Richmond thronged with visitors--Court opens in the House of Delegates--The hall packed--Dress, appearance, and manner of spectators--Dangerous state of the public temper--Andrew Jackson arrives and publicly denounces Jefferson--He declares trial a "political persecution"--Winfield Scott's opinion: the President the real prosecutor--Grand jury formed and instructed--Believe Burr guilty--Burr's passionate reply to George Hay, the District Attorney--Hay reports to Jefferson-- Burr's counsel denounce the Administration's efforts to excite the public against him--Attorneys on both sides speak to the public--Hay moves to commit Burr for treason-- Marshall's difficult and dangerous situation--Jefferson instructs Hay--Government offers testimony to support its motion--Luther Martin arrives--Hay again reports to Jefferson, who showers the District Attorney with orders-- Burr asks that the court grant a writ of subpoena _duces tecum_ directed to Jefferson--Martin boldly attacks the President--Wirt's clever rejoinder--Jefferson calls Martin that "Federal bulldog"--Wants Martin indicted--Marshall's opinion on Burr's motion for a subpoena _duces tecum_--He grants the writ--Hay writes Jefferson, who makes able and dignified reply--Wilkinson arrives--Washington Irving's description of him--Testimony before the grand jury--Burr and Blennerhassett indicted for treason and misdemeanor-- Violent altercations between counsel.
Burr becomes popular with Richmond society--Swartwout challenges Wilkinson to a duel--Marshall sets the trial for August 3--The prisoner's life in the penitentiary--Burr's letters to his daughter--Marshall asks his associates on the Supreme Bench for their opinions--Trial begins--Difficulty of selecting a jury--Everybody convinced of Burr's guilt-- Hay writes Jefferson that Marshall favors Burr--At last jury is formed--The testimony--No overt act proven--Burr's counsel move that collateral testimony shall not be received--Counsel on both sides make powerful and brilliant arguments--Marshall delivers his famous opinion on the law of constructive treason--Jury returns verdict of not guilty--Jefferson declares Marshall is trying to keep evidence from the public--He directs Hay to press trial on indictment for misdemeanor--Burr demands letters called for in the subpoena _duces tecum_ to Jefferson--President attempts to arrange a truce with the Chief Justice--Hay despairs of convicting Burr for misdemeanor--Trial on this charge begins--Many witnesses examined--Prosecution collapses--Jury returns a verdict of not guilty--Hay moves to hold Burr and his associates for treason committed in Ohio--On this motion Marshall throws the door wide open to all testimony--He delivers his last opinion in the Burr trials--Refuses to hold Burr for treason, but commits him for misdemeanor alleged to have been committed in Ohio--Marshall adjourns court and hurries to the Blue Ridge--He writes Judge Peters of his situation during the trial--Jefferson denounces Marshall in Message he prepares for Congress--Cabinet induces him to strike out the most emphatic language--Marshall scathingly assailed in the press--The mob at Baltimore-- Marshall is hanged in effigy--The attempt to expel Senator John Smith of Ohio from the Senate--In his report on Smith case, John Quincy Adams attacks Marshall's rulings and opinion in the Burr trials--Grave foreign complications probably save Marshall from impeachment.