The lawyer came along lawyers are the most important people in the world, thus i must live, grabbed a parachute, jumped out. The priest looked at the little boy. There was only one parachute left here said, my son, ive lived a long and prosperous life. You have your whole life ahead of you. Take the last parachute and take off. The boy turned to the priest and said, no worries, father, the smartest man in the world just took off with my backpack. [laughing] lets talk about george mason. Not a lot of people know about george mason. They basically no that george mason university, maybe the final for the reached a few years ago, but they have no idea who george mason is. And hope my book changes that opinion. If Thomas Jefferson was a genius both professionally and personally, which he was, his mentor george mason was a genius. America was woven together on three revered pieces of paper, the declaration of independence, the constitution, and the bill of rights. George mason had a hand in formulating, writing the blueprints for all three documents. In 1776 mason emerged as a revolutionary and left an indelible footprint as one of the ablest constitutionalists of all time. Historian ralph ketchum, quote, mason became generally acknowledged as virginias premier republican theorist. Even though we never attended college or law school, but was still thought in his uncles 1500 Volume Library in virginia. Yet, masons true enduring legacy was the creation of the american experiment, the nations capacity to create hope in the world fused in fear. The sum of his keen rights is an opposing accomplishment, yet in each instant, masons individual work was absorbed by Political Coalition and his name lost to public fame. Anonymity was more than a byproduct of the character of his historic work. It also became a matter of preference for mason. His advice to his sons was quote, to prefer the happiness and independence and a private station to the troubled in vexations of a public business. That was advice he followed all his life. His colleagues were met with persistent refusals on his part. Yet is cruel and detailed constitutional operations hypnotized many elected audiences. As one scholar concluded, george mason was a thinker, and advisor, rather than a publicist. My biography of mason is neither patriotic hayes nor a free fall into mason idolatry. It is a broad portrait of mason and the world in which he lived. While not skanking is vibrant intellectual life, i tried together anecdotal accounts that will bring this brilliant man to life for the public. The resulting portrait will offer a fresh and surprising interpretation, even to those best versed in the literature of the revolutionary period. I hope my book blended together the political and personal sides of masons story, leaving one with the inevitable conclusion, george mason deserves careful and renewed focus. Full historical notoriety has not been accorded to george mason. He has tended to like a multi volume to biographies that have burnished the of the founders and in my view not been accorded the fame that is due him. Every fact bearing upon the character and service of mason whose visionary mental gifts help create a model form of government should receive a warm greeting from the public and those who are interested in the origins of individual freedoms. Mason grasped the conception of true liberty. His philosophy of the authority of the citizens to control the government seemed thorough and complete. Yet, his great labors are not as widely known or established in the public might at some of the other founders. Masons hashed out blueprint for the declaration of independence, which was his virginia declaration of rights, was said by one historian to a quote, more wisdom and concentration of thought in one sentence of it than it all former writings on the subject. Pretty powerful words. It is a littleknown fact that mason was personally responsible for the famous words in the final version of jeffersons eloquent declaration of independence. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness were masons own words written a month before jefferson and his eloquent version of the declaration of independence. Mason added the words to the constitution giving congress the power to quote, declare not quote make war. He also supplied the phrases aid and comfort in the definition of treason, and he wrote the famous words high crimes and misdemeanors in the impeachment clause. Most people dont know that. Along with madison, mason also wrote major portions of the oath of office that the modern president takes when sworn in today. Quite simply having the length and breadth of masons medical writings and influence, his name should be more recognizable in the Public Domain and in the same context as with Thomas Jefferson, james madison, and alexander hamilton. Masons pragmatic mine minted constitutional principles and infuse them with expansive life, turning abstract theory into government realities. And mason never wavered on his core cherished convictions, individual rights and liberty over governmental power. Yet both jefferson and madison change their views within the Political Climate of the