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friends, affectionate husbands and fathers, slow to anger and of great mercy. But when this description is applied to nearly tire whole generation of the Revolution, one is forced to suspect that at least in regard to some there has been a suppression of interesting facts. It is unfortunate that history, in bow ing on bended knee in adoration, should have been blinded thus. Whether or not there has been a suppres sion of facts in regard to the private charac ter of John Marshall cannot now be deter mined. Of him history records nothing but good. His was a temperament affectionate and charitable, of the utmost good nature, equanimity and purity. Yet the insistence which is placed upon his great sweetness of temper gives rise to the suspicion that it may be a case of protesting too much. His pictured features with their low brow; spark ling, dark eyes; thin, firm lips, and rounded chin, betoken a man of passionate temper, of keen sensibility, of much dignity and great intellect; a thoroughly human individ uality, with red blood pulsing in his veins and an ardent heart keeping company with an active brain. And one is led to believe that the portraits of him are true to the life from his many friendships and the respect with which he inspired his generation. However this may be, there can be no doubt that like many other great lawyers, both living and dead, Marshall was of an indolent disposi tion. " 'Even by his friends he is taxed with some little propensity to indolence,' says the Due de Liancourt; and his friends, we sus pect, were not unjust to him. In truth, he was something of a truant. But such were the vigor and comprehension of his mind that he could better afford than most men to indulge a fondness for social, and even con vivial enjoyments." Of Marshall's public career, however, there is and there can be no question. His po litical independence and fearlessness were equaled only by his judicial dignity and high character as a magistrate. His name has deservedly become the synonym for a great

and perfect judge. He sits enshrined in the hearts of lawyers with Holt, Hardwicke, Mansfield and Stowell. No words of praise are too^reat, no terms of admiration too elo quent, to justly describe his judicial career and the mighty work which he accomplished. As the eldest son of a schoolmate of George Washington he derived from his father, perhaps, the earliest basis for his almost idolatrous affection for and faith in that great man. This influence, too, prob ably was the first cause for his political opinions, which by study and observation early became fixed convictions, to which he steadily adhered through life; enthusiasti cally supporting a strong central govern ment, and earnestly defending the adminis trations of Washington and Adams against what now seem to us factious and ignorant attacks. And it was in this defence, con ducted without partisanship, but with the weight of his incomparable and unanswera ble logic, that he was schooled for the great work which was to engage the last thirtyfour years of his life, give him undying fame, and win for him the gratitude, respect and admiration of all succeeding generations of the Republic. Although his political predi lections were strong, he yet had no political animosities, except in the case of Jeffer son, whom he mistrusted, if not misjudged, and whose virulent comments upon his con duct of the trial of Aaron Burr were such as to exasperate any man. With this excep tion, however, his political opponents were ever as ready to accord their affectionate tes timony to both his character and ability, as he was to bestow upon them his considera tion and praise. The life of John Marshall is devoid of dramatic incident. It is the life of a great lawyer and a great magistrate, engrossed by the great questions of his profession. His political career was due to, and was the out growth of, his professional interests, and those interests were primarily in questions arising under the Constitution. Born on September 24, 1755, he grew to manhood in