Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-04-22
The South CarOlina Political Trials.

now progressing IL INC Cultcu
States Court at Charleston. Our
Charleston contemporary published
a day OF two ago letter from the stall
wart Attorney General of the United
States, written in exceedingly high and
lofty tone, in which he Indignantly re-
PEELED the charge that these trials were
! political, and declared that in carrying
/ them on he knew neither Democrat nor
Republican, but simply desired justice to
be done. Yet the toneof his recent letter
to Dallas Sanders, United States District
Attorney, at Charleston, was political,
ard nothing but political throughout
1t said. as plainly as if he had expressed
it in words, that he wanted prominent
white citizens of the State. G., promi-
nept Democrats-brought to trisl. and
made examples of, and no one could
possibly read the production without
seeing partisanship in every line, and
without being convinced that his main
object in urging these prosecutions was
to arouse thereby sectional prejudice, in
the hope of advancing the interests of
stalwartism.
1t Is evident also that Mr.. Brewster
has an earnest coadjutor in his efforts to
revivify and strengthen his party by
thus arousing sectional prejudice and
hate in United States Judge Bond, who
is presiding at these trials. Not only
has that official manifested undue and
exceedingly unjudicial anxiety to convict
the Democratic election managers
brought before him, but his rulings have
been simply outrageous. AS we under
stand the case, he has decided that an
cd law is still in existence which governs
the practice In United States Courts, TO
the effect that the defendant can have
but limited right 10 peremptorily chal-
leuge Jurors, while the United States can
enjoy that right to an indefinite extent.
Under the operation of this ruling, the
formation of the iuries in these South Car
olina cases has been placed absolutely IN
the hands of the prosecution, and they
have used it numerically. Generally
speaking. as soon as any man of known in
telligence and responsibility has been
proposed as a Juror, the government has,
at once, ordered him to stand aside, and,
in consequence, the attorneys have been
able to give to the juries just such politi'
cal complexion as they pleased. And as
indisputable evidence of how they have
exerted their power to pack the juries
with Republicans for the purpose of in
surfing convictions, the jury now engaged
in hearing the cases Of the managers of
Mayesville precinct, in Sumter cOun-
ty, is composed of eleven Republi-
cans-of whom six are negroes
and one supposed Democrat. 1t is easy
to see how Democratic election man
ayers, guilty of nothing but obeying and
respecting the laws of their State, can
thus be easily convicted. Yet Mr.. At
torney General Brewster, in the face Of
these facts, actually has the Impudence
to treat the people of the United States
as idiots possessing no intelligence
whatever, and expects them to believe
him when he says these prosecutions are
not political.
The animus of the administration and
of the court is, however, too apparent
for even the simplest mind to be deceived.
! The sole object of these trials is, as We
have said, to make party capital, and it
is hoped that this will be brought about
in two ways. First, by reviving the
spirit Of sectional bate and prejudice,
which, under Garfeld's conservative ad-
ministTation, was fast dying out; and,
second, by Africanizlng the State of
South Carolina. By convicting, and
either Furnishing. or making a show of
magnanlmity by afterwards pardOning
the victims of Republican packed juries,
it is hoped that white men and Demo
Gratis will hereafter be deferred, through
fear, from attempting TO save their
State from Radical misrule, so that
control of the elections there in future
may be given over wholly to negroes
and their Republican allies. This is
the whole end and aim of the admins
tratiOn and the courts in this matter, and
it is useless to assert otherwise. Should
it be effected, with what unbridled
license fraud, corruption, extravaganza,
robbery and misrule would run riot in
cur sister State, let the days when
Radical pets such as Patterson, Moses
and the rest we're in power testify.
But even if it were possible for the
feeblest intellect to believe that jus.
tice and not partisanship is the object
of these prosecutions, the outrageous
packing of jurles which has been
and is allowed is simply vile 1t
was by exactly such means, and we
believe by the operation of this very law
to which We have alluded, which Judge
Bond has decided to &c in force in this
country. and under which ne ia allowing
these iuries to be formed, which enabled
Jeffreys, of world renowned infamy, to
pack his iuries and accomplish mis- judi
cial murders during the reign of Charles
| II. and James II. in England, and made
him the detestation and disgrace of the
civilized world. The whole country is as
much interested in discoHntenancing
such mode of procedure at this time in
South Carolina, as is the South, or that
State herself. Sectional prejudice and
hate cannot prOftably be INDUCED in, nor
can the country afford to permit them to
be revived. especially at tine expense Of
Justice. If the South Carolina election
managers are really chargeable with any
serious offense, then let them be fairly
tiled. But every section of the land
should unite in denOuncing unfair trials,
and convictions secured through most
fragrant partisanship and infamous jury
packing.
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The bill before the Dominion Parlia-
ment Incorporating the International
Construction Company has passed the