times. Suffering from what one prominent historian termed quote, at disarming ideological promiscuity. Unfortunately, history has consigned mason to the second tier of historical significance. The goal of my book is not to take recognition away from jefferson or madison or hamilton, but to assign more credit to mason. As jefferson himself admitted his authorship of the declaration of independence was quote, neither aiming at originally of principle or sentiment, nor yet copied from any particular in previous writing. It was intended to be an expression of the american mind. In effect, masons virginia declaration of rights emerged as jeffersons brilliant and eloquent blueprints, if not first draft, of the declaration of independence. Masons layered personality also played a notable part in so many important field of intellectual thought, including government, law, the free exercise of religion, agriculture, architecture and philosophy. He was among american authors of rights and independence whose eloquent articulations of the american creed articulated a vision and set the course for history. Yet he remained a somewhat reclusive figure up until the American Revolutionary war. A war that precipitated his constitutional brilliance. The war for independence did not progress swiftly. As englands oppressive course became national policy, for the colonies, mason met it with the resolution no less fixed and expressed in forceful language. He wrote that quote, though we are englands subjects, we would use every means which have been have given us to prevent our becoming enslaves. With masons commanding strength and intellect he became aroused by the emotional appeal and vigor of words. All is at stake, he wrote to washington, and the little conveniences and comforts of life are set in competition with our liberty ought to be rejected, not with reluctance, but with pleasure. Mason was not a bold commander Like Washington know a fiery war general like Patrick Henry, but gained his chief fame as the draftsman of the virginia declaration of rights. He rarely had a National Audience outside of his country, virginia, and only slow passage of time reveal the full significance of his proposals. Yet mason did not rest once his words were written or his ideas circulated. He was a builder and a dissenter, an architect of the american bill of rights which one scholar called arguably the most creative and consequential act of Political Leadership in american history. Masons virginia declaration of rights affirmed our modern fundamental freedoms, the right to free press, the right to a jury trial, the right to not self incriminate you. These were all masons words written 12 years, 12 years before the constitution was written. They became the blueprint for the first ten amendments known as our bill of rights. It was mason, not jefferson, not madison, not hamilton, who wrote the first version of the Second Amendment, the right to bear arms. And i found that to be amazing. These were masons famous words, quote, again, 12 years before the constitution was even written, quote, these were masons words on the Second Amendment, quote, a well regulated militia composed of the body of the people trained to arm, is the proper, natural, its a defense of a free state. Thats his wife, and mason, who died at the age of 39. Masons love and adore his wife and their 12 12 children, and e had 25 grandchildren. He also loved his books, his estate, good wine, architecture, horseback riding, hunting, fishing, history, the commonwealth of virginia, and the very latest in farming ideas. At dunstan hall, the whole vbelt, mason discovered the pleasures of scholarly pursuit for an alternating role of quiet and solitude with the family. I devoted family man unlike some other founders that we know, that was never a a hint or suspicion of smarmy involving his personal life. Indeed, it is not possible to fully understand masons intensity for liberty, sacrifice in virtue, words that have explicit meaning in the 18th century, apart from his family. The examination of surviving letters and documents reveal a caring husband and doting father. His sons recollections give us an additional window into the private life of mason. Mason never ceased to prefer the companionship of the superior mind and priced good manners. Although one privileged, the opposed all the trappings of an aristocratic society. He believed in america and in americans. Liberty was his chief concern. Individual freedom was his chief concern. The freedom of the spirit, the freedom of the mind. Mason, although he did not attend college, was a cultivated gentleman. He did not attend college or law school, like i said, with jefferson or with madison. Mason emerged as a lifelong advocate of education for all in proportion to their merit. To call him a boat is of the enlightenment is the best way to sum up his thoughts. Masons political strength might end as many friendships among the leaders of all shades of political vigor. One of his best friends was of course George Washington and, in fact, they had a tremendous falling out after mason refused to sign the constitution, and that ended their 30 year friendship. Mason assumed