ON LIBERTY, RIGHTS, AND THE REVOLUTION

The following quotes reflect George Mason's evolving beliefs about individual rights and liberties and the colonies' changing relationship with Great Britain. Mason, like most colonists at the beginning of the conflict between the colonies and Great Britain, was not ready to sever all ties to the mother-country. However, he and his contemporaries were very much influenced by the writings of philosophers such as John Locke, who argued that the government's sole purpose was to protect the natural rights, liberty, and property of the people. Furthermore, government had a contract with the people, and if it broke that contract, the people had a right to rebel. These ideas became the cornerstone for the colonies' cries for independence, and also for the new government they eventually established. By 1774, when Parliament passed the Intollerable Acts, most of the colonists had given up on reconciling with Great Britain. George Mason's tone changed as well, and he became more involved in politics than ever before. From 1774 to 1775 he served on the Fairfax County Committee of Safety, and was then elected as a Fairfax County delegate to the Virginia Convention. He served there for the next six years, drafting the Virginia Declaration of Rights and Virginia's constitution, and then came out of retirement six years after that to serve at the Federal Convention of 1787. From the war for independence to the Federal Convention of 1787, Mason argued tirelessly to preserve the rights of individuals, and to ensure that government would not encroch on those rights.

June 6, 1766
Let our fellow-Subjects in Great Britain reflect that we are descended from the same Stock with themselves, nurtured in the same Principles of Freedom … that in crossing the Atlantic Ocean, we have only changed our Climate, not our Minds, our Natures & Dispositions remain unaltered; that We are still the same People with them, in every Respect; only not yet debauched by Wealth, Luxury, Venality, & Corruption; and then they will be able to judge how the late Regulations have been relished in America.[1]

There is a Passion natural to the Mind of man, especially a free Man, which renders him impatient of Restraint. Do you, does any sensible Man think that three or four Millions of People, not naturally defective in Genius, or in Courage, who have tasted the Sweets of Liberty in a Country that doubles it's Inhabitants every twenty Years, in a Country abounding in such Variety of Soil & Climate, capable of producing not only the Necessarys, but the Conveniencys & Delicacys of Life, will long submit to Oppression; … Such another Experiment as the Stamp-Act wou'd produce a general Revolt in America.[2]

We claim Nothing but the Liberty & Privileges of Englishmen, in the same Degree, as if we had still continued among our Brethren in Great Britain: these Rights have not been forfeited by any Act of ours, we can not be deprived of them without our Consent, but by Violence & Injustice; We have received them from our Ancestors and, with God's Leave, we will transmit them, unimpaired to our Posterity.[3]

These excerpts are from a letter written by George Mason to a group of merchants in London. The merchants had written a letter directed to the colonists in New York, but it applied to all colonists, that admonished them for their combative resistance to the Stamp Act and other acts of Parliament, and urged them to comply with the demands of the Mother Country. Mason eloquently expressed the views of most colonists who were quickly becoming outraged at what they considered unfair taxation by Great Britain.

April 5, 1769
Our All is at Stake, & the little Conveniencys & Comforts of Life, when set in Competition with our Liberty, ought to be rejected not with Reluctance but with Pleasure.[4]

In 1767, Great Britain had passed the Townshend Acts that imposed import duties on a large number of goods. The colonists were outraged and spent the next year and a half corresponding about what form of action the colonies should take. In the spring of 1769, many formed nonimportation associations where they agreed to ban the importation of a long list of British manufactured goods. This quote is from a letter George Mason wrote to George Washington about Virginia's nonimportation associations. Mason supported nonimportation, and hoped to see it carried out effectively. 

June 7, 1770
Every Member of Society is in Duty bound to contribute to the Safety & Good of the Whole; and when the Subject is of such Importance as the Liberty & Happiness of a Country, every inferior Consideration, as well as the Inconvenience to a few Individuals, must give place to it; nor is this any Hardship upon them; as themselves & their Posterity are to partake of the Benefits resulting from it.[5]

George Mason wrote this in a letter to Richard Henry Lee. It, too, concerned Virginia's nonimportation policy and his desire to see strict enforcement take place throughout the colonies.

