The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1870-04-15


Never in all the world, perhaps
were Il mans feelings so outraged as
were the Generals. He said he had
never heard Of such high-handed
conduct in all his life as this Nor
gan's. And he said there was no
use in going to law-MOrgan had no
jshadow ofright to remain where he
was-nObOdy in the wide world
would uphold him in it, and no law
yer would take his case and no Judge
would listen to it. Slides said that
fright there was where he was mis-
taken-eyerybody in town sustained
Morgan; Hal Brayton, a very smart
lawyer, had taken his case, the courts
being in vacation, it was to be tried,
before reference, and ex Governor
Roop had already been appointed to
that Office and would open his court
in the largest parlor of the Ormbsy
House at , that afternoon.
The innocent General was amazed
He said he had suspected before that
the people Of that Territory were
fools, and now he knew it. But he
said rest easy, rest easy and collect
the witnesses, for the victory was
Just as certain as if the conflict was
Ialready over Slides. wiped away
his tears and left.
/ At 2 in the afternoon referee
RoOp's Court opened, and that re-
morseless old joker appeared throned
among his sheriffs, his witnesses,
and packet" jury, and wearing
upon his face fraudulent solemni-
lty so awe-inspiring that some of
his fellow-conspirators had misgiv-
lings that may be he had not COM
pretended, after all, that this was
merely joke. An unearthly still
mess prevailed, for at the slightest
noise the judge uttered sternly the
command:
"Order in the Courtr'
And the sherifs promptly echoed
lit, Presently the General elbowed
his way through the crowd of spec.
tors, with his arms full of law-books,
and on his ears fell an order from the
Judge which was the first respectful
recognition of his high official Dig
nifty that had ever saluted them, and
it saturated his whole system with
pleasure:
"Way for the United States At
torneyw
The witnesses were called-legis
lators, high government officers,
ranch men, miners, Indians, China
men, negroes. Three fourths of
chem were called by the defendant
Morgan, but no matter, their testi-
mony invariably went in favor of
plaintiff Sides. Each new witness
only added new testimony to the ab-
surdity Of q mans claiming to own
another mans property because his
farm had slid down on top of it.
Then the Morgan lawyers made
their speeches, and seemed to make
singularly weak Ones-they did really
nothing to help the Morgan cause.
And now the General with a great
glow Of triumph on his face, got up
and made a mighty effort; he pound
ed on the table he banged the law
books, he shouted, and roared, and
howled, he quoted from everything
and everybody, poetry, sarcasm,
statistics, history, pathos, and bias
phemy, and wound up with a grand |
war-woop for free speech, freedom of
the press, free schools, the Glorious
Bird of America and the principles
of eternal justice! Applause.
When the General sat down he did
lit with the comfortable conviction
! that if there were anything in
igood strong testimony, big speech
and believing and admiring counte-
inances all around, Mr.. Morgan's
case was dough. Ex-Governor Roop
leant his head upon his hand for
some time, thinking profoundly. and
the still audience Eaited breathlessly
for his decision. Then he got up
and stood erect, with bended head, |
and thought again. Then he walked !
the floor with long, deliberate strides
and his chin in his hand, and still |
the audience waited. At last he re-
turned to his throne and seated him
self. The Sherifi's commanded the
attention of the Court. Judge Roop |
cleared his throat. and said.
"Gentleman, l feel the great res
possibility that rests upon me this
day. This is no ordinary case. On |
the contrary, it is plain that it is the
most solemn and awful that ever
a man was called upon to decide.
| lGentleman, l have listened attentive
ly to the evidence, and the weight of
lit, the overwhelming weight Of it is
| in favor Of the plaintiff Sides. l |
have also listened to the remarks Of
the council, with high interest-andI |
Especially will 1 commend the mas
terly and irrefutable logic of the dis
tinguished gentleman who represents
the plaintiff. But gentleman, let us |
beware how we allow human testi-
mony, human ingenuity in argu-
ment, and human ideas of equity to |
influence us to our undOing at mo |
ment so solemn as this Gentleman,
it ill becomes Us, worms as we are,
to meddle with the decress ofheaven |
1t is plain to me that Heaven, in its
Iinscrutable wisdom, has seen fit to
move this defendants ranch, for a
purpose. We are but creatures, and
we must submit. If Heaven has
chosen to favor the defendant Nor
gan in this marked and wonderful
manner; and if Heaven, unsatistied
with the position of the Morgan
ranch upon the mountain side, has
chosen to remove it to a position
more eligible and more advantageous
for its owner, it i'll becomes us, in
sects as we are, to question the le-
galitv OF the act. NO-Heaven ere
ated the ranches and it is Heaven
Iprerogative to rearrange them, to eX-
pertinent with them to shift them
around at its pleasure, 1t is for us
to submit withoutrepining. | warn
YOU that this thing which has hap
Ipened is a thing with which the sac
.rilegious hands and brains and
tongues of men must not meddle.
Z, -1.T-.-..,r, - - +bn ,-oryli.f Of 4bia ]