autobiography-第9部分

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ion　of　the　clergy；　and　superintending　their　conduct。　　And　in　the　bill　now　passed　was　inserted　an　express　reservation　of　the　question　Whether　a　general　assessment　should　not　be　established　by　law；　on　every　one；　to　the　support　of　the　pastor　of　his　choice；　or　whether　all　should　be　left　to　voluntary　contributions；　and　on　this　question；　debated　at　every　session　from　76　to　79　（some　of　our　dissenting　allies；　having　now　secured　their　particular　object；　going　over　to　the　advocates　of　a　general　assessment）　we　could　only　obtain　a　suspension　from　session　to　session　until　79。　when　the　question　against　a　general　assessment　was　finally　carried；　and　the　establishment　of　the　Anglican　church　entirely　put　down。　　In　justice　to　the　two　honest　but　zealous　opponents；　who　have　been　named　I　must　add　that　altho'；　from　their　natural　temperaments；　they　were　more　disposed　generally　to　acquiesce　in　things　as　they　are；　than　to　risk　innovations；　yet　whenever　the　public　will　had　once　decided；　none　were　more　faithful　or　exact　in　their　obedience　to　it。

　　　　　　　　The　seat　of　our　government　had　been　originally　fixed　in　the　peninsula　of　Jamestown；　the　first　settlement　of　the　colonists；　and　had　been　afterwards　removed　a　few　miles　inland　to　Williamsburg。　　But　this　was　at　a　time　when　our　settlements　had　not　extended　beyond　the　tide　water。　　Now　they　had　crossed　the　Alleghany；　and　the　center　of　population　was　very　far　removed　from　what　it　had　been。　　Yet　Williamsburg　was　still　the　depository　of　our　archives；　the　habitual　residence　of　the　Governor　&　many　other　of　the　public　functionaries；　the　established　place　for　the　sessions　of　the　legislature；　and　the　magazine　of　our　military　stores：　and　it's　situation　was　so　exposed　that　it　might　be　taken　at　any　time　in　war；　and；　at　this　time　particularly；　an　enemy　might　in　the　night　run　up　either　of　the　rivers　between　which　it　lies；　land　a　force　above；　and　take　possession　of　the　place；　without　the　possibility　of　saving　either　persons　or　things。　　I　had　proposed　it's　removal　so　early　as　Octob。　76。　but　it　did　not　prevail　until　the　session　of　May。　'79。

　　　　　　　　Early　in　the　session　of　May　79。　　I　prepared；　and　obtained　leave　to　bring　in　a　bill　declaring　who　should　be　deemed　citizens；　asserting　the　natural　right　of　expatriation；　and　prescribing　the　mode　of　exercising　it。　　This；　when　I　withdrew　from　the　house　on　the　1st　of　June　following；　I　left　in　the　hands　of　George　Mason　and　it　was　passed　on　the　26th　of　that　month。

　　　　　　　　In　giving　this　account　of　the　laws　of　which　I　was　myself　the　mover　&　draughtsman；　I　by　no　means　mean　to　claim　to　myself　the　merit　of　obtaining　their　passage。　　I　had　many　occasional　and　strenuous　coadjutors　in　debate；　and　one　most　steadfast；　able；　and　zealous；　who　was　himself　a　host。　　This　was　George　Mason；　a　man　of　the　first　order　of　wisdom　among　those　who　acted　on　the　theatre　of　the　revolution；　of　expansive　mind；　profound　judgment；　cogent　in　argument；　learned　in　the　lore　of　our　former　constitution；　and　earnest　for　the　republican　change　on　democratic　principles。　　His　elocution　was　neither　flowing　nor　smooth；　but　his　language　was　strong；　his　manner　most　impressive；　and　strengthened　by　a　dash　of　biting　cynicism　when　provocation　made　it　seasonable。

　　　　　　　　Mr。　Wythe；　while　speaker　in　the　two　sessions　of　1777。　between　his　return　from　Congress　and　his　appointment　to　the　Chancery；　was　an　able　and　constant　associate　in　whatever　was　before　a　committee　of　the　whole。　　His　pure　integrity；　judgment　and　reasoning　powers　gave　him　great　weight。　　Of　him　see　more　in　some　notes　inclosed　in　my　letter　of　August　31。　1821；　to　Mr。　John　Saunderson。

