The news & observer., 1901-03-10
IMPEACHMENT TRIAL
WILL BtGtN MONDAY
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continued from nfSt pdSe.b
and Sheridan-the English Demosthenes
and the English Hyperides; there was
the ingenious. chivalrous and mgh-
souled Windham there was Burke,
ignorant indeed, or negligent, Of the
art of adaptin his reasoning and his
style to the capacity and taste or ms
hearers. but in amplitude of cOmprehen-
sion and richness of imagination, SUI
perior to every orator ancient or
modern. Hastings advanced to the bar
and bent his knee. His counsel accom-
panied him, all OF whom were after
wards, by their talents and learning,
raised to the highest posts in their pro-
fession.'
The trial of two Supreme court judges
by the Senate next week will in no re-
spect compare in ceremony and magnlfl-
cence with that of Hastings or Presl-
dent Andrew Johnson just arter our
civil war but it will be a notable and
historic event and will mark an era
in the State.
In these times when judges of the
highest court in the land are accused OF
partisanship and are on trial for hlgh
crimes and misdemeanOrs, the following
may not be altogether uninterestlng. II
is an editorial from the Raleigh Sentl-
mel of March 3Oth, 1871, when Coy Jar
, Wis was leading movement IN the
Legislature to impeach Judge Jay
Bird" Jones and Judge Greasy sam
Watts. 1t is interesting not only IL
that connection, but 1t recalls blts OF
forgotten North Carolina history and
has a wonderful timeliness. For these
reasons it is worth its ink and space
| here:
| TWENTY TWO JUDGES HUNG.
king Alfred was a great as well as
| a wise ruler. He was more than hun
dred years ahead of the age in when he
| lived One of the great difficulties he
had to encounter was that which today
| disturbs the whole people of North Car
olina. We allude to a corrupt judiciary.
/ Old Alfred, we are told, hung twenty
( two Judges. If he ruled in North Caro-
| lima today and had undergone no change
i since the days he ruled in England, we
are sure he would have more than one
judicial hanging. Alfreds ruie WAS to
hang judges for, corruption always, and
sometimes for false judgments. I'VE do
not read that old Alfred whipped
judges. but we are inclined to the opin-
ion that he did. and the historians OF
his day failed to record it. Hanging
was so common it was thought unneces-
saly to dignity minor punishments by
giving them historical notice.
THE people of Orange, in 117l, ran
the judges off the bench, out of the
courthouse and into the woods. They
whipped members of the bar for taking
sides with the judges. SO late as 1868
the grand jury of Orange presented
for indictment, all the judges of the
State except Judge Mitchell. for enter
ing into the political arena. They pre-
sented Gov. Holden and Gen. Miles also
At the last term of Orange court the
grand jury indicted Gov. Holden Tin
Lee had a capas for him when he flee
the State under. preteXt of going be
fore the Outrage Committee at Wash
ington.
IF old Alfred ruled in North Carolin;
with his sentiments little humaniZeC
we believe he would not hang but de
pose most of our judiciary. We thinl
, he would take them in this order: First
+ Chief Justice Pearson; second, Judg
; Watts; third, Judge Jones; fourth
Tourgee: fifth Cannon; sixth. Henry
: seventh and last. ali the balance in. on,
> general order.
while we would not resort to tn
: cruel and barbarous means adopted b,
King Alfred yet we do earnestly com