Year: 1859

The following paragraph is from the Troy (New York; Times of March l6:

 "One of those petty suits peculiar to the country, which originate more in spite and enmity than in any actual merits in the case, was tried yesterday at the iustice's court, before Justice Dexter The parties to the suit are neighbors, residents of Mill vile; the plaintiff being a rich, influential farmer, and the defendant a pretty lass of '' sweet sixteen," the daughter of a Metho- dist clergymant The suit was brought for trespass, the plaintiff alleging that some two months since, the defendant nude c mark on his .tenee Ga white picket one) with c iead pencil, on her way to school, for which he claimed damages. The suit attracted quite a crowd, most of the spec tators being neighbors or friends of the parties; and it is said that had the day been pleasant one nearly the whole town of Brunswick would have turned out en masse to witness the progress of the case, so great was the interest awakened in it. The prin- cipal witness for the plaintiff, his son, tes- tifed that he saw the defendant mark the fence, whin the latter testified that there were marks on the fence at the time the plaintiff alleged she made the mark. She also testified that on the occasion referred to, she hal the blunt end of her pencil turned towards the fence and if she made any mark. 1t was done thoughtlesslv or in aIvertently, only for the length of a step or so. Witnesses were introduced to show that ill-feeling existed between the families, and to prove the amount of the damage done by the defendant The justice, al ter hearing the case reserved his decision.'

 Had we been in the place of the opulent farmer we are satisfied that we should have leaned benignantly over our white paling and said to the pretty preachers daughter: My dear, you may mark on our fence whenever you please" We should have watched for her daily journey to school and always have had a jolly word or two to say to her. After few days of such mag unanimous and phianthropic attention she would begin to stop and chat with us, tell us of her home joys and school sorrows, conGde in Us, take big apples from us, come in and scrape acquaintance with our riamilv, be our friend, read to us, sing for us, tell stories to our light infantry and shed aroud us the joyous sunshine of her frequent pre- sence. We should have done almost any thing rather than bring suit against her for damages.

 We give the paragraph, however, as an illustration of the disposition of our north ern cousins to indulge in mean and petty litigation. In the north thousands of eau ses are brought before the minor courts. on grounds equally trivial. The bar is filled to overAowing with pettifoggers whose di- minutive souls are precisely adapted to this small rotatoe litigation. They are not on y ready to undertake the little dirty bu- siness presented but it is part of their trade to toment quarrels, knowing that all quarrels end in lawsuit The cost of suit in magistrates court amount to few days only, and a fee of two or three dol lars will secure the services of any one of the lower grade of hungry limbs of the law. This petty litigation is just as common in New England and the States populated by New England, as are the Iyin gscandal and neighborhood islander which characterize every people who are ignorant of the re quTements ot honor and who recognize no code of honor Few among them scruple at cheating their neighbors whenever they can do 1t in way that will enable them to escape from legal penalties. Every little difficulty is attended with an exchange of epithets seldom heard in the lowest of our rumholes. The greatest wrongs. such as would cause the speedy death of the perpe trator among us, such as the seduction of wives and daughters, are invariably brought before courts and commuted for in dollars and cents, provided the injured party can afford to hire lawyers whom the party of lending cannot bribe. As there is nothing to enforce courtesy in daily intercourse. the most brutal violations of etiquette and de- cency occur daily in every village and neigh borhood of the north. Those who are van quished in the war of blackguardism usu- ally take out their revenge in slandering their conquerors. The whole machinery of their boasted ' society," seems only fitted to foster pusillanimity and encourage mean ness.

 A correspondent of the New York News referring to the Tribune's imputations against southern poets, writes a scathing summary of New England character. It is perhaps drawn in too strong language but it will serve to illustrate what we have said. The writer who signs himself Anti Pharisee, says:

 Mr. Editor, I am B years of age; of that B, 25, have been passed in the heart of New England l can speak of that people from the record, and if the production of divine and abiding truths, and glowing and elevating beauties, depended on the morals of a community, New England would be the last portion of the civilized world where l should look for them. In their dealings between man and man, q speak in gen eral sense, there is neither honor nor hon. esty Unless you can force payment, your dues are not worth a cent on the dollar No friendship, no relationship will deter them moment from committing any fraud or oppression upon you if it will bring them |