responsibility by virtue of his towering intellect. Intellect. At times he may have seemed remote even cloistered, and hs sensitivity to criticism or recognized by some as a character flaw. But his colleagues also recognized mason as a devoted family man and loyal friend. Assets in any private circle. Masons industry could not be questioned, though we did not become a soldier during the war due to age and health, he was recognized by his peers as a man of capacity and courage. It seemed almost impossible for george mason to be familiar to anyone outside of his immediate family. Mason concentrated his attention on his large family, not on posterity. His personal papers are not voluminous compared to the official papers of jefferson, washington and madison. The definitive edition of masons papers run a comparatively scant three volumes. The diversion derives from both politics and family considerations. Both george mason and Patrick Henry curtailed their political careers after the Constitutional Convention in 1787 and the Virginia Ratifying Convention in 1788. So the so the amassed far fewer papers in the first three president s. In 1820 masons grandson george mason the fifth, sixth, begin to correspond with prominent men the new his grandfather including james madison. Madison sympathize with the young mans struggle to gather papers. He said and wrote of masons achievements quote, that highly distinguished as he was, accounts are more scanty than of many of his contemporaries. Far inferior to him in intellectual powers and in public services. Although the son of largely dismissed mason as a man is simply refused to sign the constitution, this is not in my view a historically accurate picture of mason. His generosity was unmatched when it came to his family, solicited to his beloved mother while she was still alive, as well to his younger brother and sister. My adulthood, he was already, he had already begun to become a voracious collector of books. He cultivated the arts, the sciences, and agriculture. And even though he lost his dear wife ann at the age of 39, and his lifelong friendship with George Washington over his objections to the constitution, mason believed in the fundamental goodness of life. Close study of surviving documents and letters have revealed masons intricate character. Those have commented on masons life have captioned him as a reluctant statesman, a gentleman revolutionary, or the man who did not sign the constitution. Indeed, he may be all of these things, but in examination of his lyrical career reviews a picture political contributions that spanned his entire adult life. It discloses his talents and persistence as a writer and a reformer, a legislature and a representative, a militia officer, and local church parish, a trustee for the town of alexandria, i treasure of his western land speculation company, the ohio company. It is unfortunate that nation is remembered best as the dissenting delicate to quote the federal constitution as it was called in 1787 in philadelphia. He. He was one of three men who did not sign the constitution with Elbridge Gerry and edmund randolph. He refused to sign the final document that he perceived sanctioned human slavery for the next 20 years. This consultation had a compromise for the importation of slaves for another 20 years, and he objected to that vigorously. But his main objection to the constitution was the omission of a bill of rights. There was no bill of rights for the people, he said, and that is the fundamental reason he did not sign the constitution. The first six words of his now famous objection to the constitution he wrote at the convention were heard in every town and every village. There is no declaration of rights. He carried his struggle for federal bill of rights to the people, and he lived barely long enough to see his efforts crowd with congressional victory, the monumental bill of rights. Although professional historians are familiar with masons legacy, it seems that his renowned, his name has drowned in public obscurity. He is by far one of the most unknown figures in american history, a remote enigmatic man more respected by revolutionary scholars than known by the general public. The perception that pervades history is that mason seemed to lack the fuel of franklin, the dominance of George Washington, or the personal charms of Thomas Jefferson. In fact, mason had received so much in our collective memory that has become nothing more than a modest bronze statue here in washington, d. C. However, in his own time and place, the contemporaries dressed as the plural tense to describe george mason. Madison exuded that quote, mason possessed the greatest talent for debate of any man i have ever seen, heard, or speak. Patrick henry pronounced him quote, the greatest statesman i ever knew. Jefferson complemented his mind as quote, great and powerful here philip mezey, the florentine position and world traveler met mason in williamsburg within days of arriving in america. He said, in my opinion, mason is not well known enough pitches one of those brave, rare, talented men who caused nature a great effort to produce. The italian rate mason is one of the