　　　　　　　　Mr。　Madison　came　into　the　House　in　1776。　a　new　member　and　young；　which　circumstances；　concurring　with　his　extreme　modesty；　prevented　his　venturing　himself　in　debate　before　his　removal　to　the　Council　of　State　in　Nov。　77。　From　thence　he　went　to　Congress；　then　consisting　of　few　members。　　Trained　in　these　successive　schools；　he　acquired　a　habit　of　self…possession　which　placed　at　ready　command　the　rich　resources　of　his　luminous　and　discriminating　mind；　&　of　his　extensive　information；　and　rendered　him　the　first　of　every　assembly　afterwards　of　which　he　became　a　member。　　Never　wandering　from　his　subject　into　vain　declamation；　but　pursuing　it　closely　in　language　pure；　classical；　and　copious；　soothing　always　the　feelings　of　his　adversaries　by　civilities　and　softness　of　expression；　he　rose　to　the　eminent　station　which　he　held　in　the　great　National　convention　of　1787。　and　in　that　of　Virginia　which　followed；　he　sustained　the　new　constitution　in　all　its　parts；　bearing　off　the　palm　against　the　logic　of　George　Mason；　and　the　fervid　declamation　of　Mr。　Henry。　　With　these　consummate　powers　were　united　a　pure　and　spotless　virtue　which　no　calumny　has　ever　attempted　to　sully。　　Of　the　powers　and　polish　of　his　pen；　and　of　the　wisdom　of　his　administration　in　the　highest　office　of　the　nation；　I　need　say　nothing。　　They　have　spoken；　and　will　forever　speak　for　themselves。

