have contrived for his own security,
is as clearly established as if deposed to by the testimony of
eye-witnesses.

Gentlemen, by the same sort of evidence by which in these, and various
other cases, the lives of individuals are affected, I undertake to bring
home this case to the Defendants upon this Record. I undertake to shew,
that such a conspiracy did exist as this Indictment charges; and I
undertake to prove every one of these Defendants acting in furtherance
and execution of the conspiracy, so as to leave no more doubt upon your
minds, when you have heard the evidence, that they were all parties to
this conspiracy, than if you had witnesses before you who were present
with them in consultation, and heard them assign to each man the part
which he was to act.

Gentlemen, in the security in which we now repose, in the triumph in
which we are now indulging, it is difficult to carry back our minds to
the state of agonizing suspense in which we were at the critical time at
which this conspiracy took place. At that time the empire of him for
whom Europe itself appeared too small, was not confined within the
narrow limits of the Isle of Elba; he had been driven back, it is true,
from the extremity of Europe into France.--France itself was invaded,
and our illustrious Allies had made considerable progress towards Paris,
but they had been more than once repulsed, and one army had, by almost
super-human efforts, preserved itself from destruction; but the fortune
of war was uncertain; in this age of miracles, no man could tell what
would be the final event; and every one was waiting in breathless
expectation for the destruction of him (or at least of his power) who
had been so long the destroyer of his species. Gentlemen, at that most
critical moment, when the funds were so liable to be affected by every
event of the war, when they were liable to be affected still more by the
Negotiations at Chatillon, which were then pending--at that moment this
conspiracy with respect to the Funds took place; and you will bear this
in mind, Gentlemen, that if the false news were believed but for a
single hour, the mischief to the public would be done--the object of the
conspirators would be accomplished.

Gentlemen, the first person whom I shall have to present to you, as
bearing a principal part in this conspiracy; the main agent in its
execution, will be proved to be the Defendant, Charles Random de
Berenger;--he was a fit person to b