election giant writing that quote, mason is one of those strong, very rare intellects which are created only by a special effort of nature, like that of a lack of valley, a galileo, a newton, end quote maca valley. Most people know, know little of masons private life and family life. The private world of hamilton and jefferson have recently attracted a great deal of attention in ink. It also touches on his significant contributions to our political life and liberty. Mason became a leading virginian before, during, and after the American Revolution through a great personal cost confronted the entangled history of slavery and an air of political revolution. What helped to establish is the case for masons elevated public fame, placing him among the most famous of american founders for both civil rights and freedom of religion. James madison gets credit for the bill of rights, where as he initially opposed the concept and agree to support such document only as a last resort. George mason, by contrast, has been brushed aside as an opponent of the constitution. Whereas the truth is that he was a Major Intellectual contributor to its creation. Except for madison, rob will be no one contributed more to the actual document then did george mason. He rightly deserves to be considered one of the fathers of our national government. Indeed, our greatest political documents, the declaration of independence, the bill of rights to the constitution all form a series of concentric circles leading back to george mason. In my view, mason should emerge as one of the preeminent literary architects of the American Revolution. Most americans should read his declaration of rights and his later virginia constitution as part of the common stock of political and journalistic discourse. Mason had the sharp mind of jefferson, the determination of washington, the literary skills of madison, and the personality and grumpy temperament of john adams. A man seemingly lost to the general public, masons life congealed in the most tangle political period in u. S. History. Why then is mason not among the sacred gallery of famed atreus . It is lamentable that most americans do not know mason as well as they should, especially when we reflect on who he was and what he achieved. Virginia sky on, devoted husband and father of 12 children, 25 grandchildren, farmer, philosopher, botanist, amateur musician, fluid into macklin which is, architect of the declaration of independence, and the bill of rights, one of the strongest proponents in america of religious liberty in history. Losers receive little credit from history. Most historical impressions of mason depict him as a grumpy old patriot who lost his political arguments in philadelphia, then took his pen and quill and went home and thats why he refused to sign the constitution for his own vain reasons can some argue. I hope to give the reader of when you look at masons character, life, and accomplishments. Mason is shown to be in my book to be a compassionate, sensitive, well read boy who matured into an accomplished statesman, devoted husband and father. Jefferson never made a secret of the fact that he revered george mason. The sage of monticello called him the wisest man of his generation. Jeffersons theme park for agreed, summarizing masons markie contributions to the revolution when he said quote, mason chartered the rights of human beings much more fully than jefferson did in the immortal but necessarily compressed paragraphs in the more famous document, referring to the declaration of rights. Of the contemporary impact of masons declaration, malone went on to say, there can be no possible question, more than any other single american did you hear that . More than any other single american, george mason may be regarded as the herald of this new era. Quite simply, masons developed into a private man of renaissance interest, but with an abiding conviction deep inside him, the fate of individual liberty, individual freedom was paramount to governmental power. He believed individual freedom was a natural right. Individual liberty was a natural right. He wrote in his virginia declaration of rights quote, all power is vested in and consequently derived from the people that government is, ought to be instituted for the common benefit, protection, and security of the people, nation, or community. Masons oratory and literary skills helped propel the colonies towards independence. He drafted and the use of the most creative and consequential levitical text in revolutionary history. Yet, history has anointed others with fame while mason has languished in relative obscurity. I hope this goal separating masons recognition from his political contemporaries will be abundantly clear at the end of my biography. Golf. It is said that biography inns with death. However, as did most great statesman, mason thought of the next generation. Had he lived longer, perhaps he couldve found a viable solution for the next generation to end slavery, an institution he condemned in the most stringent of terms, yet he never freed his own slaves. I hope to have presented mason so the reader can feel the patriot, the father, husband, the farmer, the