The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-25
THELAWS WELL ENFORCED.
Judee Speer on the Absence Of Crime
in SOulheTl Georgia.

the South NOW anu w nat III W OulQ
Have Been Had the Confederate
Cause Succeeded-The Work of the
Courts.
The grand jury in the United States
district court was impaneled and sworn
Yesterday and the charge of the court de-
iivered. Judge Speer's charge was a
strong one and in many respects an en-
tirely original one.
The grand jury consists of Samuel Her
man, foreman; A. S. Nichols, Albert
Jackson, Henry w. Palmer, C. Y. Rich
ardson, of Chatham county; James Coun-
Gil of Montgomery; E. c. Elkins, of Sore
ven: H. C. Grace and w. NJ. Daniels, of
Tattnall; w. n. Clarke and T. A Floyd,
of Wayne; l.. F. Shaw and G. @. Varna-
doe, of Lowndes; E. B. Arnsdorf, of Eff
fngham; H. H. Schumann, of Bryan; ].
B. Crawford, of Thomas; G. A. Register,
of Clinch; Morgan Brown, of Bulloch; H
]. Mobley of Liberty; ]. w. Mcdaniel, of
Irwin; B. F. Coleman, of Emanuel, and
Cuyler Hamilton, colored, Of Chatham.
Judge Speer charged the grand jury as
follows:
You have been selected as representative
men of the several communities in which you
live to make inquests to ascertain whether
crimes against the laws OF the gen
eral government have been COM
mitted In the Eastern division of the
Southern district of Georgia. Under the
constitution of the United States, no man is
held to answer for capital or other infamous
ofense except on the Indictment or present
ment OF the grand jury. 1t is an institution
peculiar to the English speaking races. 1t is
wise philosophle ana humane mat the clti-
zen should not be held to answer for crime
however serious in its character,
unless body Of his intelligent
and law-respect1ng fellow citizens present
him for that crime. Your inquiry will be linn
tied as l have stated, to accusations of crime
as defined by the laws Of the general govern
ment. These laws have been made for the
purpose of protecting the integrity Of the ma
tional government and they are also imme-
diately for the protection of the citizens who
live under that government You are as
much concerned in The Enforcement of the ma
tional as you are in the Enforcement Of the
state laws. For instance suppose you send a
registered letter through the mail and a pos
tai thief steals 1t. The offense is quite as in
curious to you, the loss is quite as great, as If
an ordinary theft or larceny, trilble in the
state courts had been committed.
THE CRIME OF CONTEMPLATING.
So too with those crimes which tend to
the degradation of the currency of the coun-
Accommodating the obligations of the
government, treasury notes, national bank
notes or the coin of the country. When a
man has made a contract, the profits of
which are to be paid in money. or has per
formed labor, the wages of which are to be
paid in the same way, II is great injury to
him If he Is paid in debased and spurious
coin. 1t anects, too, the credit OF the govern
ment. 1t is in every sense injurious to the
public, and therefore to each member of the
public Do not for one moment consider
then, that because you are summoned as
grand jurors of the United States court, that
there is any less obligation upon you to vigil
lantly and diligently and fearlesSly present,
than if you were among your neighbors in
your communities at home, in the sta e court.
You are not legislators. The national legis-
lature has enacted these laws. You had the
right, and have the right to elect your repre-
SentatiVes to the national legislature, and
your state has the right to send its senators
there. You have voice in the selection Of
the President who approves these bills, and
therefore those laws are made by the repre-
sentatives Of the people, and therefore by the
people, and therefore by yourselves.
You are enforcing your own laws. and as
have pointed out to you, you are enforcing
your own laws for the protection OF your
rights. 1t may be possible that some Of the
laws with regard to which accusations may
be submitted to you are not altogether as
well understood by you perhaps not alto
gether as popular as some laws which stand
upon the statute books of the state, But
gentlemen, you are not to be concerned with
that fact You can be readily made to under
stand them, and the district attorney is your
legal adviser. AS L have said, you are not
legislators-you are agents and assis tants OF
the law, but you are not lawmakers.
THE LAW WELL SUPPORTED.
1t is, perhaps, unnecessary for me to say
this much for you, because have never seen
anywhere such steady and uniform support of
the law, as there has been by the juries and
grand Jurles OF these courts, and it IS to that
reason that the happy condition of this dis
trlct with regard to crimes against the gen
eral government may be attributed. There
Is very little crime here. This district com
fhnV hn1 nf
OF Georgia. This division Of the
district more than one-fourth of the
district, and yet in the number of counties
embraced in this division, you will PROP
ably not find as many indictments as there
are counties, and yet will probably indict
every man whose crime has been ascertained,
anu Is worthy OF Indictment or presentment.
NOW certainly this is a very happy state of
aHalrS 1t is one upon which you should con-
graduate yourselves. 1t is one in which the
court has the right to take Just pride, and,
as nave stated, 1t exists because the men
VINO nave been selected for the important
functions you now occupy have DISCHARGED
Ihelr duty fearlessly. resolutely and fairly. as
TASK you to do, and as / know very wen that
you Will do.
... ALL Ex-coNFEpERATE SOLDIERS. -
The laws Of the United States government
are entitled to the support Of the people.
-Ihey are humane laws and they are hu-
namely enforced. II the methods OF enforce.
ment Of the laws in the United states courts
are contrasted with the manner in which the
Jaws OF other countries have been and are en-
forced. the contrast will present a mostfavo
aole condition for the humanity and the
FAIRNESS Of theenforcement of the laws OF, our
country.
=, AT no period of the history of the United
States have the laws been inhumanely en-
forced. No doubt it is true that Just after
our great civil war, when the passions OF the
pubic on both sides were EXCITED, injustice
was done, and no doubt bad men were in
once, because when the cauldron of revolu-
uon is seething and boiling, IL always
throws the scum of society to the top.
4oIV THIS is no longer possible in these courts.
~ IS Just as much Georgia court as If il we're
we court OF Chatham county. Moreover. it is
typical southern court. The district attor-
Hsey the marshal and the judge are all eX-con-
!euerate soldiers, but we are none the / SIS, on
mat account, devoted to the laws Of our COM
mon country, we are none the less resolved to
no all we can fearlessly and justly for their
enforcement. The philosophy of the laws
commend them to you. YouhaYe to consider
the purpose for which the constitution was
4uopted to see how strong is the claim upon
you for your favorable maintenance and
eHorts IN behalf of the laws of the general
We, the people Of the United States in
Ctuer TO form more perfect union, esta bish
!uaLlce, insure domestic tranquility. provide
LoF one common defense, promote the
general welfare. and secure the blessings of
HQerty to ourselves and our posterity, do or
q T and establish this constitution for the
United states of America"
WOULD HAVE BR1sTLED WITH FORTS.
Inc constitution OF the United States was