Though somewhat ungainly, Marshall was always dignified in appearance; his tall, loosely jointed figure gave an impression of freedom, while his finely shaped head and strong, pene trating eyes bespoke intelligence and power. Directness and simplicity were his dominant characteristics. He was free from any display of pomp, air of office or studied effect. His un failing good humor, his benignity, his respect for women, his devotion to wife and family and his well-known reverence for religion made him loved and admired even by those who heartily disliked his political opinions. As chief justice for more than 30 years he rendered numerous decisions which were of prime importance to a nation in process of formation. The faculty which made Marshall invaluable as a jurist was his power of going directly to the core of any matter. No subtleties, no outside issue con fused him, his analysis was unerring, his logic Incontrovertible; he cared nothing for the graces of rhetoric and made no appeal to the emotions; his power lay in his deep conviction and in his illuminating and progressive argu ment. At a period when the powers of the Con
stitution were ill-defined, when our government was experimental, Marshall's decisions in con stitutional and international cases were invalu able factors in forming a well-organized Fed eral government. "He made the Constitution live, he imparted to it the breath of immortality, and its vigorous life at the present hour is due mainly to the wise interpretation he gave to its provisions during his long term of office? Marshall was the author of numerous reports and papers, of a history of the colonies and of a 'Life of Washington,' a book of small lit erary merit, but containing a mass of valuable authentic information. Consult Cooley, 'Con stitutional History of the United States' 1889); Margruder, (John Marshall' (1885) ; Thayer, ( John Marshall' (in (Beacon Biogra phies' series, 1901) ; Beveridge, A. J., of John Marshall' (1916).