scholar. No doubt, he seemed to know intimately and still is, but it must have seemed a privileged to know him then as it does now. I also hope my biography will invite the reader to define patriotism as mason did in his time, in its broadest sense while appreciating the need as well as the necessity of political debate in a free society as one historian eloquently concluded, quote, in historic evaluations, actions speak louder than words. Emulation rather than rhetorical evaluation by men and women of wisdom and virtue is the better test, end quote. By that rule, let mason be judged. Finally, george masons true importance is to be found in the public achievement, the rights of the human spirit, life and liberty. In the final analysis, masons political authorship should make him an enduring historical figure. Like jefferson with his literary brilliance, masons declaration of rights should be considered a monumental and important text. He lived one of the most eventful, colorful, and consequential lives of all time. From beyond this earth is lasting written principles shield mankind from, quote, the lash of tyrants. As eloquently expressed by one scholar, hastens final legacy suggests political genius. Quote, those who carry the torch of freedom are soon forgotten, perhaps to be rediscovered centuries later. Masons moving words and deeds offer an abiding potent legacy on individual liberties and constitutional government. Which in my view will have few equals. Thank you very much. [applause] and ill be glad to take any questions. I think you just have to move to the podium. Thank you. I was struck when you quoted masons draft of the Second Amendment, which became the Second Amendment. And as i heard you say that, quote it, it did appear that there was an individual right to bear arms. Is that the correct interpretation . That was his original words, but he believed in individual, the right to the individuals to bear arms. Masons major goal and major objection to the constitution was that he was afraid of another george iii turkey was afraid the new government would turn into a tyranny comes we believed in individual rights, individual liberty that he believed that the individual ham them, even though he did not put that in the actual document. Thank you for the question. Thank you very much. The very last phrase that you just said raines potent in my ears right now rings. And it said to shield mankind from the lash of tyrants. How do you think mason might view the development and integration of Artificial Intelligence into our society . Would he view this inevitability as a potential threat to individual human rights . I have no idea. [laughing] Artificial Intelligence, thats a great subject. Even though mason was near a genius and Thomas Jefferson was a genius, i dont think they thought that far in advance, quite frankly. But again going back to his main clarion call was for individual rights and individual liberties. He was against anything of the government intruding on the individuals rights and the individuals liberty. Maybe he would think that would be a governmental intrusion, Artificial Intelligence. I dont know, but i will say one of his major calls, his Major Concerns was the freedom of the press. So he would believe very strongly in a freedom of the press, freedom of expression, as far as that. You seem to be extremely familiar. You have done your research. Do you think that he might feel i need to define individual now as organic . Again, i have no idea. I just have no idea how he would think about that. I really appreciate your research. Thank you very much. Thank you for the question. Can you tell us the reasons why those brilliant men who wrote the constitution and to knew about the ideas in the declaration of rights, men like madison, why did these writers initially object to and reject the ideas of the declaration of rights, which they eventually agree to, which ratification required in the bill of rights . Thats a great question and that goes to the very essence of the disagreement between mason in washington and madison at the convention. Washington and madison thought i declaration of rights, a bill of rights was so powerful as to. They thought anything that wasnt in the constitution referred back to or went back to the states and the did not need a document to say that there was natural rights, individual liberty. They believed that it was superfluous. Mason completely disagreed, and so did Patrick Henry. He wanted an individual document appended to the constitution, enumerating these bill of rights, the right to a jury trial, the right to a free press, the right to free expression. He believed that should be written out. Washington and madison thought that was superfluous and was already inherent in the constitution. Yes, sir. You may have hinted at the answer to this question just now, in virginia politics at the time, was mason more closely align with jefferson and madison or with Patrick Henry . Jefferson, he was closely and mentor to jefferson and he was a colleague of Patrick Henry Patrick Henry and him teamed up in the Virginia Ratifying Convention to try to defeat or a least a bill of rights appended to the