Evening journal., 1901-02-04


ardor to the drill, and when news came
Of the battle of Lexington and thel
march OF PatrickHenry upon Williams
burg, he addressed the company in elo-
quent terms and urged them to prepare
for every emergency. The call for
their services was not long delayed
Dunmore fled from Richmond and Col
onel Henry sent to the upper counties
OF the State for volunteers to drive the
governor from the soil of Virginia
The response was prompt. Three COM
panies quickly assembled among
whom were the Culpepper minute
men" who wore green bunting shirts
with 'liberty or death" in white letters
on the bosom. Their banner displayed
q coiled rattlesnake with the motto:
Don't tread On me-" In this company
John Marshall was lieutenant: hisl
father was elected major of the regi-
ment. II marched Immediately and
took an important part in the battle of
Great Bridge.
In July, 1776, he was made lieutenant
In the llth Virginia regiment on con-
tinental service and marched with his
company to the North. In May, 1777,
he was promoted 10 captaincy, and
| from the time Of his entrance into the
army to the close Of IT'S, Marshall was
in active service He took part in the
! skirmish at CCOch's Bridge and
in the battles Of Germantown Brandy
vino and Monmouth. He shared the
hardships and suiferings of the troops
at Valley Forge, and his unvary ng
good humOr and sanguine hoDefulness
] fs.l 4 D..
hours of that terrible Winter. The
officers of the Virginia line appeared
almost TO idolize him.
In 1879 he was able whilco on detached
duty in his native State to attend law
lectures at venerable William and
Mary College. Two years later he re
signed his commission and took up the
practice Of his chosen profession. In
1888 he was married to Miss Mary
Willis Amber, who was then but 16
years Of age, and removed to Rich
mond
There he became member of the
State Legislature and drew to himself
the notice of the nation by his debate
n the Virginia convention for the rat
ificatiCn of the Constitution. Success
sively he declined the United States
orney-generalship and q seat on
the Supreme Court bench. and at
length emerged into national politics
and became, in 1898, envoy to France.
The following year found him a FEEDER
alist leader in Congress, and in 1900
! first secretary ofwar ami later secretary
OF state in the Adams Cabinet Then
in 1901, came the crowning distinction
Of his life and the one which is now
being commemorated: his appointment
by President Adams as chief justice of
the United States Supreme Court This,
like almost every other public appoint
ment which he received throughout
! life, came TO him unasked. He had
oven recommended another for the
place Of chief justice, but President
Adams disregarded his advice. The
Senate unanimously confirmed the ap-
pointment; and thus commenced that
! long career Of sober usefulness and
unostentatious devotion to the public
| good which had made the name of
! John Marshall so widely honored and
| beloved. He continued to act in the
capacity Of chief-justice from this time
to the period of his death, and Of the
eminent talents which he brought to
| the performance of his judicial func-
tiOns, there can be but one opinion
and in the great tribunal of ultimate
resort over which he presided his in
! iiuence is known to have been para
mount. OF his adjudications a distin-
guished jurist has said: "The decisions
of the Supreme Court OF the United
States have raised the renown Of the
country, not less than they have con-
irmed the Constitution. In all parts Of
the world its judgments are spoken of
with respect" His adiudications of
prize law are a code for all future
times. Upon commercial law it has
brought us nearly to one system, be-
fitting the prObity and interest Of a
great commercial nation. over its
whole path learning and intelligence
and integrity have shed their c0mbin-
ed lustre
In 1923 Judge Marshall was a dele
gate from the city of Richmond TO
q convention held in Charlottesville foi
devising a system of internal improve
ments, to be recommended to the Leg
islature. and took part in the debates
of the body. In 1929 he represented
Richmond in the reform convention OF
that year to revise the old Constitution
Of the commonwealth. He was now
long past his prime and his voice haC
become very feeble, but he exerteC
himself in debating the provisions O
the new State Constitution as he had
done in the struggle to define the pow
ers of the Constitutions of the United
States. A compromise was effected
through John -Marshall's influence an,
the convention adjourned
While his exposition of the TRUTH
enfolded in the written and unwrittel
codes of Jurisprudence will ever be hi
! greatest memorial. his memory is as
perpetuated by a bronze statue of he
b. roic size which occupies one Of the ped
, estals of the Washington monument II
( the Capitol Square, at Richmond, Va
s To those who take pleasure in tracing
D the home life of great men, the sam
I city also contains an object of specia
interest II is the substantial yet un
r pretentiOus brick residence at Mar
shall Cnamed in his honor and Mint
streets there. which he had erected il
L. A. HH....N