Albert Beveridge - The Life of John Marshall (Volume 2 of 4)

"Our commercial and maritime people feel themselves deeply interested to prevent every act that may put our peace at hazard." (Cabot to King, Aug. 2, 1793; Lodge: Cabot , 74.)

The merchants and traders of Baltimore, "as participants in the general prosperity resulting from peace, and the excellent laws and constitution of the United States … beg leave to express the high sense they entertain of the provident wisdom and watchfulness over the concerns and peace of a happy people which you have displayed in your late proclamation declaring neutrality … well convinced that the true interests of America consist in a conduct, impartial, friendly, and unoffending to all the belligerent powers." (Address of the Merchants and Traders of Baltimore to George Washington, President of the United States; General Advertiser , Philadelphia, June 5, 1793.)

Jefferson to Madison, May 19, 1793; Works : Ford, vii, 336.

Jefferson to Monroe, May 5, 1793; ib. , 309.

Marshall, ii, 273.

Pacificus No. 1; Works : Lodge, iv, 432-44.

Marshall, ii, 327.

Marshall, ii, 322.

Jefferson to Washington, Dec. 31, 1793; Works : Ford, viii, 136.

Jefferson to Short, Jan. 28, 1792; ib. , vi, 382.

Marshall, ii, 233.

Generally speaking, the same classes that secured the Constitution supported all the measures of Washington's Administration. (See Beard: Econ. O. J. D. , 122-24.)

While the Republicans charged that Washington's Neutrality was inspired by favoritism to Great Britain, as it was certainly championed by trading and moneyed interests which dealt chiefly with British houses, the Federalists made the counter-charge, with equal accuracy, that the opponents of Neutrality were French partisans and encouraged by those financially interested.

The younger Adams, who was in Europe during most of this period and who carefully informed himself, writing from The Hague, declared that many Americans, some of them very important men, were "debtors to British merchants, creditors to the French government, and speculators in the French revolutionary funds, all to an immense amount," and that other Americans were heavily indebted in England. All these interests were against Neutrality and in favor of war with Great Britain – those owing British debts, because "war … would serve as a sponge for their debts," or at least postpone payment, and the creditors of the French securities, because French success would insure payment. (J. Q. Adams to his father, June 24, 1796; Writings, J. Q. A. : Ford, i, 506.)

Story, in Dillon, iii, 350.

Gabriel Jones, the ablest lawyer in the Valley, and, of course, a stanch Federalist.

Monroe to Jefferson, Sept. 3, 1793; Monroe's Writings : Hamilton, i, 274-75. Considering the intimate personal friendship existing between Monroe and Marshall, the significance and importance of this letter cannot be overestimated.

It was at this point, undoubtedly, that the slander concerning Marshall's habits was started. (See infra , 101-03.)

The above paragraphs are based on Justice Story's account of Marshall's activities at this period, supplemented by Madison and Monroe's letters; by the well-known political history of that time; and by the untrustworthy but not negligible testimony of tradition. While difficult to reconstruct a situation from such fragments, the account given in the text is believed to be substantially accurate.

See Works : Ford, xii, footnote to 451.

Madison to Jefferson, June 17, 1793; Writings : Hunt, vi, 134.

See infra , chap. v.

Madison to Jefferson, Sept. 2, 1793; Writings : Hunt, vi, 196.

See infra , chap. v. Robert Morris secured in this way all the money he was able to give his son-in-law for the Fairfax purchase.

Mrs. Carrington to her sister Nancy; undated; MS.

Ib.

See supra , vol. i, chap. vii.

See, for instance, Jefferson to Short (Sept 6, 1790; Works : Ford, vi, 146), describing a single order of wine for Washington and one for himself; and see Chastellux's account of an evening with Jefferson: "We were conversing one evening over a bowl of punch after Mrs. Jefferson had retired. Our conversation turned on the poems of Ossian… The book was sent for and placed near the bowl, where by their mutual aid the night far advanced imperceptibly upon us." (Chastellux, 229.)

Marshall's Account Book does not show any purchases of wine at all comparable with those of other contemporaries. In March, 1791, Marshall enters, "wine £60"; August, ditto, "£14-5-8"; September, 1792, "Wine £70"; in July, 1793, "Whisky 6.3.9" (pounds, shillings, and pence); in May, 1794, "Rum and brandy 6-4"; August, 1794, ditto, five shillings, sixpence; May, 1795, "Whisky £6.16"; Sept., "wine £3"; Oct., ditto, "£17.6."

Marshall to Stuart, March 27, 1794; MS., Va. Hist. Soc.

Major George Keith Taylor to Brigadier-General Mathews, July 19, 1794; Cal. Va. St. Prs. , vii, 223.

Mathews to Taylor, July 20, 1794; ib. , 224.

Governor Henry Lee "Commander-in-chief," to Marshall, July 21, 1794; MS., "War 10," Archives, Va. St. Lib.

"Dark blue coat, skirts lined with buff, capes, lapels and cuffs buff, buttons yellow. Epaulets gold one on each shoulder, black cocked hat, with black cockade, black stock, boots and side arms." (Division Orders, July 4, 1794; Cal. Va. St. Prs. , vii, 204. But see Schoepf (ii, 43), where a uniform worn by one brigadier-general of Virginia Militia is described as consisting of "a large white hat, a blue coat, a brown waistcoat, and green breeches.")

Particular Orders, supra .

Marshall to Governor of Virginia, July 23, 1794; Cal. Va. St. Prs. , vii, 228; and same to same, July 28, 1794; ib. , 234.

Ib.

Marshall to Governor of Virginia, July 28, 1794; Cal. Va. St. Prs. , vii, 235.

George Keith Taylor; see infra , chaps. x and xii.

Lee to the Secretary of War, July 28, 1794; Cal. Va. St. Prs. , vii, 234.

See, for instance, Thompson's speech, infra , chap. vi.

Marshall, ii, 293.

Ib. , 285.

Ib. , 285.

Marshall to Stuart, March 27, 1794; MS., Va. Hist. Soc.

"The idea that Great Britain was the natural enemy of America had become habitual" long before this time. (Marshall, ii, 154.)