　　　　　　　　So　far　we　were　proceeding　in　the　details　of　reformation　only；　selecting　points　of　legislation　prominent　in　character　&　principle；　urgent；　and　indicative　of　the　strength　of　the　general　pulse　of　reformation。　　When　I　left　Congress；　in　76。　it　was　in　the　persuasion　that　our　whole　code　must　be　reviewed；　adapted　to　our　republican　form　of　government；　and；　now　that　we　had　no　negatives　of　Councils；　Governors　&　Kings　to　restrain　us　from　doing　right；　that　it　should　be　corrected；　in　all　it's　parts；　with　a　single　eye　to　reason；　&　the　good　of　those　for　whose　government　it　was　framed。　　Early　therefore　in　the　session　of　76。　to　which　I　returned；　I　moved　and　presented　a　bill　for　the　revision　of　the　laws；　which　was　passed　on　the　24th。　of　October；　and　on　the　5th。　of　November　Mr。　Pendleton；　Mr。　Wythe；　George　Mason；　Thomas　L。　Lee　and　myself　were　appointed　a　committee　to　execute　the　work。　　We　agreed　to　meet　at　Fredericksburg　to　settle　the　plan　of　operation　and　to　distribute　the　work。　　We　met　there　accordingly；　on　the　13th。　of　January　1777。　　The　first　question　was　whether　we　should　propose　to　abolish　the　whole　existing　system　of　laws；　and　prepare　a　new　and　complete　Institute；　or　preserve　the　general　system；　and　only　modify　it　to　the　present　state　of　things。　　Mr。　Pendleton；　contrary　to　his　usual　disposition　in　favor　of　antient　things；　was　for　the　former　proposition；　in　which　he　was　joined　by　Mr。　Lee。　　To　this　it　was　objected　that　to　abrogate　our　whole　system　would　be　a　bold　measure；　and　probably　far　beyond　the　views　of　the　legislature；　that　they　had　been　in　the　practice　of　revising　from　time　to　time　the　laws　of　the　colony；　omitting　the　expired；　the　repealed　and　the　obsolete；　amending　only　those　retained；　and　probably　meant　we　should　now　do　the　same；　only　including　the　British　statutes　as　well　as　our　own：　that　to　compose　a　new　Institute　like　those　of　Justinian　and　Bracton；　or　that　of　Blackstone；　which　was　the　model　proposed　by　Mr。　Pendleton；　would　be　an　arduous　undertaking；　of　vast　research；　of　great　consideration　&　judgment；　and　when　reduced　to　a　text；　every　word　of　that　text；　from　the　imperfection　of　human　language；　and　it's　incompetence　to　express　distinctly　every　shade　of　idea；　would　become　a　subject　of　question　&　chicanery　until　settled　by　repeated　adjudications；　that　this　would　involve　us　for　ages　in　litigation；　and　render　property　uncertain　until；　like　the　statutes　of　old；　every　word　had　been　tried；　and　settled　by　numerous　decisions；　and　by　new　volumes　of　reports　&　commentaries；　and　that　no　one　of　us　probably　would　undertake　such　a　work；　which；　to　be　systematical；　must　be　the　work　of　one　hand。　　This　last　was　the　opinion　of　Mr。　Wythe；　Mr。　Mason　&　myself。　　When　we　proceeded　to　the　distribution　of　the　work；　Mr。　Mason　excused　himself　as；　being　no　lawyer；　he　felt　himself　unqualified　for　the　work；　and　he　resigned　soon　after。　　Mr。　Lee　excused　himself　on　the　same　ground；　and　died　indeed　in　a　short　time。　　The　other　two　gentlemen　therefore　and　myself　divided　the　work　among　us。　　The　common　law　and　statutes　to　the　4。　James　I。　（when　our　separate　legislature　was　established）　were　assigned　to　me；　the　British　statutes　from　that　period　to　the　present　day　to　Mr。　Wythe；　and　the　Virginia　laws　to　Mr。　Pendleton。　　As　the　law　of　Descents；　&　the　criminal　law　fell　of　course　within　my　portion；　I　wished　the　commee　to　settle　the　leading　principles　of　these；　as　a　guide　for　me　in　framing　them。　　And　with　respect　to　the　first；　I　proposed　to　abolish　the　law　of　primogeniture；　and　to　make　real　estate　descendible　in　parcenary　to　the　next　of　kin；　as　personal　property　is　by　the　statute　of　distribution。　　Mr。　Pendleton　wished　to　preserve　the　right　of　primogeniture；　but　seeing　at　once　that　that　could　not　prevail；　he　proposed　we　should　adopt　the　Hebrew　principle；　and　give　a　double　portion　to　the　elder　son。　　I　observed　that　if　the　eldest　son　could　eat　twice　as　much；　or　do　double　work；　it　might　be　a　natural　evidence　of　his　right　to　a　double　portion；　but　being　on　a　par　in　his　powers　&　wants；　with　his　brothers　and　sisters；　he　should　be　on　a　par　also　in　the　partition　of　the　patrimony；　and　such　was　the　decision　of　the　other　members。

　　　　　　　　On　the　subject　of　the　Criminal　law；　all　were　agreed　that　the　punishment　of　death　should　be　abolished；　except　for　treason　and　murder；　and　that；　for　other　felonies　should　be　substituted　hard　labor　in　the　public　works；　and　in　some　cases；　the　Lex　talionis。　　How　this　last　revolting　principle　came　to　obtain　our　approbation；　I　do　not　remember。　　There　remained　indeed　in　our　laws　a　vestige　of　it　in　a　single　case　of　a　slave。　　It　was　the　English　law　in　the　time　of　the　Anglo…Saxons；　copied　probably　from　the　Hebrew　law　of　〃an　eye　for　an　eye；　a　tooth　for　a　tooth；〃　and　it　was　the　law　of　several　antient　people。　　But　the　modern　mind　had　left　it　far　in　the　rear　of　it's　advances。　　These　points　however　being　settled；　we　repaired　to　our　respective　homes　for　the　preparation　of　the　work。

　　　　　　　　Feb。　6。　In　the　execution　of　my　part　I　thought　it　material　not　to　vary　the　diction　of　the　antient　statutes　by　modernizing　it；　nor　to　give　rise　to　new　questions　by　new　expressions。　　The　text　of　these　statutes　had　been　so　fully　explained　and　defined　by　numerous　adjudications；　as　scarcely　ever　now　to　produce　a　question　in　our　courts。　　I　thought　it　would　be　useful　also；　in　all　new　draughts；　to　reform　the