The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1901-02-05
MINUTE ON
MARSHALL
Read III Superior Court by Attor-
ney-General Ward.
CHIEF JUSTICE LORE'S REPLY
He Said Chief Justice John Marshall
Occupied a Unique Place in the
Establishment of Consti-
tutional Government.
CHIEF JUSTICE LORE'S REPLY

III the Superior Court at noon yester-
day Atorney-General Herbert II. Ward,
president of the Bar Association Of New
Castle county, presented Il minute on the
life of John Marshall. He said in part:
A memorial Of John Marshall must
necessarily be labor of love for any
American lawyer. Besides singularly
interesting and attractive personality
as Il man, he possessed a Worldwide
fame because of his relations toward
American political institutions and
American law.
John Marshall was born on the Gath
day of September, 1855, in the county
of Fauquier, Virginia, Of distin-
guishrd family.
John Marshall came OF age in the
fateful year Of 1776. While not yet 20
years Of age he formed and trained
volunteer company Of patriots, who
were among the first minute men raised
in Virginia. He participated with dis
tinction in the battle of Great Bridge in
Virginia, of Iron Hill, Brandywne, Ger
mantown. Monmouth, Powel's Hook and
Stony Point, and wintered with Wash
ington at Valley Forge.
With the rank Of captain he returned
from the army and entered on the prac-
tice of law in his native county in 1881.
His clear thought, patient industry,
broad grasp of general principles, cifec-
tivcness us an advocate and personal
popularity, Immediately drew to him IL
large, and for the time, Il renlunera-
tive ,licntase. After the practice for
two years at the Fauquier county and
adjacent bars, he removed to Richmond,
where he almost ut once took his place
among the leaders of possibly the then
ablest bar in the United Stutes---a bar
that was graced by the names of Patrick
Henry, John Wickh% II, James lunes,
Alexander Campbell, Benjamin Bolts
and Ermund Randolph.
While not yet 25 years of age he was
elected delegate from Fauquier county
to the Virginia Legislature. 1t was dur
ing this first term of his legislative SER
wee that lie was chosen q member of the
State or Executive Council, and was
also maze general in the new organiza-
ton of the State militia under the peace
establishment. In 1854, although then a
resident Of Richmond, llcnrico county,
his Fauquirc county constituency again
honorcd him with an election to the
General Assembly. In 1887 his adopted
county paid him the same tribute of con-
tidcnce, and in 1887, also, his uenrico
county constituency elected am TO the
State Convention, which was called to
deliberate upon the adoption Of the late
~ iianel constitution OF tho United
States.
The latter honor may well serve to
Illustrate the esteem and confidence in
which he was then held by his fellow
citizens. The State Of Virginia as
whole, and Hcnrico county in particular,
containing as it did the city of Rich
mond, was strongly Republican, as dis
tinguishcd from Ieredalists, in senti
ment, and viewed with suspicion and
alarm the ideas of Hamilton and the
other Fcderalists which We're embodied
in the proposed National Constitution.
No man in Virginia held more advanced
Federalistic opinions, more openly eX-
rcsscd, than Marshall. The popular maj
jority in the county against the adoption
of this constitution was known to be
large. He was warned that, unless he
would pledge himself to vote against
its ratification, his election would be
strcnuously contested. In response, he
proclaimed his intention to vote for the
constitution il he We're given an Op0r-
tunity. The result of the poll was his
election by Il handsome majority.
lie was then but SO years old In this
convention he ranged himself by the
side of Edmund Pendleton, James Madi-
son, Edmund Randolph James lnnes
and Henry Lea, and with them, by all
the Iorce of patriotic and analytic ora
tOry fought the cause of NationaliSm