Blackstone in his well known commentaries has divided the subject of law into two divisions: the law of Rights, and of Wrongs.

The first of these divisions is subdivided into the law relating to persons, and the law relating to things or property. And the second division is subdivided into private wrongs and public wrongs. Of these divisions of the subject matter, that author says: Now as municipal law is a rule of civil conduct, commanding what is right, and prohibiting what is wrong, * * * * it follows that the primary and principal object of the law are Rights and Wrongs. Rights are liable to another subdivision; being either, first, those which concern and are annexed to the persons of men, and are then called jura personarum, or the rights of persons; or they are, secondly, such as a man may acquire over external objects, or things, unconnected with his person, which are styled jura rerum, or the rights of things.

Wrongs also are divided into, first, private wrongs, which being an infringement merely of particular rights, concern individuals only, and are called civil injuries; and secondly, public wrongs, which being a breach of general and public rights, affect the whole community, and are called crimes and misdemeanors.1

It is the design of the author of this work to give a general outline of the law of public wrongs, or crimes and misdemeanors, and of the mode of practice and procedure in the courts in the trial of criminal causes

1 1 Blackstone Com., 122.