Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1848-03-31

and influence. Iut she hcfScu was thcTt, anu
she was a match for all her advcrsaries, the court
included. She had made the case her study, and
there was not a fact or circumstance in the evil
dencc, or a point or principle Of law bearing
upon Il, that she had not made herself familiar
with, and as the trial proceeded, she was able,
from the vast storc.house Of a reteniire memory,
to supply every link that was wanting to com
plete the chain Of evidence.
In the course Of the trial, every means was re-
sorted to by the opposing counsel, aided as she
alledgcd by the court, to break down her coun-
sci, and by insult and b~lackgunrdism, to drive
them from the cause and they finally succeed
cd. In the midst Of the trial, her counsel, out
ragged by some decision of, and alleged insult by
the Judge, abandoned the case and left the
court. Undaunted by this desertion, and with
out a moments hesitation, Mrs Gaines stepped
forward and claimed the right to continue the
trial herself. This could not be denied to her,
and she went through the case with n %coolness,
sagacity and skill, that surprised alike both
friends and foes. When the evidence was
closed, and the defendants counsel had summed
up the cause, she followed, and presented her
case to the jury in an able, eloquent, and effee-
tive speech. The jury, who arc ever prompt to
succor the oppressed, and defend the right, came
into court after q brief absence, and amidst the
irrepressiblc cheers Of the crowded court, gave
their verdict ron MRs GArSEs.
This is the cause, which on appeal by the de-
PENDANTS, has been recently decided by the U. $.
Supreme Court. Those only who know the tri-
ais, distress and persecution she suffered in this
long, tedious litigation-who can sympaildze IN
her anxiety to remove the stain Of ilegitimacy,
thrown upon her, and which was involved in the
suit-and who can see the millions Of money
depending upon the issue, can judge Of the mo
ton she experienced while listening to the dcci-
sion Of tina, court, whose Judgment is final, and
from whose decree there Is no appeal. No won
der that in view Of what she had passed through,
and Of the immense prize at stake, Mrs Gaines
should be overcome by a triumphant decision in
her favor.
| have said that Gen. Gaines, with generous
confidence, appropriated all his means and all
his credit TO sustain the necessary expenses OF
her litigation. l may add that this confidence
was repaid by an ardent and a~ifectionaie devo-
ton, which made his happiness her study. She
went into the Supreme Court room when the
final decision was to be announced, entirely ig-
norant Of what il would be-indeed, il was init
mated that it would be against her, but she re-
solved TO hear II; and even when overcome by
excess Of emotion, at the final attainment Of all
her h~opes-even q; that moment, her first thots
we're of her husband Uhen in New York), who
had stood 50 ~confdingly by her side, and her first
exclamation was, " o that my noble husband was
here, now, to hear this
Mrs Gaines, in personal appearance, is Of short
stature, handsome figure. fair complexion, and
eyes black, sparkling and quick. Her face, with
out much prcienaon to beauty, Is nevertheless
handsome, and full of expression and then, with
the brilliant, laughing eye, and a never ccasing
flow Of spirits, and sprighdy chit-chat, she is a
most agreeable companion. But IL you touch
the subject which for many years has been tho
cngrossing occupation Of her thoughts, YOU sec a
different being before you the black eye is still
there, but it is piercing and sharp. the lip is soon,
pressed, the check blancbed and rigid, the voice
full-toned and firm, and every lineament of her
face expressive Of n purpose immu,ably fixed
and unalierable. If you listen to the story Of
her wrongs-io the description of scenes she LA,
passed Ihrough-of the labor and peril she la.
undergone in unravelling the mysterious web Of
fraud and perjury, conceaing the evidence and
existence Of her rights-and hear her marshal
the proofs her industry has discovered, and the
law applicable to them, triumphanily sustaining
her cause in all its points, you will wonder nc
less at her powers of endurance and persever
ance, than the acuteness, ingenuity, judgment
and legal knowledge she displays in bringing to
gether such a mass of evidence and law, and ar
ranging, consolidating and terrifying it.
In Mrs Gaines conduct and intercourse viii
others, there is a simplicity, dircctncss and bold
ness admirably calculated to attain her ends, and
to detect and expose fraud and in the exercise
Of which, her sex has been Of advantage to her
She asserts her rights and expresses her opinion,
f~earlessly on all occasions, and to all persons
however high their station or official rank
mover passing beyond the modesty and dccorum
proper for her sex.
AS an illustration of this, l may mention that
on some of the questions aris.ng from the numcr-
Gus appeals to the Supreme Court, a decision
was made by Judge Mclean which she deemed
unjust to her; and she afterwards learned that
a brother of the Judge owned an estate covered
by her claims. She Immediately called on the
Judge, and inquired if such was the fact and
on being told that it was, arraigncd his conduct
in sitting as Judge in a case where he must be
supposed to be interested, expressed her distrusi
of his impnrtiality, and insisted that he should
not act as Judge in the cause which has been
recently decided. l believe he did not.
1t is said that tho suit was got up"-that she
bribed the defendant to allow a trial and decision
in her favor. There appears to be no truth in
this, except that she induced the defendant to
plead to the merits, so MS to bring it to trial.
Perhaps ] have occupied too much space with
the fortunes of an individual-but there is such
a romantic interest in the history Of Mrs Gaines
as well as in her character; and such an immense
amount of nronerty involved IN the claim sho