The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-08-01
JUDGE KERSHAW AND THE NORTH.
ERN PAPERS.

'bloody shirt" and in making an unjust
and unwsrranted' attack upon Judge
Kershaw for his decision in the revenue
cases. The questions involved were
purely legal, and the decision, which is
an elaborate one, is rendered in digni-
fed and legal strain. To review the de-
-cision would be a work Of supereroga-
ton. There is but one tribunal to re-
view it, and it is presumed that in the
due course of time the Supreme Court
will review it, and either set it aside or
confirm it. The conflict OF jurisdiction
between State and Federal Courts is not
an uncommon occurrence, and such is
likely to be the case as long as the gov
ernment lasts. The New York Evening
Post seems disposed to look ut the whole
matter from a common sense standpoint,
and its criticisms and structures on the
other papers for their TRADES is pointed
and pertinent. There are facts connec-
ted with the revenue troubles in the
mountain regions of South Carolina,
these papers seem to. ignore. A few
years ago one Alexander Mattison, a
revenue officer, captured one Davis, who
had been or was engaged in the illicit
traffic of whiskey, and after disarming
him, brutally shot him dowr as though
he had been, hog. Mattison was ar
| rested, and was in the hands of the State
authorities and held for trial, but the
Circuit Court of the United States issued
writ of hc6eas corpus, and MattisoD,
instead of being tried, was thought by
the best government under the sun to be
worthy of higher honors, being promoted
to higher and more lucrative position
| in the civil service. Whether govern
ment or its judiciary can be accessory
after the fact is question yet to be de-
cided; but it does seem that it has re-
| ceived, relieved, comforted and assisted
at least one felon, which if an individual
were to do, he would be treated as an
accessory after the fact. No doubt the
Ladd murderers thought the Court would
follow the same precedent in their case,
| and hence their great anxiety to be trans
| ferred to the United States Court.
AS our readers know, when these four
revenue officers had accomplished their
bloody work, they fled to Greenville,
and with the facility which characterizes
many Republican officials, they had in
vented beautiful story entirely exone-
rating themselves, and which they spread
over the country with electric speed, and
an ignorant public was almost ready to
exclaim, "Well done, good and faithful
servants" But for the timely and gen.
erous action of the Neaos and Courier in
sending faithful correspondent to sift
the whole matter of these revenue trou-
bles, Justice would still have been slum-
bering on while the blood of poor Ladd
would have been crying in vain for ven-
geance.- In Greenville these officers were
arrested, and afterwards appeared before
Judge Kershaw, and moved to change
the venue to Anderson County. The
motion was granted. Then the plot to
escape justice began to thicken. Again
appearing before Judge Kershaw, with
the United States District Attorney, and
an ex-District Attorney for counsel, they
moved to transfer the case to the United
States Court. Judge Kershaw refused
the motion. He realized the Importance
of the decision and the grave questions
made, aud after patient and calm inyes-
tigation, with law and argument of coun-
sci before him, he filed, as before stated,
an elaborate opinion, and upon an hypo-
thetical case that if the United States
Court in issuing writ of ha6eas corpus
transcribed its authority he would disre-
| gard the writs. This has set the "outrage
mill" to grinding for the mex. campaign,
and with pens dipped in infamy blacker
than ink, they slander Judge Kershaw
when they state that he openly sides with
the illicit distillers, and does all he can
to prevent their punishment. Another
paper with equal baseness-with an Sin
solent, overbearing, tyranical, insubordi-
nate" desire to misrepresent, traduce and
.yilify our people, and with a cheek as
unblushing as ever the afather of lies
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