's style, but lacked the vigor which in the day
of his strength he had always shown. He was rapidly failing in health
and was then within a few weeks of his death. Hon. Thomas Williams of
Pennsylvania followed Mr. Stevens with a written argument, rhetorically
finished and read with great emphasis. It presented in new and
attractive form the arguments already submitted, but towards the close
contained the imprudent expression that "the eyes of an expectant
people are upon the Senate."

Mr. Evarts followed with an argument of great length, reviewing every
phase and feature of the case and making a remarkably effective plea
on behalf of his eminent client. It was as strong in its logic as it
was faultless in its style. The concluding portion of the address was
especially eloquent and convincing. "We never dreamed," said he, "that
an instructed and equal people, with a government yielding so readily
to the touch of popular will, would have come to the trial of force
against it. We never thought that the remedy to get rid of a ruler
would bring assassination into our political experience. We never
thought that political differences under an elective Presidency would
bring in array the departments of the Government against one another
to anticipate by ten months the operation of the regular election. And
yet we take them all, one after another, and we take them because we
have grown to the full vigor of manhood. But we have met by the powers
of the Constitution these great dangers--prophesied when they would
arise as likely to be our doom--the distractions of civil strife, the
exhaustions of powerful war, the intervention of the regularity of
power through the violence of assassination. We could summon from the
people a million of men and inexhaustible treasure to help the
Constitution in its time of need. Can we summon now resources enough
of civil prudence and of restraint of passion to carry us through this
trial, so that whatever result may follow, in whatever form, the people
may feel that the Constitution has received no wound? To this court,
the last and best resort for its determination, it is to be left."

Mr. Stanbery, unable to deliver his well-prepared argument, employed
one of the officers of the Attorney-General's department to read the
greater part of it. During his service as Attorney-General he had
become personally and deeply attached to the President, and now made
an earnest plea in his behal