Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1876-04-20
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and Indignantly, Unexpectedly and
incoherently express their condemna.
ton of Gov. Porter for appointing
Judge G~illenwaters' successor so soon
after that gentleman's death and
that Sullivan county, of all others,
should volunteer to take the defense Of
Judge G's memory into her special
keeping is, to say the least of it, q
little remarkable, to put it a little
palmer, it is simply incredible. The
people of sober old Sullivan did not do
any such thingl
Here are Johnson and Carter, Wash.
ington and Handbook, where the great
bulk Of the Judges political friends
live. These counties hear OF his death
with sorrow-his untimely death is in
very truth a great loss to them, for he
was, in q measure, their captain, their
leader, their admirer and friend-but
they bow to the dispensation of God
with the calm dignity of stricken men.
Here is Hawkins county, where Judge
Gillen waters had been born and raised,
where his relatives and friends lived,
where the mar was known and appre,
ciated for his moral worth. his Christian
department and his enlightened public
spirit. Here, among these people, the
blow fell heaviest here were stricken
hearts and wounded spirits: for a
husband, a brother, q friend, a nelgh>
Dor. had gone down to the grave in the
prime of his manhood. Hundreds of
poor men were anticipating a busy
summers work to be paid for out Of
his means. These hopes we're shatter,
ed when his death was announced.
And yet Hawkins county does not
rush in mad excitement to the Court
house and pass Incorporate, insulting
resolutions, because Gov. Porter ap.
pointed a Judge to hold the Courts of
the country. Nobody here ever thought
for a moment that the Governor of the
State intended any indlgnity to the
memory Of the dead Judge.
Sullivan county never come forward
to champion Judge Gillenwaters when
he was alive that county had but few
kind words for him when kind words
would have done him good. But now,
to the amazemeot OF quiet people every
where, what do we see? Why. a great
string otlesolutions, purporting to come
from the people of that county fercely
%denouncing the Executive of the State
for appointing Judge Gillenwaters' sue
cessor in indecent haste and indigni.
ty to the dead"
We cannot believe the people of
Sullivan county had anything to do
with tho setting up Of those indecent"
"hasty," ill. hammered. uncalled for
resolutions. The thing is not in accord,
ance with the character of these quiet,
sober people.
The friends of Judge Gillenwaters,
h%ereabouts. utterly fail to appreciate
the resolutions Of that Sullivan meet.
ing. The hollow hearted hypocrisy of
the whole thing is too apparent. And
while they do not hold the real people
responsible for what has been put for,
ward in their name, they do feel in>
disnant at the few disappointed little
pettyfoggers who were SO willing 10
dodge behind the dead Judge to strike
the living. For, after all, the whole
thing is only "a mean slap at Col. John
A. McKinny.
That a few hot headed, incorporate
men should bring the whole legal pro.
fession into disrepute and contempt in
the eyes Of the people is to be regretted.
But the banner in which some of the
lawyers have cut up ridiculous ''shines"
in regard to the Judgeship in this circuit
is humiliating. They have allowed their
zeal to outrun their dignity a long,
way. Let us think back a little. Think
of an Eakin, a Taylor, Mckinney. Blair,
Nelson, Aruold-these old men, who, by
their splendid abilities, their profound
legal learning, and their professional and
manly dignity, made the Bar Of the
First Circuit illustrious, and themselves
famous throughout the country and let
US turn and look non at the pack of little
fellows-small squirrel>tailed, fox.eared
~chaps-hopping about, growing, snarllng
and whiniug,some Of them were in the field
in such"hot haste''with their petitions for
the appointment that even the Republican
paper at Jonesboro' cries out in indignant
scorn "the friends of some of them had
but little respect for the honored dead to
be circulating petitions before the remains
of Judge Gillenwaters had been deposit
cd IN the grave"
Neither the friends of Col. Mckinney
or he himself circulated airy petitions in
regard to bis appointment after the death
of the Judge. 1t had been understood
he would resign and with this understand
ing a recommendation Of Col. Mckinney
had been forwarded to the Governor. That
recommendation, as We understand, was
signed BY thirty three lawyers-some of
them men of as high standing as any
connected with the bar Of East Tennessee
Judge Gillenwaters died away from
home the courts we're going on. The
Governor knew there was no provision in
the law for holding courts in case of the