Albert Beveridge

Thus does greatness, once achieved, throw upon a past career a glory that dazzles the historian's eye; and the early steps of advancement are seen and described as unasked and unwished honors paid by a discerning public to modest and…

Thus, too, research and fact are ever in collision with fancy and legend.

It was reported to the House that a certain John Warden had insulted its dignity by saying publicly that if the House had voted against paying the British debts, some of its members had voted against paying for the coats on their backs--a…

Bad as the state of religion was at the beginning of the Revolution, it was worse after that struggle had ended.

But if Marshall took only a languid interest in the religious struggle, he was keen-eyed and active on the other two vital matters--the payment of debts, both public and private, and the arming of the Federal Government with powers…

Throughout this whole period we see the rapid and solid growth of the idea of Nationality, the seeds of which had been planted in John Marshall's soul by the fingers of military necessity and danger.

Here, too, may be found the beginning of those ideas of contract which developed throughout his life and hardened as they developed until finally they became as flint.

I wish it because it affords a pretext to the British to retain possession of the posts on the lakes but much more because I ever considered it as a measure tending to weaken the federal bands which in my conception are too weak already.

Marshall despondently summed up the work of the session: "We have as yet done nothing finally.

Daring, fearless, strong, and resourceful, they struck without the sanction of the law.

As for the Government's treaties or agreements of any kind with the Indian tribes, they, of course, amounted to nothing in the opinion of the frontiersmen.

Who were the Indians, anyway, except a kind of wild animal very much in the frontiersman's way and to be exterminated like other savage beasts?

Indeed, it is more than likely that most of this advance guard of the westward-marching American people never had heard of such treaties until the Government's puny attempt to enforce them.

At any rate, the settlers fell afoul of all who stood in their way; and, in the falling, spared not their hand.

It actually provided that men on Virginia soil should be delivered up for punishment to a foreign nation which knew not the divine right of trial by jury.

He believed, with Henry, in encouraging friendly relations with them, even by white and red amalgamation.

The people at large were in no frame of mind for any kind of government that meant power, taxes, and the restrictions which accompany orderly society.

The determination of commercial and financial interests to get some plan adopted under which business could be transacted, was the most effective force that brought about the historic Convention at Philadelphia in 1787.

His views about government had now developed maturely into a broad, well-defined Nationalism; and he did not need the spur of the wrathful words which Washington had been flinging as far as he could against the existing chaos and against…

Just as John Marshall was among the first in the field with rifle, tomahawk, and scalping-knife, to fight for Independence, so, now, he was among those first in the field with arguments, influence, and political activities, fighting for…

The Constitution of 1776 never was satisfactory to the western part of Virginia, which was under-represented.

Also suffrage was limited to white freeholders; and this restriction was made more onerous by the fact that county representation was based on slave as well as free population.

Also, the Constitution made possible the perpetuation of the Virginia political machine, previously mentioned, which afterward played a part of such vast importance in National affairs.

Nothing explains the struggle over this subject except that the people found it a bitter hardship to pay the debts, as, indeed, was the case; and the idea of not paying them at all grew into a hope and then a policy.

Without such a survey we shall find ourselves floating aimlessly among the clouds of fancy instead of treading, with sure foothold, the solid ground of fact.