Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Association Volume 37 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1916 Excerpt: ...bill aftei bill to repeal these sequestration laws was defeated, on one pretext or another. The general conduct of the Legislature disgusted men like Mason, Madison and Washington. John Marshall was similarly impressed, and said so in letters to friends. It was our duty, as a matter of good faith as well as individual honor, to repeal the laws that prevented the payment of those debts; but every time that any one succeeded in passing a law calling for such repeal--and bill after bill was introduced to this end--the Legislature would pass a law the next week after to undo the repeal. It was a frightful state of affairs, amounting to legislative chaos. Notwithstanding all this, during these years they passed some very important legislation. Marshall has left two or three letters descriptive of the situation at that time, which show that the condition of affairs had awakened in him a very strong impulse toward national thinking, as well as changed economic notions. His temperament was naturally conservative undoubtedly, and his earlier views as a radical young individualist were not the real nature of the man; but his experience in war, and his experience in the Legislature caused a curious conflict to arise overthrowing his earlier views and strengthening his disposition toward sane legislation, evidencing that he was more and more impressed with conviction of an orderly character. His naturally conservative temperament was hardened and fixed until his views upon the obligation of a contract became as flint. The next great influence, I think, that acted not only upon Marshall but upon the American people, was the influence exerted by the French Revolution. Very little attention, curiously enough, has been paid by American historians, except by Marshall himsel...