new constitution. So he was a mentor to jefferson, but he was a political ally of Patrick Henry at the Virginia Ratifying Convention. And, in fact, with him patrick cannon was one of the most vociferous objectors to the constitution. They came within a fake three or four votes in the Virginia Ratifying Convention of defeating the constitution by the way. In the bill of rights and the compromising that probably took place to pass that, were there any particular rights that were, if you will, on mason, henrys original list that did not survive the process . Yes, there were approximately 24, i believe, amendments at the Virginia Ratifying Convention that were actually sent to congress. James madison expertly, and i give them credit, basically edited these amendments it down to be are really, the modern version of the bill of rights, but there were many different conventions going on at the time. You have to remember that nine states have ratified the Constitutional Convention. So each almost each date had their own set of amendments but i believe the were approximately 24 they came out of the Virginia Ratifying Convention. But going back again to masons Major Concerns, his major freedom, he thought freedom of the press was an absolute fundamental. Thank you. You mentioned masons access to an extensive family library. Was there any indication as to what political thinkers or philosophers may have impacted his thinking most . Absolutely. In fact, i have one chapter in the book that is devoted exclusively to that. He read extensively and is uncles library, 1500 volumes, by the the read all the english jurists, locke had a major influence on him but montesquieu is what he read the most here and montesquieu really gave him the idea of the the separation of powers, that there should be three branches of government. But that is why his own colleagues thought he was the most ablest constitutionalist in virginia, because he was so well read, so versed on all the bill of rights, the english bill of rights 1689, the magna carta, with those writings, locks writings, and thats why he really was a genius because he knew and had read all of these constitutions before. I i think that as a for questio. One more box. I had a question about the Second Amendment and the role slavery played as opposed to militia or defense, personal defense, the right to bear arms, and other words the right to hold slavery. Im not sure he found those to be tied together, but again one of his basic fundamental differences and one of the reasons he did not sign the constitution was because it was a compromise at the Constitutional Convention between the northern and southern states. And it basically sustain the importation of slavery for the next 20 years. He was the rousseau to sleep against slavery picky about about slavery and vociferously. He thought it was an abomination, but like jefferson, he did not know how to solve the problem of slavery in his lifetime. He basically kick it down the road to the next generation. But that was one of the main reasons he did not sign the constitution, because it sustained the compromise for importing slaves for 20 more years. Yes, maam. Thank you. Could you please fill us in ina little bit more on his education . Did have a tutor . How old was he when he really started, when you said something about collecting books. And also his age with regards to jefferson and the other people he was working with. Use that his wife died at 39. How old was he . Well, he was 67 when he died. He was about 15 years older than both madison and jefferson at the time. He did have tutors as a child, but like George Washington, and one of the things they did have in common, with both of their fathers died when they were very young boys, at the age of ten. So we really did not have a mentor so to speak going up. So was uncle john mercer who was a lawyer had a vast library, over 1500 volumes of english law, montesquieu, locke, things like that. So he really was under the tutelage after his father died, of his uncle john mercer. And john mercer basically taught him to become lawyered, to become a jurists, to become a scholar. So that was really his main mentor was his uncle, and reading from the age of 11, all of these various volumes. But one of the interesting things, he did remarry seven years after his wife died, a second marriage, and they did not have children, but at the time of the death of his wife he had 12 children to raise by himself. Thank you. I think thats it. Thank you so much. I appreciate it. [applause] folks, as a reminder, books are at the cash register. You are watching booktv on cspan2. For complete Television Schedule visit booktv. Org. You can also follow along behind the scenes on social media at booktv, on twitter, instagram and facebook. Booktv continues now on cspan2, television for serious readers. Good afternoon. Were going to get started. Welcome. What a wonderful crab. Thank you for coming out. How about this whether . Pretty great. [applause] when has it been this nice in late october in austin, texas . On evan smith, the seal of the Texas Tribune and im pleased to be [applause] thk
comparemela.com © 2020. All Rights Reserved.