Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1860-11-15
From the Charleston Mercury, 9Th instant.
RESIGNATION OF FEDERAL OF.
FICERS.

At the opening of the District Court on
Wednesday, His Honor Judge Magrath
presiding, after announcing DEGREES, asked
if there were any motions to be made or or
ders to be taken by the gentlemen of the
Bar present. His Honor then asked if the
Grand Jury had any prescntment to make,
whereupon R. n. Gourdn, Esq, Foreman,
said:
May 1t please your Honor 1T is under
stood to be one of the functions of the
Grand Jury to make preseutments of nui,
sances, and to suggest to the Court and to
the country such reforms in law, or in its
administration, as may to them seem prop
er, These preseDtments are predicated up
on the stability of the Government, and are
designed to promote its gradual and steady
progress to the highest civilization. Hence
it was the purpose of this Jury to lay be-
fore the Court some matters suggested by
the indictments submitted to them but the
events of yesterday seem to render this un-
necessary now. The verdict of the North
ern section of the Coufederacy, solemnly
announced to the country through the bal
lot.box on yesterday, has swept away the
last hope for the permanence-for the sta
bility of the Federal Government of these
sovereign States; and the public mind is
constrained to lift itself above the consider
alton of detailsin the administration of Law
and Justice, up to the vast and solemn issues
which have been forced upon us. These
issues involve the existence of the Govern
meut of which this Court is the organ and
minister. In these extraordinary circum-
stances, the Grand Jury respectfully de-
cline to proceed with their presentments.
They deem this explanation due to the
Court and to themselves.
Thereupon His Honor addressed the
Grand Jury as follows:
The business of the Term has been dis
posed of. And, under ordinary circum-
stances, it would be my duty to dismiss you
to your several vocations, with my thanks
for your presence and aid But now have
something more to do, the omission of
which would not be consistent with proprie-
ty. In the political history of the United
States an event has happened of ominous
import to fifteen slaveholding States. The
State of which We are citizens has been al.
ways understood to have deliberately ly fixed
its purpose, whenever that event should
happen. Feeling an assurance of what will
be the action of the State, consider it my
duty, without delay, to prepare to obey its
wishes That preparation is made by the
resignation of the Office | have held For
the last time I have, as Judge of the Uni
ted States, administered the laws of the
United States within the limits of the State
of South Carolina.
While thus acting in obedience to sense
of duty, l cannot be indifferent to the emo.
tions it must produce. The Department Of
of Government which, l believe, has best
maintained its integrity and preserved its
purity, has been suspended. So far as l
am concerned, the Temple of Justice, rails
ed under the Constitution of the United
States, is now closed. If it shall be never
again opened, l thank God that its doors
have been closed before its altar has been
desecrated with sacrifices to tyranny.