He struggled hard to recover the ground which he had obviously lost, but he did not succeed in changing his _status_ in the House, or in securing recruits for the Administration from the ranks of his fellow Republicans.

To fail in that was to fail in every thing.
That he made a clever speech was not denied, for every intellectual effort of Mr.Raymond exhibited cleverness.

That he made the most of a weak cause, and to some extent influenced public opinion, must also be freely conceded.

But his most partial friends were compelled to admit that he had absolutely failed to influence Republican action in Congress, and had only succeeded in making himself an apparent ally of the Democratic party--a position in every way unwelcome and distasteful to Mr.Raymond.

His closing speech was marked by many pointed interruptions from Mr.Shellabarger and was answered at some length by Mr.Stevens.