Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1868-04-30
RUTLAND, VT, THURSDAY MORNING, April. 80 1865

the Manager, balancing ON the back OF O
chair, with one hand, and with the other
constantly lowering over his bald crown,
as il to rub up ideas by friction. His
pugnacious face was held up at an angle
OF about forty-five degrees, that the halt
shut eyes might get the range now OF the
squirming witness, more often of the
amused Senators or the tittering galleries;
and the effect was 10 trust the chin toward
the witness, and give an air Of the finest
insolenoc and most powerful swaggcr 10
the whole figure, Now and then he
walked out into the area in front OF the
Secretary's desk moro often with scowl-
ing face and threatening gesture, he glow
cred upon the witness from the neighhor-
hood of the Managers table, Against him
stood up, at the end furthest from him OF
the Secretary desk, the hapleSs witness,
now as his i'll luck would have il,
passing from the exhilcration 20 the
,tupefaction Of the extra drinks hr had
taken. Adjutant-General Thomas is an
old man, slender in figure, but erect
and rubicond face, wrinkled with
the footprints of over sixty years.
The features are thin and ncrvous-the
long hook nose and the high forehead be-
ing the most prominent and the general
air Of the man is such as might very well
warrant Mr.. Stanton's effort Ia get him
placed on the retired list. Ii We add u
this that his intellectual force was never
great, that his social standing has been
good, and that his habits have been con-
vivial, it may be the moro readily under
stood that, with an exterior polish ofgood
manners and steady phrases, the man is
at bottom half an imbccile.
There is no need to tell over the story
of his discontinue. Probably there is no
better lawyer in the country to break
down n witness than Mr.. Butler lie set
out to break down Gen Thomps, and he
succeedcd-entanglcd him in contradic-
,ions, confused him as to places aud'datcs,
made him swear to one statement one
minute, another tho next He did not
get him TO this pass without considerable
previous expenditure, however, of III,
most offensive hcctnric and bullying, au
exhibition from which any gentleman
might have ehrunk in that presence, but
in which Butler seemed rather to take a
delight. He sucercd at Gen. Thomas
sneered at tho President, sneered 1T the
counsel, accused Mr. Evarts, in the most
insolcnt tone, Of eayes-droppng
But after all, two things are to be- sId
Of this performance of Gen. Butler. Ii
was wonderful exhibition of smarinc,>
and skill And it carried his point Gen.
Thomas left the stand thoroughly dcmor-
allied and broken-down witness. Butler
had fairly extorted from him the admis-
sion that he construed the Presidents or
der warranting him to use force in gain
ing possession Of the War Department /;
had driven him to admit that he swore to
incorrect statements, in previous exami-
nation before committee of the House
had hopclcssly confused him in his con-
tradictions, which left no doubt on the
Court as to his desire TO tell the truth.
and very great doubt as TO his capacity to
do it.
Yet, as liG left The stand, one could not
rcpress feeling of pity. He was old and
gray-headcd. lie was a soldier of long
service, not brilliant perhaps, but never
dishonorablc. And he wore the uniform
of the army of the United States Cor-
FtSb0HRfl,rt IF he fiBri3tudti E1-fYt