The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-04-22
a'ls5ef Justice, TAneT.

In q late debate in the United States
Senate, Mr. JOHNSON, of Maryland, ad-
ministcred a scaihipg rebuke to Mr. SUM-
NEs for speaking of s decision Of tie ST.
presae Court as having diseraced the coun-
try. We quote Of Mt, JOHNSON : remarks
containing very interesting reniuis-
cenee:
< Now. Mr. President, think, Whit
ever may be the opinion of the honorable
member from Massachusetts, or of any other
meraber of the Senate. that. If there is any
department of the government which, frSM
the beginning of its organization to the pres
ent hour, the public, in the general, mag be
proud of, it is the judicial department of the
government as tar as the Supreme Court
constitutes a portion of that department
and I am net singular in that opinion. II
is not necessary to advert 70 what wcsp the
Impression of the people of the United
States. the bar and the public, during
the days when that tribunal was presided over
BY Mlrshall, for the purpose of calling to. the
recollection Of the Senate, what | am sure is
fresh in their remembrance, and to which,
therefore, their, recollection need not De spe
ciallv called that there WAS thrOuga out the
length and breadth of the land the most i'm
plicit confidence. MT only in the absolute in
tegrity of every member of the bench, but in
the uneqaalled ability Of all the members of
the court, and especially of him whoSin public
estimation lowered above the rest, John Mar
shall. And although it wonld seem to be per-
haps inappropriate. let me say to the h0nOra-
bic member from Massachusetts tkat mach as
he may now disparagingly think osi the vener-
able man who prcsides over the Deliberations
of that tribunal, and has for the hast twenty or
thirty years, he is not alone in that particular.
When his name was before the Senate of the
United States for confirmation, first as Chief
Justice. his confirmation was rest ted steadily,
zeaOuslv, by, among Others, Henry Clay.
There was hardly an Opplobrioas epithet
which, as he told me himself afterwards. he
failed to use against the nOmilatio0; and from
conviction that the NOMINEES was unfit, and
would prove to be unfit for the discharge of
the duties of the Judicial station. But say it
and it is duatO the memory OF the dead, and
due to him who now survives survives treu-
blingly, his life having teen protracted much
beyond. as we know, the ordinary period CT
human life, and who has devoted himself with
untiring energy. and wish exclusive devotion,
and with unsurpassed ability to the duties OF
bis station, that after he had been upon that
bench some four or fiva years and Mr.. Clay
bad been the witness. from having pfactced
before him and read his decisions. 0fthe man.
ner in which his duties had been discharged,
ne, as he told me himself, after hearing an
opinion delivered by the presiding judge,
went to his quarters TO see hia, and found
him alone: he said. he felt the embarrass-
meut necessarily incident TO the object of
his visit; and after exchanging the saluta-
tons suited to the occasion, and being about
to leave him, he took him by the hand
and said: 'Mr Chief Justice there was no man
in the land who regretted your appointment to
the place you now hold more than did these.
was no member of the Senate who opposed it
moro than 7 cd Int have come tn saw IN
you, and say it now at parting, perhaps for
the last time. ! have witnessed your judicial
career. and it is due to myself and due TO- you,
that should say to you what has been the re-
suit. that I am satisfied now that no man in
the United States could have been selected
more abundanlly able to wear the e: mine which
Chief Justice Marshall honOred.". And with
the tears trickling down the cheeks of both
speak the words of Henry Clay-they parted
and that opinion he continued to- hold up to
the last moment that his life was a blessing to
the country. -F r
Mr.. President, it is no light thing to assaiI
the Chief Justice Of the United STATES or th It
high tribunal, We have an interest, jurispru-
dehce has an interest Justice has an interest
in maintaining the character of that tribunal
against all such unjust repYOach. IL is no Zig ht
thing to pronounce decision given by such a
tribunal as that disgrace. [ never deal in
epithets Mr. President if know myself am
willing to give, and always do allow, to him
VINO diners from me upon any question about
which 1t is possible for difference of opinion
to exist, the credit of sincerity aud honest con-
Viction; and cannot therefore stand still and
hear q tribunal like that assailed as | think I'M
necessarily 10y anybody, and particularly by
the honorable member from Massachusetts,
who stands in the estimation of his friends SO
y high ai0ft that his voice is heard the land over
and u, 10 their impression, potential nEs