The Guiteau trial does not even appear to approach its
end, though the facts are admitted, and though expert after expert testifies that the accused is perfectly sane. Indeed, he admits this himself, only protesting that he was insane when he assassinated President Garfield. The extraordinary want of decorum which has characterised the trial throughout still continues, Guiteau being allowed to interrupt when he pleases, to abuse his own counsel, to congratulate the audience on his pleasant Christmas with good eating and visits from ladies, and even to issue a' Christmas address to the American public. That public, how- ever, is thoroughly disgusted, and the Court which tries him has been compelled by opinion to order him into the dock, where he ought to have been at first. He has hitherto sat among the counsel. Judge Cox, in ordering him to be removed, stated that he had seen no way of preventing his outbursts without in- terfering with his constitutional rights ; but we fancy if Guiteau had been an ordinary negro murderer, a way would have been found. It is argued that the trial shows that any one, even apoliti- cal assassin, is sure of a fair hearing in the United States, but a fair hearing does not include the right to discredit the adminis- tration of the law by weeks of brutal buffonery. After all, Guiteau has nothing to say, except that he was inspired, and that everybody in Court, except himself and the prosecuting counsel, Mr. Corkhill, of whom he is afraid, is a fool, or mad.
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