At others they swayed gently to and fro, like tree
tops in a breeze; and when he sat down, the oldest at the bar--the
President on the bench--felt that it was among the best speeches they
had ever heard, if not the best. The youthfulness of the orator of
course enhanced its effect. It had some faults of redundancy, both of
words and imagery, but its tone and manner were admirable. At times
his delivery was very rapid and vehement, but his voice, always rich
and full, never broke, or seemed strained; while in the moments
of excitement, every nerve and fibre of his form quivered with the
intensity of his emotion. His form was lithe and elastic, and admitted
of easy, rapid and forcible action, which was never more than was
allowable to one of his passionate temperament.
When he closed, almost everybody supposed the case was ended. Wade
arose with a radiant face, and said the defense rested the argument on
that which had just been delivered.
Kelly was taken by surprise again, both by the quality and force of
Bart's speech, and the submission of the case. The first carried him
off his feet, and he hoped to recover during the delivery of another
on the same side. He was a good chancery and real estate lawyer, but
he was not the man to reply to Barton's argument. He followed him,
however--that is, he spoke after him, and on the other side, for a
half hour, and submitted the case.
The Court gave the case to the jury on the law, as the defense claimed
it.
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