748 



RANDALL, SAMUEL J. 



parts, not BO as to thwart, but so as to advance its 

 main object the continuance and orderly conduct of 

 government by the people. 



The questions before us are attested in the usual 

 mode, and purport to come from organized bodies. 

 They are of the utmost importance. Our answers are 

 entirely based on the assumption of the existence of 

 the facts as therein set forth. We can not decline an 

 answer if we would. In a case like the present the 

 remarks of Chief-Justice Marshall, in Cohens vs. Vir- 

 ginia, are peculiarly applicable. " It is true," he says, 

 " that this Court will not take jurisdiction if it should 

 not, but it is equally true that it must take jurisdiction 

 if it should. The judiciary can not, as the Legisla- 



ture may, avoid a measure because it approaches the 

 confines of the Constitution. We can not pass it by 

 because it is doubtful with whatever difficulties a case 

 may be attended. We must decide it if it is brought 

 before us. We have no more right to decline the ex- 

 ercise of jurisdiction which is given than to usurp that 

 which is not given ; the one or the other would be 

 treason to the Constitution. Questions may occur 

 which we would gladly avoid ; but we can not avoid 

 them." 



JOHN APPLETON, CHARLES DANFORTH, 



CHARLES W. WALTON, JOHN A. PETERS, 

 WILLIAM G. BARROWS, ARTEMAS LIBBY 

 JOSEPH W. SYMONDS. 



R 



RANDALL, SAMUEL JAOKSOKT, an American 

 statesman, born in Philadelphia, October 10, 

 1828. His father was Josiah Randall, a lawyer 

 of high standing in that city ; his mother, Ann 

 Worrall, a daughter of General Joseph Worrall, 

 a Democratic leader in the days of Jefferson. 

 Receiving an academic education, he engaged 

 in mercantile pursuits. He married Fanny, a 

 daughter of General Aaron Ward of Sing Sing, 

 New York. He served four years in the City 

 Councils of Philadelphia and one term in the 

 State Senate of Pennsylvania. 



Mr. Randall was a member of the "First 

 Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry," a volunteer 

 military company organized in 1Y74. It was 

 then known as the " Light Horse of Philadel- 

 phia," and acted as body-guard to General 

 Washington, crossing the Delaware with him 

 and participating in the battles of Trenton and 

 Princeton. Immediately after the fall of Fort 

 Sumter the troop tendered its services to the 

 Government, and was mustered into the service 

 of the United States, May 13, 1861, for the term 

 of ninety days, attached to the Second U. S. 

 Cavalry commanded by Colonel (afterward the 

 distinguished General) George H. Thomas, and 

 assigned to the command of General Robert 

 Patterson, who says of the troop: "It was 

 with me in the valley of the Shenandoah in 

 the summer of 1861. It was in the advance at 

 the battle of Falling Waters, when, for the first 

 and only time, that gallant soldier ' Stonewall ' 

 Jackson was defeated and driven back." Ser- 

 geant S. J. Randall acted as quartermaster 

 to the company, and was afterward promoted 

 to the rank of cornet (a rank corresponding 

 to that of captain in the regular army). 



On the first intimation of the advance of the 

 Confederate army north of the Potomac in 

 June, 1863, Cornet Randall proceeded to Har- 

 risburg to make arrangements by which the 

 troop could go into service if it was found 

 necessary. General Couch, on announcing to 

 Cornet Randall, commanding, that Governor 

 Curtin would accept the troop without swear- 

 ing its members into the service, said, " I know 

 we can trust to the honor of the corps without 

 an oath." On June 24th Mr. Randall with his 

 command made an important reconnoissance, 



capturing several of the enemy and establish- 

 ing their presence in large force between 

 Chambersburg and Williamsport. Retiring 

 from Gettysburg as the Confederate army en- 

 tered, the troop had a skirmish with an advan- 

 cing force under General J. B. Gordon near 

 the Susquehanna. During the battle of Gettys- 

 burg Mr. Randall was provost-marshal of Co- 

 lumbia. Being released from duty after the 

 retreat of the invading army, letters were re- 

 ceived by " Cornet S. J. Randall, commanding 

 First City Troop," from the Governor of the 

 State and from the War Department through 

 General Cadwalader, thanking the company 

 for its efficient services. 



At the convening of the Thirty-eighth Con- 

 gress, December 4, 1863, Mr. Randall took his 

 seat in the House of Representatives, and has 

 been reflected to every succeeding Congress, 

 covering a period of seventeen years. In the 

 Thirty-eighth Congress he served on the Com- 

 mittee on Public Buildings and Grounds ; in the 

 Thirty-ninth, on the Committees on Banking 

 and Currency, Retrenchment, and Expenditures 

 in the State Department ; in the Fortieth, on 

 Banking and Currency, Retrenchment, and the 

 Assassination of President Lincoln. Elected 

 as a Democrat, he has constantly acted with 

 his party in Congress. Without occupying the 

 attention of the House with long speeches, he 

 indicated his interest in pending legislation by 

 frequently participating briefly and pointedly in 

 its discussions. In the Forty-first Congress he 

 was a member of the Committees on Privileges 

 and Elections and on Expenditures in the Trea- 

 sury Department, and of the Joint Committee 

 on Retrenchment. He spoke against repudia- 

 tion December 16, 1869, in reply to Mr. Munger, 

 saying : " In the time allowed me, it is hardly 

 possible that I should follow the gentleman 

 from Ohio in all his sayings, or what I might 

 mildly term his political heresies ; but for my- 

 self and I think I can speak for my constit- 

 uents I am utterly opposed to repudiation. 

 But the moment allowed me gives me the op- 

 portunity to remonstrate against the enuncia- 

 tion of any scheme of legislation which I be- 

 lieve would place my country in a dishonest 

 attitude before the world. Not only do I be- 