Dec. 6, 1770
We are not without Hopes that, when Men's Passions have had time to cool & Reason takes Place, this most desireable End [Peace] may be attain'd, & that happy Harmony restored which for more than a Century produced such mutual Benefits to both Countrys [Great Britain and America]… . But shou'd the oppressive System of taxing us without our Consent be continued. The Flame, however smother'd now, will break out with redoubled Ardour, & the Spirit of Opposition (Self- defence is its' proper Name) wear a more formidable Shape then ever-more formidable, because more natural & practicable.[6]
...We have always acknowledged we are always ready to recognize the Sovereignty of Great Britain but we will not submit to have our own Money taken out our Pockets without our Consent; because if any Man or any Set of Men take from us without our Consent or that of our Representatives one shilling in the Pound we have not Security for the remaining nineteen. We owe to our Mother-Country the Duty of Subjects but will not pay her the Submission of Slaves.[7]

This quote comes from a letter George Mason wrote to one of the members of the Brent family during a time of relatively peaceful relations between Great Britain an the Colonies. The Brents were a wealthy Virginia family, and George Mason eventually married Sarah Brent, after his first wife, Ann, died. This quote reflects not only Mason's views of the colonies' relationship with Great Britain, but the views of most of his contemporaries as well.

April 17-26, 1775
We came equals into this world, and equals shall we go out of it. All men are by nature born equally free and independent. To protect the weaker from the injuries and insults of the stronger were societies first formed; … Every society, all government, and every kind of civil compact therefore, is or ought to be, calculated for the general good and safety of the community. Every power, every authority vested in particular men is, or ought to be, ultimately directed to this sole end; and whenever any power or authority whatever extends further, or is of longer duration than is in its nature necessary for these purposes, it may be called government, but it is in fact oppression.[8]
...In all our associations; in all our agreements let us never lose sight of this fundamental maxim--that all power was originally lodged in, and consequently is derived from, the people. We should wear it as a breastplate, and buckle it on as our armour.[9]

This excerpt comes from a document Mason wrote while serving on Fairfax County's committee of safety. Mason was responsible for organizing an independent militia, and these remarks reflect his political philosophy on the eve of the American Revolution

April 2, 1776
but when I am conversing with you, [George Washington] the many agreeable Hours we have spent together recur upon my Mind; I fancy myself under your hospitable Roof at Mount Vernon, and lay aside Reserve. May god grant us a return of those halcyon Days; when every Man may sit down at his Ease under the Shade of his own vine, & his own fig-tree, & and enjoy the Sweets of domestic Life! Or if this is too much, may He be pleased to inspire us with spirit & resolution, to bear our present & future Sufferings, becoming Men determined to transmit to our Posterity, unimpair'd, the Blessings we have received from our Ancestors![10]

Mason wrote these words in a letter to George Washington. Mason and Washington were neighbors and friends, and corresponded often to learn each other's views on the latest events. This quote reflects Mason's dedication to the pursuit of peace but also his determination to preserve the rights of individuals.

October 2, 1778
We have laid our new Government upon a broad Foundation, & have endeavoured to provide the most effectual Securities for the essential Rights of human nature, both in Civil and Religious liberty; the People become every Day more & more attach'd to it; and I trust that neither the Power of Great Britain, nor the Power of Hell will be able to prevail against it.[11]
… and altho' I was for putting the country imediatly into a State of Defence, and preparing for the worst; yet as long as we had any well founded hopes of theReconciliation, I opposed, to the utmost of my Power, all violent Measures, & such as might shut the Door to it; but when Reconciliation became a lost Hope, when unconditional Submission, or effectual Resistance, were the only Alternatives left us, when the last dutiful & humble petition from Congress received no other Answer than declaring us Rebels, and out of the King's protection, I from that Moment look'd forward to a Revolution & Independence, as the only means of Salvation; and will risque the last Penny of my Fortune, & the last Drop of my Blood upon the Issue: for to imagine that we cou'd resist the Efforts of Great Britain, still professing ourselves her Subjects, or support a defensive War against a powerful Nation, without the Reins of Government in the Hands of America … is too childish & futile an Idea to enter into the Head of any Man of Sense.[12]

This quote, in a letter written to one of the members of the Brent family, also reflects Mason's committment to liberty and rights of individuals.

June 13, 1781
God bless you my dear Child! and grant that may we meet, in your native Country, as Freemen; otherwise, that we may never see each other more, is the Prayer of Your Affectionate Father - G. Mason[13]

Mason wrote this to his son, George, Jr., while George, Jr. was traveling abroad. It reflects his evolved belief that only complete independence from Great Britain would ensure and preserve the rights of indidviduals. 

