of the world these are a few and but a few of the good effects of improving one s talents to the highest point by careful and constant study and to distinction i am very much pleased with your letter you read the with a of and judgment unusual at your years and therefore the more honourable to you i with you in your remarks upon the of as well as the of chap conspiracy i am fond of a vivid picture painted to the fancy such as s storm too is thought a good in his way his way is a very bad one and his can be estimated and enjoyed only by the who has himself rolled in the on which alone the genius of seems to have i hope you will never possess this test for judging his merit you will gratify me by writing to me often and if you will allow me to write to you like an elder brother who would wish you to profit by his own experience and to attain all those honours which he has missed you shall hear from me as often as i can find a leisure hour my love to our brothers and sisters when you see them let me be remembered to mr and mrs and mr r all of whom i very much esteem your friend and brother wm chapter to � for treason � retained as counsel by the government � the trial � some op its incidents � the of � of the argument the year is memorable in the life of as the year of the trial of s conspiracy is one of the most extraordinary incidents connected with the history of this country whether it were the mere dream of a bold ambitious and wicked citizen or his meditated and prepared enterprise enough has been brought to light in the investigation of that incident to excite the amazement of every one that a man so eminent so gifted with splendid talents and so able to appreciate the character and temper of the american people should have permitted himself to fall into the of even an idle speculation upon his power to accomplish what from all the evidence which has been we are hardly at liberty to was his purpose put upon his trial man is really innocent these will put the devil in his head unless he is more than man in the examination of the prisoner was made before justice on the th and st of march this was by caesar a the attorney general of the united states and george hay the attorney for the district of virginia messrs and appearing for the result was a upon the charge of a in setting on foot a military expedition against the of the king ci spain � the court refusing to include in the the charge of treason which had been urged by the counsel for the united states colonel was in consequence admitted to upon a to appear in the circuit court at its next term on the d of may the case was again taken up at the appointed day the chief and judge in the court colonel now appeared with two additional counsel messrs and baker on the part of the mr having withdrawn mr hay was assisted by mr and mr a grand jury consisting of some of the most eminent citizens rf virginia with john of as the was sworn on that day after several and many protracted between the counsel upon the nature of the evidence to be submitted to them and on other topics the grand jury finally on the th of june brought in both for treason and against and which were followed in two days by similar against john smith comfort smith and colonel on the same day that these last were presented pleaded not guilty and the trial was postponed until d of august without saying more at present as to the incidents of the trial or making any reference to the facts brought into proof or the of law discussed it will be sufficient to note that a most and profound opinion was delivered by the chief justice which ex chap reflections upon it from the as it was affirmed a large of testimony which might have shown s intentions and thus on the st of september put an end to the trial on the for treason the verdict was we of the jury say that is not proved to be guilty under this by any evidence submitted to us we therefore find him not guilty the for the met the same fate the opinion of the court in that case excluded the testimony relied on and the jury again found a verdict of not guilty upon this the was committed and held to to answer in on the charge of setting on foot and providing the means for a military expedition against the of spain in a letter of colonel s to his daughter dated october we find the following notice of the event after all this is a drawn battle the chief justice gave his opinion on tuesday after declaring that there were no grounds of suspicion as to the treason he directed that and should give in three thousand dollars for further trial in the opinion was a matter of regret and surprise to the friends of the chief justice and of ridicule to his enemies � all believing that it was a sacrifice of principle to jack mr hay immediately said that he should advise the government to from further that he has actually so advised there is no doubt the conduct of throughout the trial was in keeping with this against the firmness and integrity of chief justice there is apparent in his during the trial and before it an affectation of innocence which under the circumstances almost of insolent defiance and which very significantly 