the best policy." It is to be noticed that Marshall's "Life of
Washington," though written by the chief-justice of the United States,
was not a success, and passed through only one edition. It gave him more
annoyance than any thing in his life. He wrote it with labor and
sincerity, but he was incapable of writing mere smart, vivacious things,
and, in the attempt to give Washington his due proportions, he
insensibly failed of making a popular book.

Jefferson, who had been urging Tobias Lear, Washington's secretary, to
get out of Washington's papers remarks injurious to himself, was greatly
exercised at the publication of Marshall's book about as much as the
better element dudes are at Blaine's book.

Mr. Marshall, in 1788, assisted to make the new constitution of
Virginia. By the desire of Washington he ran for Congress as a
Federalist. President Washington offered him the place of
attorney-general, which he declined. He also declined the minister to
France, but subsequently accepted the position from President Adams, and
in France was insulted with his fellow-members by Talleyrand. John
Adams, on his return, wished to make him a member of the Supreme Court,
but this he declined, preferring the practice of the law.

It was at Mount Vernon that Washington prevailed upon him to run for
Congress. The story being raised that Patrick Henry was opposed to him,
old Henry came forward and said: "I should rather give my vote to John
Marshall than to any citizen of this State at this juncture, one only
excepted," meaning Washington.

The father of Robert E. Lee was one of the old Federal minority rallying
under Marshall. Marshall had scarcely taken his seat in Congress, in
1799, when Washington died, and he officially announced the death at
Philadelphia, and followed his remarks by introducing the resolutions
drafted by General Lee, which contained the words, "First in war, first
in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen."

ON THE BENCH.

John Marshall was next Secretary of State of John Adams, succeeding
Timothy Pickering. Adams was defeated for re-election, but before he
went out of office he appointed Marshall chief-justice, at the age of
forty-five.

At the head of that great bench sat Marshall more than one-third of a
century. Before him pleaded all the great lawyers of the country, like
William Pinckney, Hugh Legare, Daniel Webster, Horace Binney, Luther
Martin, and Walter Jones.

John Marshall lef