The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-12-14

Il.
with them day by day? Why, there is an |
improperly In it which shocks every mind. |
and that noble lawyer and distinguished |
Judge, John Nj. Wilson, tells you that he was
at once struck with the improperly of that |
case being brought in that court-he felt
delicacy about trying it. tell you that the
honor of our judges is very sensitive thing.
Once let the breath of suspicion fasten upon
it-once let it be open to reproach, and the
whole fabric of our jurisprudence tumbles
into ruins. 10 hangs by as delicate a thread
as the snow avalanches in the Alps The
snow hangs in great overhanging masses over
those dangerous passes, and the merest con-
cussion of the human voice will relieve them
from their hold upon the rocks, and send
them, the messengers of death and desolation,
to all that is beneath. Sensitive as that is,
the structure of our entire Jurisprudence is
equally so. 1t must be spotless and pure
there must be no breath of suspicion leveled
against it or fastened upon it. | have looked
upon this plaintiff "a Judge, as a man, and
d citizen, and believe, and L think you
believe, that the plaintiffs treatment of this
woman has been unjust, oppressive and cruel,
and that the man who is uni Just, oppressive,
inhuman and cruel, is not fit to sit upon the
bench that he is q disgrace to it that he
sullies and pollutes the Judicial ermine which
he wears. Renewed applause checked by
the court. This is indeed a serious record
TO make up against any man. The plaintiff
has made it for himself. He demands your
verdict upon this wearisome detail of heart,
lessnesss and oppression. Grieved as we
may be that u fellow-citizen should thus
stain the honor Of the high Office which he
held-or that in this great city, honored as
it has been by its magnificent and tar-ex
tending charities, any man could be found
who would Cypress the weak In their help
lesSness, and turn the widow and the orph-
aned children of the dead soldier beggared
and starving into the streets. we cannot re-
fran from the solemn duty which has been
imposed upon of affxing the seal of con
domination upon such offences against our
consciences as have been proven in this case.
You must say whether the unjust Judge the
avaricious man, shall be sustained or not
Your verdict to-day may be, as | trust 1t
WILL so distinctly pronounced that il shall be
like letters of flaming fire, painted against
the sky, that all the world may read it. And
when ayarice with it's greedy hand would
seize upon the widows mite or press the I'M
fortunate debtor to the earth, when the
Judge forgets the dignity of his high Office,
they may look upon the record and take
warning from 1t.
We are told that Higgins was deeply in
debt, and this is urged in excuse for his
lTealneut OIL TIC SUilltT NiGON. II it was,
he had no right 10 take this poor woman's
house and lot to pay his debts with More
than 5000 years ago more prominent man
than Judge Van II. uigglus-David, king of
lsrael-saw Uriah's wife and desired her,
and he sent Uriah to the forefront of battle
and lac was slain. And the Lord sent Nath-
an unto David, to condemn him him for the
sin which he had committed. Aud he
came unto him and said unto MIN, There
were two men in one city the one rich ami
the other poor. The rich man had exceeding
many hocks and herds but the poor man
had nothing save one little eve lamb. which
be had bought and nourished up, aud it grew
up together with him aud with his children
it did eat of his own meat and drank 0: his
own cup. and lay in his bosom aud was unto
him rs q daughter.
And there came traveller unto the rich
man, and he spared To take Of ms own flock
and of his own herd to dress for the wayfar-
ing man that was come unto him; but took
the poor mans lamb, and dressed 1t for the
man that was 10 come 10 him. And David's
anger was greatly kindled against the man.
and he said 10 Nathan, As the Lord liyeth
the man that did this thing shall surely die.
And he shall restore the lamb four fold. be
cause he did this thing because he had no
pity And Nathan said unto David, Thou
art the man.
You are not gentlemen Of the Jury, the
prophets of the Lord. but it is an old saying
that 1.-The voice Of the people Is the voice of
God" You speak for the people-yUu rep
resent the people Take this simple story
the most beautiful thing in litera:ure-and
apply its teachings here. This plaintiff, as
did the Israelitish king, spared TO take of his
own substance, to supply the wants of those
who made demands upon him, hut he took
this poor wOman's home, -endeared to her
by a thousand associations hallowed by q
thousand sacred memories, and satisfied his
creditors with that! And even as the finger
of the stern old prophet pointed to his royal
listener, as guilty of the very crimes which
he had but just denounced, so will the verdict
of this Jury reciting the story of the wrongs
which this widowed woman has suffered, de-
clare to this plaintiff. Thou art the man"
At the conclusion Of tho arguments Hig-
gins dared not trust his case to the jury, but
backed square out and withdrew il, com
planning that the rulings OF the court had
been unfair towards him-whereupon his
honor, Judge Williams, addressed the jury
as follows:
REMARKS OF JUDGE WILLIAMS.
GENTLEMEN OF THE JURY In justice to
myself, | ought not to allow this case to pass
from under your consideration without some
remarks from me. The plaintiff undoubted-
ly supposes that injustice has been done him
by my rulings, else ne would not now dismiss
this suit. To me this has been very trying
case at every stage of it's progress, not so
much from any difficulty as TO the law which
should govern it, but from the extreme per