Marshall, John, 1755-1835 to Henry Clay
Order a pdf of this item here.
A high-resolution version of this object is available for registered users. LOG IN
Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC00141 Author/Creator: Marshall, John, 1755-1835 Place Written: Richmond, Virginia Type: Autograph letter signed Date: December 22, 1823 Pagination: 4 p. : address : free frank ; 27 x 21 cm. Order a Copy
Briefly mentions a legal issue in Kentucky. Comments at length on Senator Richard M. Johnson's proposal that more than a simple majority of supreme court justices must agree in order to declare a law unconstitutional. He disagrees with Johnson's effort to weaken the court's ability to deliberate on the constitutionality of federal laws (which had been established in Marbury v. Madison). In the course of refuting Johnson, he also argues against expanding the size of the supreme court.
Citation Guidelines for Online Resources
The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.