" The Major paused,
drew his spectacles slowly off his nose, and said to the Court
with great seriousness: "May it please your Honors, I have
a great respect for the opinions of this Court, except in
some very gross cases."
A man by the name of Lysander Spooner, whose misfortune it
was to be a good deal in advance of his age, the author of
a very clever pamphlet maintaining the unconstitutionality
of slavery, also published some papers attacking the authenticity
of Christian miracles. In these days of Bob Ingersoll such
views would be met with entire toleration, but they shocked
Major Newton exceedingly, as they did most persons of his
time. Spooner studied for the Bar and applied to be admitted.
He was able to pass an examination. But the Major, as _amicus
curiae,_ addressed the Court and insisted that Spooner was
not a man of proper character, and affirmed in support of
his assertion that he was the author of some blasphemous attacks
on Christianity. The result was that Spooner's application
was denied. The Court adjourned for dinner. It was the day
of the calling of the docket, and just before the Judge came
in in the afternoon, the whole Bar of Worcester County were
assembled, filling the room.
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