er war, 289;
his speech in their behalf, 290, 291;
urges economic benefits of their return, 291;
presents bill repealing acts against British goods, 292;
advocates free trade, 292;
wishes to solve Indian problem by encouraging intermarriage, 292,
293;
almost succeeds in carrying bill to that effect, 293;
antagonizes popular opinion in the foregoing projects, and also in
religious liberality, 294;
his amazing mastery over the House, 294, 295;
his appearance in legislature described by Roane, 295-297;
more practical than Madison, 296;
superior to Madison and Lee in debate, 296;
death of his mother, 299;
brings his family from Leatherwood to Salisbury, 299;
his showy style of living, 300;
letter to Washington, 301;
urges him to accept shares in James and Potomac navigation companies,
302;
declines a third term and retires, 302;
publicly thanked by delegates, 302;
resumes practice of law in Prince Edward County, 303;
returns to Assembly until 1790, 303;
continues popular leader, 303.
_Opponent of the Federal Constitution._
His relation to the Constitution not understood, 298;
not an extreme advocate of state rights, 303;
an early advocate of a central authority, 304;
supports in the main the policy of strengthening the federal
government, 305;
proposes to Madison to "invigorate" the government, 305;
considered by Madison a "champion of the federal cause" until 1787,
306;
learns of Jay's offer to surrender navigation of Mississippi, 307;
elected a delegate to the federal convention, 309;
refuses, because of the Mississippi scheme, to attend, 310, 311;
anxiety over his refusal, 311, 312;
receives appeal from Washington in behalf of Constitution, 313;
replies stating his disapproval, 313;
fears expressed that he would prevent calling of a state convention,
314;
but considers one necessary, 315;
labors to turn public opinion against the Constitution, 315, 316;
said to favor disunion, 317;
his political methods censured by President Smith, 317;
leads opposition to Constitution in the convention, 320;
his great activity in debate, 321;
great ability of his arguments, 321;
not, in the convention at least, a disunionist, 322, 323;