ON SLAVERY

The following quotes reflect George Mason's views on slavery. While these excerpts portray Mason as against slavery, it is difficult to determine where he stood on how to address the difficulties of slavery. Mason owned a large number of slaves throughout his life, and never freed any that we know of. Nor did he advocate manumission as the answer to the slave issue. Slaves represented a large portion of Mason's wealth, and economic security for himself, and more importantly, his large family, weighed heavily on his mind. Likely, Mason did not know of a way to both end slavery, and at the same time ensure economic prosperity to plantation owners who depended on slave labor. Mason was, however, publicly vocal against slave importation, and he fought against its inclusion in the Constitution of the United States.

Dec. 23, 1765
The Policy of encouraging the Importation of free People & discouraging that of Slaves has never been duly considered in this Colony, or we shou'd not at this Day see one Half of our best Lands in most Parts of the Country remain unsetled, & the other cultivated with Slaves; not to mention the ill Effect such a Practice has upon the Morals & Manners of our People. [14]

This quote came from Mason's response to the Stamp Act, where he devised a way for landlords to avoid paying stamp taxes. The first paragraph of the document reflects Mason's view on slave importation, while the rest of the document deals with the tax issue.

ca. July 1773
… that slow Poison, [slavery] … is daily contaminating the Minds & Morals of our People. Every Gentlemen here is born a petty Tyrant. Practiced in Acts of Despotism & Cruelty, we become callous to the Dictates of Humanity, & all the finer feelings of the Soul. Taught to regard a part of our own Species in the most abject & contemptible Degree below us, we lose that Idea of the dignity of Man which the Hand of Nature had implanted in us, for great & useful purposes. Habituated from our Infancy to trample upon the Rights of Human Nature, every generous, every liberal Sentiment, if not extinguished, is enfeebled in our Minds. And in such an infernal School are to be educated our future Legislators & Rulers. [15]

Mason spent much of 1772 and 1773 studying the Virginia Charters, attempting to learn as much as possible about Virginia's charter laws. His "extracts from the Virginia Charters" were his annotations on each charter law, and this quote from those extracts, reflects his views on slavery, despite his ownership of slaves throughout his entire life.

Aug. 22, 1787
Slavery discourages arts & manufactures. The poor despise labor when performed by slaves. They prevent the immigration of Whites, who really enrich & strengthen a Country. They produce the most pernicious effect on manners. Every master of slaves is born a petty tyrant. They bring the judgment of heaven on a Country. As nations can not be rewarded or punished in the next world they must be in this. By an inevitable chain of caused & effects providence punishes national sins, by national calamities. [16]

Mason traveled to Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 to attend the Federal Convention. Although he never proposed abolishing slavery, he did speak several times on the floor of the convention against slavery and more specifically against slave importation. This quote, and the one that follows, are examples of this. Mason was very disappointed in the section of the Constitution that allowed for the importation of slaves for at least twenty years, but he was also disappointed that the Constitution did not specifically protect property in the form of slaves that men already owned. For these and other reasons, Mason did not sign the Constitution and fought against its ratification.

June 17, 1788
The augmentation of slaves weakens the states; and such a trade is diabolical in itself, and disgraceful to mankind. Yet by this constitution it is continued for twenty years. As much as I value an union of all the states, I would not admit the southern states into the union, unless they agreed to the discontinuance of this disgraceful trade, because it would bring weakness and not strength to the union. And though this infamous traffic be continued, we have no security for the property of that kind which we have already. There is no clause in this constitution to secure it; for they may lay such a tax as will amount to manumission. And should the government be amended, still this detestable kind of commerce cannot be discontinued till after the expiration of twenty years… I have ever looked upon [slavery] as a most disgraceful thing to America. I cannot express my detestation of it. Yet they have not secured us the property of the slaves we have already. So that "they have done what they ought not to have done, [allowed importation of slaves for at least 20 years] and have left undone what they ought to have done."[protected slaves as property] [17]

