Legacy by James A. Michener Read Free Book Online Page A

Unable to imagine why Madison had sum- moned him, he turned to ask, when Madison said with the warmest interest: 'I wasn't aware you had attended the college in Princeton,' and the friendly manner in which the words were spoken encour- aged Simon to ask: 'You, tooT Yes, some eight years before Simon attended that fine Presbyterian school to which so many Southern boys migrated, Madison had gained dis- tinction by his exceptional work; but now, as he and Simon talked about their college years, Madison said modestly: 'Studies were easy. I went back for an extra year to take Hebrew and ethics.' 'WhyT 'A man must know many things ... many differ- ent things.'He reflected on this, then added: 'When I was a member of the Continental Congress, and now here, I do believe I used each single item of history and philosophy and ethics I learned at college.' 'And Hebrew?' 'Studies like Hebrew toughen the mind.' 'I've noticed in debate that you have a very organized mind.' 'Why don't you speak up? I'm told you're effec- tive in the night debatesT Starr bowed and asked an impertinent question: 'When were you born, Mr Madison?' 'In 1751.'
    Fin
    I
    'You Ire only eight years older than me. it seems impossible.' 'Ah , Mr Starr. Don't despair. Those years were spent in constant study. And now I seek your help as a very bright young gentleman. On something I wrote some nights ago.' With that, he lifted from his table a hefty stack of sheets containing meticulously written paragraphs and dated Mon- day, June 18. The entry began: 'MR HAMILTON had hitherto been silent on the business before the Convention, partly from respect to others whose superior abilities9 age and experience rendered him unwilling to bring forward ideas dissimilar to theirs . . .' 'You're a friend of the colonel's, are you noffMadison asked,' and Simon replied without hesi- - 'I revere him.' tating. 'Good! And you heard the long speech he deliv- ered beforehe returned to New York?' 'I did . 'You have my notes summarizing what I thought he said. I want you to read them carefully and point out any spots at which my memory might be doing him an injustice.' 'WhyT 'Because I was appalled at the strong monar- chical nature of his recommendation - his obse- quious respect for all things British., 'Sometimes there is that cast to his thought,' Simon confessed, remembering his discussions with Hamilton. 'But I didn't think his remarks in I
    'Good! As a friend of his, please show me where I might have introduced error.' Simon often told acquaintances of that extra- 51
    the Convention
    r 591.
    ordinary night of editorial work, but what they remembered most were his concluding remarks:
    So, long into the night, as I read Mr Madison's careful report of what Colonel Hamilton had said, I sat on one side of the lamp, he on the other, me reading intently, him writing furi- ously, and when I finished I asked: 'What are you writing, Mr MadisonT and he said: 'Each afternoon when the debate ends, I come here and try to report it faithfully speech by speech,' and when I asked why he did this, since we had Major William Jackson as our paid secretary, he said: 'In years to come the Republic may need an honest account of what really transpired.'
    So each day Mr Madison rises early, has a frugal breakfast, reports to the Convention, engages vigorously in debate, speaks far more than most and with better effect, then comes home, dines sparingly, and drafts his account of what happened. He is not required to do this, and when I handed him back the Hamilton pages with the monarchical passages marked either yes or no, I asked him how many pages his journal covered, and he said with that great precision of mind which marked all he did: 'I calculate there will be about a quarter of a mil- lion words.' And all of this completed at night while the rest of us are arguing and drinking beer.
    In the latest stages of the long session, Simon added another portrait, which would be widely circulated after the death of