Year: 1860

At the conclusion of his argument in an i'm


portsnt case before the Supreme Court of the
United States on Thursday last, the Hon. Rev
| erdy johnson spoke as follows m Impressive
reference to passing events and In just tribute
to the historical place which, in any event,
must be filled by the high tribunal before
which he was called to plead:


May it please your Honors, indulge me with
a word or to before conclude.


This may be the last time that tins court
will sit in peaceful Judgment on constitution
acknowledged and obeyed by ali. 6od IN his
providence and for our sins, may, III his lnscru-
tible wisdom suffer the folly and wickedness OF
this generation to destroy the fairest noblest
fabric of constitutional freedom ever erected
by man. Its whole history, from the first mo-
ment of its operation even to the present hour,
bears evidence of its unrivaled excellence. Our
country, our whole country has, from the first,
prospercd under it and because Of 1t, with 4
rapidity and a manner, before or since, un-
known to the nation. That prosperity vindi-
Gates the wisdom and patriotism OF Its good
and great founders. Is this prosperity now TO
cease? Is it now to be dashed to the earth p
Are the hopes of civilized man, the world over,
now to be blasted? Are we to become the jest,
the sco1r, the detestation of the people OF the
earth? Is all memory and reverence for the
great dead, who living we admired and
adored to be now forgotten? Is all gratitude
for the mighty, trying struggles Of our fathers
now to end? Are the warnings, the parting
warnings of the peerless man of all this world
now to he disrcgarded and desplsed? Is
the country of Washington consecrated by
his valor wisdom, and virtue to freedom and
peace now to be converted into Wild scene OF
disorder fraternal strife, bloodshed, war! May
Heaven in it's mercy forbid! May it stay the
e If
fore it strikes the fatal, parricidal blow. May
it give time for reason and patriotism to re-
sumo their sway May it remove the delu-
sions of the misguided strengthen the efforts
of the patriotic, mpart heavenly fire to the elo-
quence ofthe faithful statesman silence, by the
universal voice of the good and true mon OF the
nation the utterings of treason now talntlng
the air and shocking the ear Of patriotism, and
the winnings ofimbecilty, now discouraging and
and sickening the honest public heart! May
it. above all, rekindEe that fraternal love which
binds us together by ties stronger infinitely
stronger than any which mere government can
create, during the whole of our revolutionary
struggle, and has since cheered us on III our
pathway to the power and renoWn which have
made us until now the wonder and admiration
of the world


But if all shall fail us and ruin come; if
chaos, worse than chaos is to be our fate, the
spirits of those who have departed, and the sur
vivors who have administered justice in this
tribunal, in the general wreck and wretched-
ness that will ensne, will be, left this consola-
ton: that their recorded judgements, now,
thank God the rich inheritance of the world,
and beyond the spoilers reach, will, till time
shall be no more, testify to the spotless integri-
ty, the unsurpassed wisdom, the ever-bright
patriotism of the men who from the first have
served their country in this temple, sacred to
justice and duty and to the matchless wisdom
of our fathers, who bequeathed it and commen-
ded it to the perpetual reverence and support
of their SONS who shall have caused or permit
ted its obstruction.