A Plea For The Union Before The Supreme Court

The follo.wing toucbiug and mpreuif reniarks, before the Suprepie Courl cf the United Statos, were nsadi by Hori.Reverdy Johnsou, on Thursday, Deo. 13th, at the cloaeofau argument on tk Albany Bridge case: "May it picase your Honors, indulge me vritli a word or two more befor I conclude. "Tbis msy ha dtO last time that tli court will sit in peaecful jndgment on ' constitution aoknowledged and 'jbeyed hj 'all. God iu his providence, and for our sins, may, in his inscrutable wisdom, mif-' fer the folly and wicTcednesa of thisgeneration to destroy the fairest, noblest fabrio of constitutional freedom erer crected hf man. lts wliole history, from the first moment of its operatiou even to tha prejent hour, bears evidence of its uurivaled ex-' oellence. Our country, our whola couutry, haa, from the first, prospered uuder it, and lecaust nfü, with a rapidity, anl in a nianner, before or ?ince unknown ta' nations. That prosperity vindientos tho wisdom aad patriotism of ita good nd great founders. "Is this prosperlty covr to csasef I it now to hü dashed to tha earth? Ar the hopes of civüizod man, tho world over, uow to be blasted? Are we to becouie the jest, tho scorn, the detestation of the peoplo of the earth? I all memorv and rererence for tho great dead, who living we admired and auored, to ba now forgotten? Is fill gratitude for th mighty, trying struggles of our father now to endy Are the warninga, the partiug warnings of the peerless man of U this world now to be disregarded and daspised? Is the country of Washington, consecrated by his valor, wisdom, and virtuo to freedom and peace now to ba converted into a wild scène of disorder, frternal strife, bloodshed,war? May hear-" en in its mercy forbid! "May it stay thut irm of tho mauman, arrest it in mid careor before it itrike' the fatal, pumcidal blowl May ït gire time for reason and patrtotism to resumo lts sway! May it remove tke dtilusion of the misgukkd, stvengthen the cfforU of the patriotic, impart heiwcnly fire te the eloquence of the faithful stateíTmnr.; sileuce, by the universal voiee of tb good and truc mon of the nstion, the utterings of trason now tainting tlie air and sliockiug tbe ear of patriotism, and the whinings of iml-criKtj,-now diijcouragifíg and sickening the hnnest publio heartl - [ May it, above all, rekindle that fraternal lova whieh bound us together by tion stronger, iufinitely etrongsr, than !ny whieh mere govcrnment caá oréate, dur-' ring the wholo of our revolutionary struggle, av;d lns siuce cheered us on in our patbway to the power and renown vrhiob. huvo bucU us, until now, the wonder acd admiration of the world ! "But it all shallfail us and ruin como; if chaos, worsa than chaos, is to be our fate, the pirits of those who have departad, and the survivors who have adminiitered justice in this tribunal in the general wreek and wretchedness that will ensue, will be left this consolation: that their rcorded judgraents, now, thank God, tha rich inheritance of the world and bevond the ppoiler'i rc:ich, will, till time shah ba uo vnore, tostify to the spotless iutegrity, tbe unmirpassed wisdom, tho ever bright ptriotism of the men who from the firthave served their country in this templo - sacred to justice and duty, and to iho mutchless wisdom of our fut hors, who' bcqueathod it and commended it to th perpetua' reverence and support of their gons- and reinain a nevor-dyiug dishonor nd reproach to the sov.s who shall har. caused or permitted its destraction."