THE AUTHOR TO THE READER
Any one who offers another book to a profession already burdened with books surely ought to give some reason, or at least some plausible excuse, for his act. My reason or excuse, whichever it may be, is this: In talking with the younger members of the bar of the state I have often been forcibly struck with the fact that many of them had little or no idea of the remarkable men who sat upon the supreme bench during the early years of the state, nor of the heated controversies, political as well as legal, in which the court and its judges were in one way or another involved during those years. With the idea of doing something to dispel this ignorance, I began to prepare a paper covering the early history of the court, intending to publish it in pamphlet form. I had not gone far, however, when I found that the subject could not be treated in any mere monograph, and as I proceeded I discovered many matters of surpassing interest which were entirely new to me and thus the projected pamphlet grew into a book. I cannot but feel that the book will interest not only lawyers but many laymen. If this be not sufficient reason for the existence of this book then there is none. It will be noticed that I have called it "The Story of a Great Court," and possibly some may think that it is scarcely appropriate for one who is now