Excerpt from a speech during the Virginia Ratifying Convention of 1788

ON SERVING HIS COUNTRY 

As a wealthy landowner in Fairfax County, George Mason often participated in political discussions and meetings concerning Fairfax County and Virginia. In 1748, in fact, Mason unsuccessfully sought a seat in the Virginia House of Burgesses. He was, however, elected a vestryman of Truro Parish in 1749, and in 1754, he was appointed a trustee of Alexandria. In 1758, Mason again ran for a seat in the House of Burgesses, this time successfully, and served until 1761. He did not hold public office again until 1775, but throughout that period, he stayed active in public affairs. He participated in efforts to resist the Stamp Act and to form nonimportation agreements, and he helped draft several letters and resolutions of resistance against British policies. He refused an appointment to the Continental Congress in 1775, but served instead on the Fairfax County Committee of Safety until 1776. He was then elected to serve at the Virginia Convention as a Fairfax County delegate, and served there until 1781, when he retired from public office. In 1786, however, he agreed to represent Virginia at the Federal Convention of 1787, called for the purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation. He contributed greatly to the formation of the Constitution that resulted from that Convention, but he refused to sign it and fought against its ratification throughout 1788. After ratification of the Constitution, Mason again retired, and between 1789 and 1792, he continued to correspond with his peers about political issues. On October 7, 1792, George Mason died, and the words he offered his sons in his Last Will and Testament, in the first quotation that follows, proved a fitting reflection of Mason's attitude towards public service.

Despite such a long period of political activism, Mason mostly preferred to attend to his own business and family, and oftentimes refused public office. He also suffered from gout, a debilitating disease that sometimes put him out of commission for months. For these reasons, Mason is well-known as a "reluctant statesman," as many of the following quotes will reflect. More importantly, however, they reflect his integrity, dedication, and strong sense of responsibility.

March 20, 1773
I recommend it to my sons, from my own Experience in Life, to prefer the happiness of independence & a private Station to the troubles and Vexations of Public Business; but if either their own inclination or the Necessaty of the times shou'd engage them in Public Affairs, I charge them, on a Fathers Blessing, never to let the motives of private Interest or ambition to induce them to betray, nor the terrors of Poverty and disgrace, or the fear of danger or of death deter them from Asserting the liberty of their Country, and endeavouring to transmit to their posterity those Sacred rights to which themselves were born.[18]

George Mason wrote these words in his Last Will and Testament. They reflect his reluctance to assume public leadership positions, yet they also embody his integrity and strong sense of responsibility.

October 2, 1778
In the Summer [of] 75 I was much against my Inclination drag'd out of my Retirement, by the People of my County, & sent a Delegate of the General Convention in Richmond… but have constantly declined acting in any other public character than that of an independent Representative of the People in the House of Delegates; where I still remain, from a Consciousness of being able to do my Country more Service there than in any other Department; and have ever since devoted most of my Time to public Business; to the no small Neglect & Injury of my private Fortune; but if I can only live to see the American Union firmly fixed, and free Governments well established in our western world, and can leave to my children but a Crust of Bread & Liberty, I shall die satisfied …[19]

This quote came from a letter George Mason wrote to one of the members of the Brent family. 

Oct. 19, 1782
I quitted my Seat in the House of Delegates, from a Conviction that I was no longer able to do any essential Service. Some of the public Measures have been so contrary to my Notions of Policy and of Justice, that I wished to be no further concern'd with, or answerable for them; and to spend the Remnant of my Life in Quiet & Retirement. Yet with all her Faults, my Country will ever have my warmest Wishes & Affections; and I wou'd at any Time, more chearfully, sacrifice my own Ease & domestic Enjoyments to the Public- Good.[20]

George Mason wrote this to Edmund Randolph, when Randolph was serving as Virginia's Attorney General in Richmond. It expresses the struggle between the duty he felt he owed the fledgling nation, and his desire to concentrate on his home and family.

Jan. 8, 1783
I have been for some time in Retirement, & shall not probably return again to public Life; yet my Anxiety for my Country, in these Times of Danger, makes me sometimes dabble a little in Politicks, & keep up a Correspondence with some Men upon the public Stage.[21]

This quote, written to Mason's son, George Mason, Jr., again reflects his struggle between "a private station" and "public business." He never turned a deaf ear, however, to politics or current events, and continued to correspond with friends and associates who held public positions, as the following three quotes reflect.

