Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-11-16
BesiEnatiOn of Judge magrath.

The last term Of the United States District Court
in and for South Carolina, was opened and closed
on Wednesday. the 9TH under Judge A. &. Ma
GRArII.
At the opening of the Court Judge MAGRATu
delivered the final decree in the case of Ross C
DAVIS and others of the steamer Nina, and the Fire
Engines Companies VS.. The steamship Huntsville
He then inquired of the Grand Jury if they had
any pressuhnents to make when Foreman ROBERT
y GovRpN addressed the Court as follows:
May it please your Honor: 1t is understood to
be of the functions Of the Grand Jury to make
! presentmcnts of nuisances and TO suggest to the
Court and to the country such reforms in law. or
IN Its administration, may to them seem proper.
These preseuments predicated upon the stabili-
~ of the Government and are designed TO promote
It's gradual and steady progress TO the highest viii
Zatlcn- Hence IT was the purpose Of the Jury to
| lay before the Court some matters suggested by
the indictments submitted TO them: but the events
Of yesterday seem 10 render this unnecessary.
The verdict of tho Northern section of the Con-
federacy. sOlem y announced to the country
through the ball .-bON on Yesterday. has swept
away the last hope for the permanencc for the sta
biitv OF the Federal Government Of these SOVEREIGN
States and the public mind is constrained to lift il
self above the consideration of details in the admin
lstration OF law and justice up TO the and sol
elnn issues which have been forced upon These
issues involve the existence Of the Government of
which this Court is the organ and minister. In these
extraordinary circumstances, the Grand Jury re-
specufully decline 20 proceed with their present
ments They deem this explanation due to the Court
and to themselves
The Judge of the Court, Hon. A. q. hAGRATII, ther
rose in his seat and resigned his Office saying:
The business of the term has been disposed Of ;
an g. under ordinary circumstances 1t would be my
duty TO dismiss you TO your several ayocatlons,wltt
my thanks for your presence and aid But now have
something more to do, the omission of which would
| not be consistent with property.
In the political history Of the United States an
event has happened of ominoVs import to fifteen
slaychOdIng States. The State of which we are
citizens has been always understood to have deiber
ately fixed its purpose whenever that event should
| happen. Feeling an assurance of what will be the
action of the state. consider II my duty. without
| delay TO prepare to obey its wishes That prepa.
ration is made by the resignation of the Office which
! have held. For the last time have as a Judge OF
| the United States. administered the laws of the
United States within the limits of the State of South
Carolina.
while thus acting in obedience to a sense Of duty,
cannot lee Indifferent TO the emotions it must pro
duce. That department of Government which, be-
Eeve has best maintained its integrity and preserv-
ed its purity has been suspended. So far as l am
concerned the Temple of Justice, raised under the
Constitution of the United States is now closed. If
It shall never Sgain be opened thank God that its
doors have been closed before its altar has been
desecrated with sEcriIces 10 tyranny
May not say to you that. in the future which we
are about so penetrate, next TO the reliance We
should place in the goodness Of that God who will
guide Us in the right way, should be our confidence
in our State, and or obedience to It's laws We
are about 70 sever our relations with Others because
they have broken their covenant with US. Let rs
not break the covenant we have made with each
other Let us not forget that what the laws of orr
State require become our duties; and that he who
acts against the wish, or without the command Of
his State, usurps that sovereign authority which we
must maintain inyiOlate."
TIE address was received with profound silence,
and during its delivery many of the spectators were
IN tears,