a drawn one, by dexterous manoeuvres,
skirmishes in detail, and the recovery of small advantages, which, little
singly, were important all together. You never knew when you were clear of
him."

Intense as the controversy was, fundamental as were the points at issue,
the speakers never lost that courtesy for which the Virginians were
remarkable; John Randolph being perhaps the only exception. Even Patrick
Henry--though from his humble origin and impetuous oratory one might have
expected otherwise--was never guilty of any rudeness to his opponents. What
Jefferson said of Madison was true of the Virginia orators in
general,--"soothing always the feelings of his adversaries by civilities
and softnesses of expression."

Jefferson struck first at the system of entail. After a three weeks'
struggle, land and slaves were put upon the same footing as all other
property,--they might be sold or bequeathed according to the will of the
possessor. Then came a longer and more bitter contest. Jefferson was for
abolishing all connection between church and state, and for establishing
complete freedom of religion. Nine years elapsed before Virginia could be
brought to that point; but at this session he procured a repeal of the law
which imposed penalties for attendance at a dissenting meeting-house, and
also of the law compelling dissenters to pay tithes. The fight was,
therefore, substantially won; and in 1786, Jefferson's "Act for
establishing religion" became the law of Virginia.(1)

Another far-reaching law introduced by Jefferson at this memorable session
of 1776 provided for the naturalization of foreigners in Virginia, after a
two years' residence in the State, and upon a declaration of their
intention to become American citizens. The bill provided also that the
minor children of naturalized parents should be citizens of the United
States when they came of age. The principles of this measure were
afterward embodied in the statutes of the United States, and they are in
force to-day.

At this session Jefferson also drew an act for establishing courts of law
in Virginia, the royal courts having necessarily passed out of existence
when the Declaration of Independence was adopted. Moreover, he set on foot
a revision of all the statutes of Virginia, a committee with him at the
head being appointed for this purpose; and finally he procured the removal
of the capital from Williamsburg to Richmond.

All this was accomplished, mainly b