May 6, 1783
Happiness & Prosperity are now within our Reach; but to attain & preserve them must depend upon our own Wisdom & Virtue. I hope the Assembly will revise several of our Laws, and abolish all such of them as are contrary to the fundamental Principles of Justice. This, & a strict adherence to the Distinctions between Right & Wrong for the future, is absolutely necessary, to restore that Confidence & Reverence in the People for the Legislature … Frequent Interferance with private Property & Contracts, retrospective Laws destructive of all public Faith, as well as Confidence between Man & Man, and flagrant Violations of the Constitution must disgust the best & wisest Part of the Community, occasion a general Depravity of Manners, bring the Legislature into Contempt, and finally produce Anarchy & public Convulsion.[22]

Writing to friend and Virginia Delegate, William Cabell, Mason expressed his concern for the way Virginia's government was progressing. He wrote much of the same thing to several other delegate friends, hoping he could influence their actions in Virginia's legislature.

May 7, 1783
I retired from public Business from a thorough Conviction that it was not in my Power to do any Good, & very much disgusted with Measures, which appeared to me inconsistent with common Policy and Justice. I see from the Acts which have been passed since, the same System has been still pursued; Yet this has not extinguished my Love for my Country; and if I recover tollerable Health, and shou'd find just Cause to think I can do any important public Service, I will return again to the Assembly. [23]

Mason wrote this to his friend, Arthur Campbell. Again, it reflects his reluctance to serve in public office, yet his committment to pursue justice and fair government.

April 18, 1784
I have been lately inform'd that some People intend to open a Pole for me at the Election to-morrow for this County. I hope this will not be offered; for as I have repeatedly declared that I can not serve the County, at this time, as one of it's Representatives, I shou'd look upon such Attempt, in no other Light than as an oppressive & unjust Invasion of my personal Liberty; and was I to be elected under such Circumstances, I shoud most certainly refuse to act; let the Consequences be what they will … If ever I shou'd see a Time, when I have just Cause to think I can render the Public essential Service, and can arrange my own Domestic Concerns in such a Manner, as to enable me to leave my Family, for any Length of time, I will most chearfully let the County know it.[24]

This quote, from a letter Mason wrote to his neighbor and friend Martin Cockburn, was a rather harsh response to an attempt to have Mason run for a seat in the Virginia Legislature. 

May 20, 1787
It is easy to foresee that there will be much Difficulty in organizing a Government upon this great Scale, & at the same time reserving to the State Legislatures a sufficient Portion of Power for promoting & securing the Prosperity & Happiness of their respective Citizens. Yet, with a proper Degree of Coolness, Liberality & Candour (very rare Commodities by the Bye) I doubt not but it may be effected.[25]

By 1787, George Mason felt he had "just cause" to "render public service essential," and he accepted his appointment to represent Virginia at the Federal Convention to revise the Articles of Confederation. This quote was from a letter Mason wrote to his son, George, Jr., upon George, Sr.'s arrival in Philadelphia for the Federal Convention. Mason became one of the leading contributors to the formation of the United States Constitution that resulted from the Federal Convention. For more information, see George Mason and the Constitution 

June 1, 1787
The Eyes of the United States are turn'd upon this Assembly, & their Expectations raised to a very anxious Degree. May God grant we may be able to gratify them, by establishing a wise & just Government… The Revolt from Great Britain, & the Formations of our new Governments at that time, were nothing compared with the great Business now before us. There was then a certain Degree of Enthusiasm, which inspired & supported the Mind; but to view, thro the calm sedate Medium of Reason, the Influence which the Establishments now proposed may have upon the Happiness or Misery of Millions yet unborn, is an Object of such Magnitude, as absorbs, & in a Manner suspends the Operations of human Understanding.[26]

George Mason wrote these words in a letter to his son, George, Jr., as the Federal Convention of 1787 was just beginning. He was very optimistic, even excited, about the great task set before him and the other delegates. He was also humbled by such a grand undertaking.

May 26, 1788
Upon the most mature Consideration I was capable of, and from Motives of sincere Patriotism, I was under the Necessity of refusing my Signature, as one of the Virginia Delegates; and drew up some general Objections [to the Constitution] [27]

May 26, 1788 During the last weeks of the Federal Convention, Mason had becomed alarmed and dismayed by the compromises made by delegates in order to pass the Constitution. He disapproved of several of the articles and provisions, and wrote sixteen objections which he sent to other delegates, hoping to convince them to revise the Constitution. Mason and two other delegates refused to sign the document and fought against its ratification. He wrote these words to Thomas Jefferson, who was not present at the Federal Convention, and they reflect his sincere concern for the future of the nation. 

