James McHenry, Forgotten Federalist PDF
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James McHenry, Forgotten Federalist THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA PRESS 2013 Studies in the Legal History of the South edited by paul finkelman and timothy s. huebner This series explores the ways in which law has aff ected the development of the southern United States and in turn the ways the history of the South has aff ected the development of American law. Volumes in the series focus on a specifi c aspect of the law, such as slave law or civil rights legislation, or on a broader topic of historical signifi cance to the development of the legal system in the region, such as issues of constitutional history and of law and society, comparative analyses with other legal systems, and biographical studies of infl uential southern jurists and lawyers. James McHenry, Forgotten Federalist Karen E. Robbins The University of Georgia Press Athens and London Parts of chapters 4 and 5 were originally published in diff erent form as “Ambition Rewarded: James McHenry’s Entry into Post- Revolutionary Maryland Politics” in the Maryland Historical Magazine, Summer 1998. Chapter 11 was originally published in diff erent form as “Power among the Powerless: Domestic Resistance by Free and Slave Women in the McHenry Family of the New Republic” in the Journal of the Early Republic 23 (2003). Part of chapter 20 was published in diff erent form as “ ‘Domestic Bagatelles’: Servants, Generations and Gender in the McHenry Family of the Early Republic” in the Maryland Historical Magazine, Spring 2009. © 2013 by the University of Georgia Press Athens, Georgia 30602 www.ugapress.org All rights reserved Set in Minion Pro by Graphic Composition, Inc., Bogart, GA Manufactured by Th omson Shore, Inc. The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the Council on Library Resources. Printed in the United States of America 17 16 15 14 13 c 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data Robbins, Karen E. James McHenry, forgotten federalist / Karen E. Robbins. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn 978-0-8203-4563-5 (hardcover : alk. paper)—isbn 0-8203-4563-6 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. McHenry, James, 1753–1815. 2. United States—Politics and government—1789–1816. 3. Statesmen—United States—Biography. I. Title. e302.6.m12r63 2013 973.3092—dc23 [B] 2013014439 British Library Cataloging- in- Publication Data available ISBNfordigitaledition:978-0-8203-4631-1 For my parents, Colonel Thomas L. and Mrs. Evelyn M. Robbins, who fi rst inspired my love of history. For my husband, Daniel L. Tate, whose encouragement has never wavered. For my son, Daniel L. Tate IV, whose support is never- ending. This page intentionally left blank Contents Acknowledgments ix Introduction 1 Part One: Becoming an American one “Of a Persevering Temper” 9 two “The Commencement of Our Independence” 16 three “The Events of War Are Uncontroulable” 24 four “I Gave Up Soft Beds” 38 five “Sorcery and Majic” 53 Part Two: Politics, State and National six “Transition from the Military to the Civil Line” 71 seven “A Delicate Task” 83 eight “For the General Good” 99 nine “A Friendship Independent of Brotherhood” 117 ten “Not Wholly Lost to Ambition” 127 eleven “I Am Scarce Mistress of My Conduct” 143 viii contents Part Three: Secretary of War twelve “A Prudent, Firm, Frugal Offi cer” 157 thirteen “Are We Forever to Be Overawed and Directed by Party Passions?” 174 fourteen “Mitigated Hostilities” 190 fifteen “I Must Be Allowed to Chuse” 198 sixteen “Referred to the General Offi cers” 217 seventeen “A Paltry Insurrection” 226 eighteen “I Have Always . . . Considered You as a Man of Understanding and of the Strictest Integrity” 233 Part Four: Retirement nineteen “To Retire to the Shades of Tranquility” 249 twenty “At the Twilight’s Last Gleaming” 255 Notes 275 Bibliography 311 Index 327 Acknowledgments I owe many a debt of gratitude. It must be said, however, that meeting Paul Finkelman proved an important day for me. Little did ei- ther of us know that his trip years ago to lecture for teachers and academics in western New York would wind up with his helping to publish this book. Paul Finkelman is not only President William McKinley Distinguished Pro- fessor of Law and Public Policy and Senior Fellow at the Government Law Center at Albany Law School, but he also co- edits the series on Studies in the Legal History of the South at the University of Georgia Press, in which this book is published. He was pleased to hear that I had been writing a bi- ography of James McHenry, who had attended the Constitutional Conven- tion, and Professor Finkelman indicated that such a book should be pub- lished. Then he gave me his card. When the time came, he brought it to the attention of his co- editors and proceeded to give it a meticulous reading with an extremely valuable critique that helped me improve the book enor- mously. This was in addition to the comments and constructive criticism of two other anonymous reviewers. So I am most grateful to him for taking such an interest in my work. I also appreciate the support of the two other editors of the series, Nancy Grayson (former executive editor, University of Georgia Press) and Timo- thy Huebner (L. Palmer Brown Professor of Interdisciplinary Humanities at Rhodes College). Nancy Grayson especially helped, patiently taking the time to shepherd my project through the process of getting the book ac- cepted by the press. As she has recently retired, her assistant editor Beth Snead has graciously guided me since, exhibiting an unfailing good nature in response to my many questions. John Joerschke (project editor at the University of Georgia Press) then took up my case and kindly directed the book to its publication, while Kay Kodner, copyeditor, helped immensely ix
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