f the governed, that when great and fundamental
questions of policy arise, they often bring the country to a crisis in
which there can be no real settlement of the dispute without the
absolute destruction of one party or the other. It was so now, as the
popular leaders supposed. They had determined that stern necessity
required that Laud and Strafford must die; and the only object of
going through the formality of a trial was to soften the violence of
the proceeding a little, by doing all that could be done toward
establishing a legal justification of the deed.

The trial, as has been said, lasted eighteen days. During all this
time, the leaders were not content with simply urging the proceedings
forward energetically in Westminster Hall. They were maneuvering and
managing in every possible way to secure the final vote. But,
notwithstanding this, Strafford's defense was so able, and the failure
to make out the charge of treason against him was so clear, that it
was doubtful what the result would be. Accordingly, without waiting
for the decision of the Peers on the impeachment, a bill of attainder
against the earl was brought forward in the House of Commons. This
bill of attainder was passed by a large majority--yeas 204, nays 59.
It was then sent to the House of Lords. The Lords were very unwilling
to pass it.

While they were debating it, the king sent a message to them to say
that in his opinion the earl had not been guilty of treason, or of any
attempt to subvert the laws; and that several things which had been
alleged in the trial, and on which the bill of attainder chiefly
rested, were not true. He was willing, however, if it would satisfy
the enemies of the earl, to have him convicted of a misdemeanor, and
made incapable of holding any public office from that time; but he
protested against his being punished by a bill of attainder on a
charge of treason.

This interposition of the king in Strafford's favor awakened loud
expressions of displeasure. They called it an interference with the
action of one of the houses of Parliament. The enemies of Strafford
created a great excitement against him out of doors. They raised
clamorous calls for his execution, among the populace. The people made
black lists of the names of persons who were in the earl's favor, and
posted them up in public places, calling such persons Straffordians,
and threatening them with public vengeance. The Lords, who would have
been willing to ha