March. 13, 1789
You know the friendship which has long existed (indeed from our early youth) between General Washington and myself. I believe there are few men in whom he placed greater confidence; but it is possible my opposition to the new government, both as a member of the national and of the Virginia Convention, may have altered the case. In this important trust, I am truly conscious of having acted from the purest motives of honesty, and love to my country, according to that measure of judgement which God has bestowed on me, and I would not forfeit the approbation of my own mind for the approbation of any man, or all the men upon earth.[28]

Mason made many enemies among the framers of the constitution with his refusal to sign and his attempts to block ratification, but he was most concerned with the way the events affected his friendship with men such as George Washington and James Madison. This quote, however, written to his son, John, reflects Mason's integrity and committment to see justice flourish in the new nation. He died believing he had fought for what was right, and he never regretted the position he took.

PERSONAL GLIMPSES

The following quotes reflect George Mason's personal character and, combined with the previous quotes, give us some indication of what and how he thought and felt. He was committed to his family and his personal affairs, but as an educated freeholder, he took his civic responsibilities seriously. Although he could be recluse and disagreeable, the strength of his convictions compelled him to stand up for what he believed in, even in the face of scorn and ridicule from those he respected and considered friends. Through these excerpts, we see a humble man, not without a sense of humor, and a devoted husband and father.

June 6, 1766
These are the Sentiments of a Man, who spends most of his Time in Retirement, and has seldom med[d]led in public Affairs, who enjoys a moderate but independent Fortune, and content with the Blessings of a private Station, equally disregards the Smiles & Frowns of the Great …[29]

This quote was part of a letter Mason wrote to a group of Merchants in London. It was written just as events with Great Britain began heating up, and before Mason began to spend more of his time devoted to public affairs.

March 9, 1773
In the Beauty of her Person, & the Sweetness of her Disposition, she was equalled by few, & excelled by none of her Sex … She was bless'd with a clear & sound Judgement, a gentle & benevolent Heart, a s[incere] & an humble Mind; with an even calm & chearful Temper to a very unusual degree Affable to All, but intimate with Few. Her modest Virtues shun'd the public-Eye, Superior to the turbulent Passions of Pride & Envy, a Stranger to Altercation of every Kind, & content with the Blessings of a private Station, she placed all her Happiness here, where only it is to be found, in her own Family.[30]

George Mason wrote these words about his first wife, Ann Eilbeck Mason, in the Mason Family Bible. His love for and devotion to her are obvious. Read the euology in its entirety.

October 2, 1778
About four years ago I had the Misfortune to lose my Wife: to you, who knew her, & the happy Manner in which we lived, I will not attempt to describe my Feelings: I was scarce able to bear the first Shock; a Depression of Spirits, & setled Melancholly followed, from which I never expect, or desire to recover. I determined to spend the Remainder of my Days in privacy & Retirement with my Children, from whose Society alone I cou'd expect Comfort …

Five years later, Mason was still mourning the death of his wife, and the depth of his feelings are reflected in this quote, written to one of Brent family members. The Brents, a wealthy Virgina family, were close friends with the Masons, and two years later, George Mason would marry again to Sarah Brent.

Feb. 5, 1780
This cold weather has set all the young Folks to providing Bedfellows. I have signed two or three Licences every Day [as a Fairfax Justice of the Peace] since I have been at Home. I wish I knew where to get a good one myself; for I find cold Sheets extreamly disagreeable.[31]

Mason served as a Fairfax justice of the peace, a duty that entailed signing marriage certificates. He wrote this to his cousin and friend, James Mercer, and it reflects his sense of humor. In fact, Mason found his own "Bedfellow" in April, 1780, when he married Sarah Brent.

Jan. 8, 1783
It is true I have a large Family to provide for; & that I am determined, from Motives of Morality & Duty, to do Justice to them all: it is certain also, that I have not lost less than 10,000 [pounds] Ster: by the War, in the Depreciation of Paper-Money, & the Loss of Profits of my Estate; but I think this a cheap Purchase of Liberty & Independence. I thank God, I have been able, by adopting Principles of strict Oeconomy & Frugality, to keep my principal, I mean my Country-Estate, unimpaired… …I am now pretty far advanced in life, and all my views are center'd in the Happiness & well-fare of my children; you will therefore find from me every Indulgence which you have a right to expect from an affectionate Parent.[32]

This quote, written to his son, George, Jr., shows some of Mason's personal characteristics as well as his devotion to his family.

