The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-10-28
sbeceh ofw. c. Benei, Esq.
Time: 4ss to 6.A--s hours and 8 minutes.

Time: 4.8S TO 6.4-2 hours and 6 minutes.
We are indebted to the Angusta Chronicle
! for tho foliowingrspo Of Mr.. Benet's speech
tThnt paper had d correspondent here last
week in the person of Mr.. c. H. Noise OF
lsumter, who has written several very inter-
esting letters Gom.this place for that paper:
The next speaker was VIC. Benet. Esq.
his address was, as 1t should have been, ne
being leading eSn2 aax f9 Film oae 'da aesu not p sms
INIT q proper description OF MS masteriui ar
leulnent~; Language Calls me to relate the pow
Ter OF hts fesoquence, the beauty 3fdfso1Rn;
6SarffeIt interest m behaifiof his unhappy
client. very brief sketch grafton, for 1t
such it was, is all that I can attempt.
MI. Bo~netcommenced with q 6eautifai and
deceased, and on the 'tgreat race" from which
he sprang. He then denounced In scathinE
Language the unusual and unnecessary EFFORTS
made BY The State 70 hunt ferguson 70 ms
death. He spoke Of the highly improper at
titude OF the distinguished counsellor on be-
half OF the state, who INDUCED In clandestino
communication with the jury, by look II
glance, and sometimes ny sn nee gso So ar,s
counsel. "Why all this array Of talent7"
"Why was the ex-Attorney General OF the
State, the present District Attorney OF ING
b mnwn Tor his great legal attachments and
the power OF his oratory, added to the elo-
auent Youmnns, to aid the only Solicitor In
State Colonel James L. Orb whom ho
the speaker) dreaded TO encounter?"
1--WE have here, against this poor, lonely
and almost friendless man, the most able
jury lawyer in the STATE, TWspre ssa aggs the
Noise, inherlting with his blood his grand
talents and overwhelming energy OF the
grand race to which he belongs, as the chosen
representative OF the Hebrew race"
aWhy all this ? For what7"
aWere there in this case thirty, citizens,
with u heinous crime, such extraor-
binary efforts might be understood.
"Can it be that the Hebrew race and the
State OF South Carolina cannot trnst : jury
Of the county to do Justice between the ac-'
cused and the Slater II 80, l repel the Charge
With all the energy Of honest Indignation;
q hearing Condemned before a trial,
Tne leading paper of the State, the NetDs GnH
Courier, calls this inquiry, as 70 O citizen,s
guiIt.o Innocence THE Abbeviile A6omlnai
and this atrocious sentence Is copied
throughout the State. I thank General Hemp
hill. Of the Ab6euiIe Medium, for his brave
words published before this jury was empan-
nelled, asking for this accused, ana nn lUr Imi Eat1
trial. (Here the speaker read exsracts rom
leader In the Medium OF the ZZd instaht.l
aOther papers have bounded down Tins John
ty Of Justice" "Look out for Lynch Law"
similar expressions have been used IN rela-
Have these editors forgotten, in their doubt,
bitter struggle before English juries to estab-
fish the liberty of the press? Shall they turn
IlbertJtr license and dictate verdlets 70 Ju-
ries ? Mhy, even our United States senator,
Gener Butler, is censured by the leading pa
per o;1the State because, forsooth, he has
appear as one OF the counsel Tor cit
VIII WITH n neA'A
Auudbnt have been made to that great jurist aud
great n IN. Lord Erskine. Need 1 remind the learned
counse the Demosthenes OF the State, who had some
to the .thens, Of Abbeville county, that LORD Erskine
was gr Ftest Of oil 10 u%phoisding tia Hn liberty . o. the IN ~,
ch rged with libel, the King and the Prince OF
Wales bit him word not to appear In the caee. HIS
hiend.l ord Lauehboroushs worn E, hin Of his dan dan
;f;;;;s' V ia 's4 '' E'' '' Sc ' ''s' 81 e'i' viii i'' defend
aConparipg small thing to great, too have been
suproabed, and have been told I could not aff'rd to
defend any man, however blood. stained he may
,nnsar.i he calls upon me-. / do not blame my able
md learned friend, the Solicitor, for doing bis whole
md I will do my duty while God gives to my arni
strength and to my tongue the power or speech"
Its impossible 10 put upon paper the earnestness,
he subdued fire, the boiling Indignation, as depicted
s proclaimed by bis tremuloas yet powerful voice.
70 Mr. Benet then took up the various sneefing re-
marks Of the counsel for the State, and s%astigated
that little green book" What expressions to use on
his grave and awful occasion. lie commented In
ind but stringent terms on the action of Col. YOU
mans in turning this tragedy into high comedy.
,ression suggested By that little green eyed monster
a?They had nothing on their side to COM
with it. They would have had the jury to be,
eve that the book was devised by the attorney "