The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1876-03-22
judge MnclSey's Vindication.

In tho house of representatives.,
when the resolution looking to IN
investigation Of tho official conduct
of Judge AIackcy was offered, Mr..
Crittendon made long md forciblc
speech in opposition to tho move
mont innuguratcd--by Yocum, the
sheriff Of Chester, it is Supposed
against Judge Mackcy, Ho stated
it to bo his honest conviction that
the movement against the Judge was
prompted by the worst of motives,
and that to encourage it would be
to lend aid to dcfcnt Of justice
He quoted from several prominent
gentlcmon in tho sixth judicial
circuit, to show that the impcach
mcnt of Judge Mackcy would nc
complish no good whatever. The
vote was taken upon u motion to
lny the resolution Of investigation
upon the table, and that motion was
carried by decided majority
all the conservatives except one
voting in the affirmative. Judge
Mackcy has received many COM
plimcnts since his election to the
bench, but the highest cncomil,m
with which he las yet been honorcd
is found in this action Of thv conscr
vativc members of the house. We
take for granted that these who
thus took the sido o. The Judge in
the very serious cimrgcs brought
against him, pursued that course
nIviscdly, with full knowledge of
the fActs of tho case and with a full
realization Of It's great Importance.
Viewing thcir action thus, We arc
more than ever convinced that ct
least the major part of tho accusa
tons made against the Judge were
based upon weak grounds, and
were not such rs could have been
proven with sufficient certainty to
Justify II conviction in II court of
impeachment. Snch being the case
it is as well that Ills case WAS So
speedily disposed Of by tho house.
We must not be understood, how
o'cr, rs rcccding in any degree fro n
the position we have taken with
regard to the Judges action in
disclErging the grand jury of
Lancaster for their failure to find
Il true lill in " certain case. From
all that has been said on this sub
jcct, it seems possible that the grand
jury committed an error Of iudr-
mcnt- This has nothing to do with
the scliowS question involvcd-that
OF the right of a Judge to reprimand
and discharge Il grand jury for a
failure to find n true bill in II case
presented for their Investigation.
That question we would like to see
soon settled in some authoritative
form The sooner the relative
duties and tbc relative rights of
Judges and grand juries are
finally established the better Toy the
enforcement of law and the fun
protection Of the itc, liberty and
property Of the citizen.
Judge Mackcy's chief faults as
a lwdge are two--his fondness for
politics and his occasional
irrtabity. The first does not
enter into his discharge of his
Judicial duties, but it has the effect
OF causing people 60 look mpon
him more as politician than AZ n
Judge. THIS should not be. OF
course it cannot be expected that
Il judge shn,l1 have 30 political
views and political preferences of
his own, but these should be kept
concealed from public view. The
loss 4 jnilicial officer has to do with
Polltic%lphrties and political con
llcts, the better for his official
dignity and uscfuMcsa Judge
Nlackcys impaticncc and occasional
severity towards parties thrown in
contact with him in the court house,
arc due to two causes, tho one ;rcrcas-
ing the force Of the othor-a natural
Qnlckncss Of action and inrca'
cncc, sometimes running into i'm
patience. and EXCESSIVE work i'm the
courthouse. These causes can be
largely removed by shortening the
dally sessions Of court, and thus
atfording opportunity for that
relaxation which is really essential
alike to the personal comfort and
tho full efficiency of both Judges and