Feburary 10, 1785
I most sincerely condole with you for the loss of your dear little girl, but it is our duty to submit with all the resignation human nature is capable of to the dispensation of Divine Providence which bestows upon us our blessings, and consequently has a right to take them away. A few years' experience will convince us that those things which at the time they happened we regarded as our greatest misfortunes have proved our greatest blessings … Your dear baby has died innocent and blameless, and has been called away by an all wise and merciful Creator, most probably from a life to misery and misfortune, and most certainly to one of happiness and bliss.[33]

Feburary 10, 1785 Mason wrote this to his daughter, Sarah Mason McCarty, and it reflects Mason's faith and concern for, and close relationship to, his family.

May 27, 1787
I begin to grow heartily tired of the etiquette and nonsense so fashionable in this city [Philadelphia]. It would take me some months to make myself master of them, and that it should require months to learn what is not worth remembering as many minutes, is to me so discouraging a circumstance as determines me to give myself no manner of trouble about them. [34]

This quote was written to his son George, Jr, when Mason was in Philadelphia serving as a Virginia delegate to the Federal Convention of 1787, and shows Mason's disdain for the social aspect of politics. Mason was a very impatient man, and while he cared passionately for the issues of politics, "playing politics" was not his greatest strength. 

June 12, 1788
Live in a frugal Style, without parade or Ostentation, avoid all unnecessary Expence, & do as much of your Business your selves, as you can; … Attend with Diligence & strict Integrity to the Interest of your Correspondents & enter into no Engagements which you have not the almost certain Means of performing.[35]

Mason wrote these words of advice to his son John, who was entering into the merchant business. This was advice Mason practiced as well as preached.

July 5, 1792
… for at my time of Life, my only Satisfaction and Pleasure is in my Children; and all my Views are centered in their Wellfare and Happiness. [36]

This quote comes from a letter Mason wrote to his son John, three months before he died, and reflects his devotion to family. 

ABOUT GEORGE MASON

Among the guests was George Mason, a comrade and an intimate friend of George Washington … When we left his house, I told Mr. [Thomas] Adams [a Virginian and close associate of Thomas Jefferson's] that a man such as he ought without doubt to be esteemed highly; "but in my opinion," I added, "he is not well enough known. He is one of those brave, rare-talented men who cause Nature a great effort to produce,--a Dante, a Macchiavelli, a Galileo, a Newton, a Franklin, a Turgot, an Elvezio, and so on." [37]

Dr. Philip Mazzei[38]

Among the most notable of the callers was Mr. George Mason, of Gunston Hall, who was on his way home from Alexandria … He is said to be one of the greatest statesmen and wisest men in Virginia. We has heard much of him and were delighted to look in his face, hear him speak, and take his hand, which he offered in a courtly manner. He is straight in figure but not tall, and he has a grand head and clear gray eyes. He has few white hairs, though they say he is about sixty years old.

Miss Lewis of Fredericksburg
(probably the daughter of Colonel Fielding Lewis,
George Washington's brother-in-law)
Dec. 1783

Mr. Mason is a Gentleman of remarkable strong powers, and possesses a clear and copious understanding. He is able and convincing in debate, steady and firm in his principles, and undoubtedly one of the best politicians in America. Mr. Mason is about 60 years old, with a fine strong constitution.

William Pierce
Character Sketches of Delegates to the
Federal Convention, Circa 1788

I am told that Mr. Mason is one of the first characters & richest men in Virginia & considered by us all as one of the most able, skillful & penetrating men in the world. [39] 

from William Short to Joseph Fenwick [40]
October 13, 1791

Among the numbers who in their small circles were propagating with activity the American doctrines was George Mason in the shades of retirement. He extended their grasp upon the opinions and affections of those with whom he conversed. How he learned his indifference for distinction, endowed as he was with ability to mount fortune competent to any expense and a disposition not averse from hospitality, can be solved only from that philosophical spirit which despised the adulterated means of cultivating happiness. he was behind none of the sons of Virginia in knowledge of her history and interest. At a glance he saw to the bottom of every proposition which affected her. His elocution was manly sometimes, but not wantonly sarcastic. [41]

