The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1878-12-21
GETTING EXCUSED AS A JUROR.

Mr.. Robert Stevenson, it seems, is n goot
citizen, and lives in the city of New York
lie is member of the Reformed Presby
terrain Church, whose members, as 4 rule
do not attend elections, and rarely vote
lie was recent, ." -oued AS Juror il
me Marine Court of that .;,, T.
conformity to the principles ana
Of his church, he asked to b. eacussaf atfii.nn
the performance Of the duties of Juror,
upon the ground that a juror is, in his
opinion, an executive officer, deriving his
powers from the Constitution. which in no
respect recognizes the existence OF a Su.
prcme Being, and therefore our Govern
ment being organized under such Consli-
tuition. is a goddess Government, which he,
as conscientious and od-fearing man,
cannot recognize. Thus divesting himself
of his citizenship. the Court very properly
excused him. Like all other persons of
extreme opinions, of course Mr.. Stevenson
is involved in very serious inconsistencies.
Being man Of property. he pays taxes for
the support Of the Government he disowns,
and in many and various ways he cannot
escape the recognition Of his Government.
But our object in noticing the peculiar
views of this gentleman, is to speculate
upon the result, were all other people of
peculiar religious notions to act upon the
same principle-some for one and some for
another reason. From what source would
the average intelligent juror be drawn,
were such excuses available? Most men
are averse to juror duty. The best jurors
are those whose time is valuable and whose
private avocations are pressing. Comment.
ing on the fact, the Tribune very forcibly
says:
Now. when a man wishes to dodge the
duty, he says and swears that he is sick, or
that his business is pressing, or that he has
~ formed au opinion and does not think
that he can render an uuprelu JUDGED verdict.
The judges, through long experience. know
the precise value of these excuses Though
for the credit Of human veracity are
sorry To say il, these pleas are usually shams
and subierfuges, the empty nature of which
is frequently detected. But what could be
done, If the whole panel should solemnly
affirm that every man IN II had conscirn-
tIous doubts of the validity of the Govern
ment, and could not honestly serve with
out an amendment of the Constitution ,
One need not be Reformed Presby teran
| to be n no government man. \ great many
of the old Garrisonian Aboltionists were of
that sort, and though they paid taxes with
more or less cheerfulness, they would not
vote, and regarded the Constitution so
much waste paper. Fortunately, man
with decided notion that the court has no
| business to be a court, aud no right to en-
| force its decisions, is not precisely the man
who is wanted on jury. He would be
too apt TO disagree.
The most difficult and delicate thing in
this world 10 manage or persuade is con-
science. Perhaps that is the reason why
there is SO little of it in politics. Gener
| ally, we must take mans word for the
| genuine character OF his scruples. Ii is
not polite, it is hardly moral to question it;
at the same time, perhaps, too little i'm
portance is attached to the imperative ne
cessity Of educating the conscience prop
erly. In one sense, even an erroneous con
science is respectable; but the nearer it is
intelligent in its convictions, the better for
| its pnssassor