The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1882-1884, 1882-08-31
THE HALIFAX CASES AND THE FED
ERAL COURT.

"A plank In the platform OF tn
South Carolina Democrats read
thus: ''The practice of packin
juries in political cases in the Unite
States courts in this State is q Grin
inal violation of the inalienable rigf
of every citizen to fair trial by
jury of his peers.''
The above appears in the NeU
and Observer of the Goth inst, and i
published without comment. Thi
is significant.
The firmness and unity of purpos
with which the Democratic admins
tration and the people of South Caro-
lima met the instruments of tn,
Federal Inquisition in the political
election trials, in that Staye las,
spring, was proof presumptive and
confirmatory that her administration
knew the legal and political rights
of her citizens and dared to protect
and uphold those rights against the
encroachments of arbitrary power
1t was an example worthy of imita.
ton, and at once reassuring and con.
selling to the victims of Fed.
eral tyranny similarly situated in
other Southern States.
But it met with, and still meets
with, no responsive echo from the ad.
mlnlstration and Democracy of
North Carolina in a similar emergen.
cy.
So far, our gallant standard bear.
er for Congressman at large, Judge
Bennett, is the only man, the only
Democrat, in the State, who has
risen superior to the petty caution
which seems to environ the admins.
tratlon and pre- SIS of North Carolina.
and with the courage of his convic-
lions, publicly denounced, as it de.
served to be, the desrotic and arbi.
trarv manner in who the Halifax
cases were dealt with 1t the late term
OF the Federal Court in the city of
Raleigh.
We have been waiting, listening,
for the Democratic press of the State
to open in manly denunciation of
such glaring usurpations as charac.
terlzed these trials. But, as vet, no
voice, save one, has been raised by
the press or people of North Carroll.
ma In denunciation of the criminal
0tolot'om Of the inolienoble right of
"e c'f'ze" TO q fair trial by q jury
Of his peers"
Upon subject of such vast i'm.
portance, such vital interest to the .
citizen, our leading journals are
quiet, the administration is silent
and the Democratic Executive Com.
mlttee of the State is dumb.
If the Democratic party would !
live and prosper, if it desires to be !
looked up to. and relied upon by the ,
honest freemen of North Carolina. If .
must do better than this.
Its protecting egis must cnfold =
and uphold the working, voting 7
masses of the people, and not per. !
nit them to be thus run down and :
crushed TO earth by this jugqernaut
d a corrupt and blood-thirsty oil. r
sarchy, without raising a voice or a .
helping hand to stay such monstrons =
wrong. :,
Federal authority must be re-. ~
strained and confined to its leaiti. 7,
nate' con stitutional sphere. The n
party is the only power ..,
lie only hope, of staying the onward II
narch OF Capitalization, and of &C. N
such result. It is the ~
arty OF National unity and peace :;
Is the party of the people it is a y,
oeral conservative party; and, no A.
latter what its faults, it's PRINCIPLES -;
Just triumph and rule America for !.
ne perpe tuity of free government :;
ersonal liberty, and the inalienab,e -,
ghts of man. ~
The rights pertaining to the sever. ~ ~
States under the constitution n,s+
o rA,aoto5 '''o'ion must trt
respected, and held inviolable =.
= III 'hls' and this alone, lies the ~
eau strength and indestruct,bilitv -,
our system of government. All -;
e ask is fair and impartial .d. me
'nlstration OF justice in all section. -
the Union.
we Go nos desire to see any more ON,
Oh partisan trials. for politica, 80
rposes' as those of the Halifax mo
ses' recently conducted at the j,
'pltol of this State, when our in. COO
cent countymen were ILLEGALLY inc
n'.ceeo oy careless and ignorant are
y. 1hese trials, in the cir terrible mar