1852 February 11, Washington, to Father

              Washington February 11th. 1852.

Dear Father, 
I have been most impatiently detained here, a very long time; but 'the long agony' will soon be over. The causes which I came to argue were reached yesterday, when Morris commenced & concluded his speech. St. Geo. I. Campbell & G. M. Dallas followed this morning, & have occupied the entire session with speeches of two hours each.- I am to reply tomorrow. 
Our cases happened to be [near] several important cases on the List & among them next to the Gaines case, which, from the mass of evidence contained in the Record, occupied about ten days. It would have been deemed imprudent to be absent, during the progress of that argument, as owing to the stringency of the Rules in the Supreme Court and the rigor with which they are enforced, if from any accident, the sickness of Counsel or otherwise, the discussion had been shortened & our cases had been reached during our absence, they would have been stricken from the Calendar. 
Among the numerous listeners who throng this Court, Anthony Morris has been in attendance, to hear what could be said in the federal forum against the validity of a Law