h regard to the trial, the verdict, or the execution. Every one
must form as best he may his own judgment upon the matter and the men;
but Sir James Stephen's opinion is one that must be taken into account
in any attempt to decide.

The death of Nand Kumar did not end the struggle between Hastings and
his three antagonists. While they made no further attempt of a like
kind--the fate of Nand {264} Kumar, said Francis, would prevent any
further native information against the Governor-General--they still
resolutely strove by all possible means to cross and check him. It is
not necessary to follow in all their mean and wearisome details the
particulars of that prolonged conflict. The odds were against Hastings
until the death of Monson, when, by means of his own casting vote and
the adhesion of Barwell, Hastings found himself the master of the
majority at the Council-table. But the persistence of the attacks had
their result at home, where an ill-advised offer of resignation made by
Hastings was seized upon by the Directors of the Company. The
resignation was accepted, Wheler was appointed Governor-General in his
stead, and pending his arrival in India the post was to be filled by
Clavering.

This was a severe blow for Hastings. At first he thought of yielding
to it, in which case his career in India would have been closed. But
Clavering's indecent eagerness to seize upon the Governor-Generalship
before it was fairly vacant forced Hastings to defiance. He refused to
surrender his office to Clavering. Clavering called upon the army to
support him. Hastings called upon the army to stand fast by him. The
army followed Hastings, and the support of the men of the sword was
followed by the support of the men of the robe. The judges of the
Supreme Court backed up Hastings and censured Clavering, and a little
later Clavering's death left Hastings for the time supreme in the
Council-chamber. His supremacy was contested after the arrival of
Wheler, who immediately sided with Francis against Hastings. But the
supremacy was not overthrown. Hastings was in the majority; he would
not allow the alliance of Francis and Wheler to impede him in his
purposes, and he stuck to his post as Governor-General.

The East India Company made no effort to enforce his resignation. The
Court of Directors resented his conduct, and found fault with him
persistently, but they could not overlook his influence with the Court
of Proprietors