of suffering and to relieve it, that the act in the one case may
neutralize the feeling in the other, and thus restore the balance in the
heart."

In taking leave for the present of this unfortunate controversy I shall
quote from the "Defense," to show that Morse sincerely believed it his
duty to act as he did, but that he acted with reluctance:--

"That I have been slow to complain of the injurious character of his
testimony; that I have so long allowed, almost entirely uncontradicted,
its distortions to have all their legal weight against me in four
separate trials, without public exposure and for a space of four years of
time, will at least show, I humbly contend, my reluctance to appear
opposed to him, even when self-defence is combined with the defence of
the interests of a large body of assignees.... Painful, therefore, as is
the task imposed upon me, I cannot shrink from it, but shall endeavor so
to perform it as rather to parry the blows that have been aimed at me
than to inflict any in return. If what I say shall wound, it shall be
from the severity of the simple truth itself rather than from the manner
of setting it forth."

In the year 1846 there still remained one panel in the rotunda of the
Capitol at Washington to be filled by an historical painting. It had been
assigned to Inman, but, that artist having recently died, Morse's
friends, artists and others, sent a petition to Congress urging the
appointment of Morse in his place. Referring to this in a letter to his
brother Sidney, dated March 28, he says:--

"In regard to the rotunda picture I learn that my friends are quite
zealous, and it is not improbable that it may be given me to execute. If