The Yazoo Democrat., 1854-10-04

The following extracts are taken from q
new work entitled Lives and Individual
Services of the Judges of the Supreme Court
of the United States:
Chief Justice Marshall.
The following is an interesting sketch Of
the early manhood of one of the ablest ju-
rists, and most remarkable man in other re-
spects that this country has ever produced =
Chief Justice Marshall -
Young Marshall was entering his eigh
teenth year, when the contest between the
colonists and Great Britain commenced. 1t
found him engagedi in studying the classics,
and in reading by turns poetry and history,
and the Commentaries of Blackstone. These
pursuits, though congenial to the studious
habits of his mind, were not suffered to en-
gross his attention to the exclusion of the ex-
citing political topics of the day. On the
contrary, he entered into the controversy
with a zeal which had not yet become tenn
pered by the sober lessons of wisdom and
experience. Nor did his zeal waste itself in
noisy and boisterous defamation, or in the
mere expression of speculative opinion; for
he was among the first to set the example of
prompt, energetic and decisive action. The
thrilling words of Patrick Henry" We
must fight An appeal to arms and the God
of Hosts is all that is left u.s." had scarcely
fallen from the lips of the great orator, ere
we find John Marshall laying aside bis Hor-
ace and Pope, his Lyttleton and Blackstone,
to acquire the rudiments of military exercise,
and actively engaged in training a militia
company in the neighborhood. Lis first ap-
pearance after the intelligence of the battle
of Lexington had been received, was as an
officer of a militia company in Fauquier
county, and is described by venerable kins-
man who was himself an eyewitness Of the
occurrences he relates; and this description
is so graphic, and so full of interest, that l
cannot refrain from transcribing it in. the
words in which it is written:-
Z" 1t was in May, 1875, He was then a
youth of nineteen. The muster field was
some twenty miles distant from the court
house, and in section of the country peo-
pied by the tllers of the earth. Rumors Of
the occurrences near Boston had circulated
with the effect of alarm and agitation, but
without the means of ascertaining the truth.
for not newspaper was printed nearer than
Williamsburg, nor was one taken within the
bounds of the militia company, though large.
The captain had called the company togeth-
er and was expected to attend, but did not.
John Marshall had been appointed ieuten-
ant to it. Ills father had formerly comman-
ded it. Soon after Lieutenant MarshalTs ap-
pearance on the ground, those who knew
him clustered about him to greet him, others
from curiosity, and to hear the news.
He proceeded to inform the company
that the captain would not be there, and that
he had been appointed Lieutenant instead
| of better - that he had come to meet them
as fellow soldiers who were likely to be call
ed on to defend their country, and their own
rights and liberties, invaded by the British
that there had been battle at Lexington,
in Massachusetts, between the British and
Americans, in which the Americans were
victorious, but that more fighting was expec-
ted that soldiers were called for, and that
it was time to brighten their fire arms and
learn to use them in the field and that il
they would fall into single line he would
show them the new manual exercise, foI
which purpose he had brought his gun
bringing it up to his shoulder. The SER
geants put the men in line, and their bugle-
man presented himself in front to the right
The same excellent authority goes on to
describe the personal appearance and figure
Of Marshall, and the simple and familiar
manner of his intercourse with the men whom
he had undertaken to instruct IN the new
manual exercise The picture is striking
and graphic; / shall hereafter compare il
with another, drawn by different hand, o
the same John Marshall, as he appeared, no
as lieutenant of militia, but as Chief justice
of the United States -
i He was about six feet high, straight anC
rather slender, of dark conplexion-show
ing little, if any, rosy red, yet good health
the outline of the face nearly circle, anC
within that eyes dark to blackness, strong
4 and penetrating, beaming with intelligence
and good nature; an upright forehead, rath
er Tow, was terminated in horizontal line
by mass of raven black hair of unusua
r. & Al,