tried before his
| Court that in substance ne preferred
MERRu.L's bullets to Bond instice.
This is the man before whom Messrs
Russell and Bailey, native North Car
oIinians, and Mr. Bailey, ut least, al
attorney -at-law under the old regime,
have preferred the complaint OF their
negro clients.
We are not sorry that the issue has
been joined. Ii the State of North
Carolina has any rights left that such
men as BOND and GRANT are bound to
respect it is full time that both they
and ourselves should know it. Ii the
Legislature of North Carolina cannot,
under an express power given to 1t
by the Constitution Of the State, pass
bill to provide for the organization
of one of its towns and cities without
getting the approval of Judge BOND OF
of President GRANT, we cannot be in
formed of the fact too SOON It may
be that BOND is eur master, but we dc
not believe it. The last two years
have been unhealthy for men OF
BONDS persuasion, for in that space OF
time the judicial heads of no less than
our of his brethren upon the Federal
bench have been laid low. The
places that knew SHERMAN, of Ohio;
DILLEHAY, of Kansas; BUSTED, OF
Alabama: and DURELL, of Louisiana,
now know them DO more.
Let BOND beware. The next Fed
eral House of Representatives will be
overwhelmingly Democratic. 1t is time
for men occupying high judicial position
to grow circumspect. If GRANT and a
Radical House. could not save DURELL,
can GRANT and Democratic House in
1876, or Will a Democratic President
and Democratic House III 1877, save
BOND ?
We welcome the issue then, for if
BOND dares to attemptto overturn the
laws of our State, he but speeds the
day of his fall from the Bench.