Edmund Randolph
--History of Virginia,
Circa 1809

I had many occasional and strenuous coadjutors in debate, and one most steadfast, able and zealous; who was himself a host. This was George Mason, a man of the first order of wisdom among those who acted on the theatre of the revolution, of expansive mind, profound judgment, cogent in argument, learned in the lore of our former constitution, and earnest for the republican change on democratic principles. His elocution was neither flowing nor smooth; but his language was strong, his manner most impressive, and strengthened by a dash of biting cynicism, when provocation made it seasonable.

Thomas Jefferson Autobiography, 1821

The fact is unquestionable, that the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution of Virginia, were drawn originally by George Mason, one of our really great men, and of the first order of greatness.

Thomas Jefferson to Augustus B. Woodward, April 3, 1825 [42]

My first acquaintance with him was in the convention of Va. of 1776 … Being young and inexperienced I had of course but little agency in those proceedings. I retained however a perfect impression that he was a leading champion for the Instruction (for independence); that he was the author for the Declaration [Virginia Declaration of Rights] as originally drawn, and with very slight variations adopted; and that he was the Master Builder of the [Virginia] Constitution, & its main expositor & supporter throughout the discussion …

The public situation in which I had the best opportunity of being acquainted with the genius, the opinions & the public labours of your grandfather was that of our co-service in the Convention of 1787 … none who differed from him on some points will deny that he sustained throughout the proceedings of the body the high character of a powerful Reasoner, a profound Statesman and a devoted republican.

My private intercourse with him was chiefly on occasional visits to Gunston when journeying to & fro from the North, in which his conversations were always a feast to me.

James Madison
Letter to George Mason, VI, 1827

Too few Americans realize the vast debt we owe [George Mason]. His immortal Declaration of Rights in 1776 was one of the finest and loftiest creations ever struck from the mind of man. George Mason it was who first gave concrete expression to those inalienable human rights that belong to every American citizen and that are today the bedrock of our democracy. Our matchless Bill of Rights came directly from the amazing wisdom and far- seeing vision of this patriot. Those first ten amendments to our Constitution, which we call our Bill of Rights, were based on George Mason's great Declaration of Rights. That is why I say that George Mason will forever hold a special place in our hearts. I sincerely hope that his home, Gunston Hall, will in time become a symbol of the rights of man and a mecca for all liberty-loving Americans.

President Harry Truman to Edward Boykin, October 5, 1949
View the letter

Footnotes

Click on the link at the beginning of each footnote to return to its location in the text above.

1. Robert A.Rutland, The Papers of George Mason (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1970), 1:68.

2. Robert A.Rutland, The Papers of George Mason (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1970), 1:70.

3. Robert A.Rutland, The Papers of George Mason (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1970), 1:71.

4. Robert A.Rutland, The Papers of George Mason (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1970), 1:99.

5. Robert A.Rutland, The Papers of George Mason (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1970), 1:118.

6. Robert A.Rutland, The Papers of George Mason (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1970), 1:127-8.

7. Robert A.Rutland, The Papers of George Mason (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1970), 1:129.

8. Robert A.Rutland, The Papers of George Mason (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1970), 1:229-30.

9. Robert A.Rutland, The Papers of George Mason (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1970), 1:231.

10. Robert A.Rutland, The Papers of George Mason (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1970), 1:267.

11. Robert A.Rutland, The Papers of George Mason (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1970), 1:435.

12. Robert A.Rutland, The Papers of George Mason (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1970), 1:436.

13. Robert A.Rutland, The Papers of George Mason (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1970), 2:694.

14. Robert A.Rutland, The Papers of George Mason (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1970), 1:61.

15. Robert A.Rutland, The Papers of George Mason (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1970), 1:173.

16. Notes of Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787 Reported by James Madison (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1966), 504.

17. Robert A.Rutland, The Papers of George Mason (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1970), 3:1086

18.Robert A.Rutland, The Papers of George Mason (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1970), 1:159.

19.Robert A.Rutland, The Papers of George Mason (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1970), 1:434.

20.Robert A.Rutland, The Papers of George Mason (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1970), 2"747.

21.Robert A.Rutland, The Papers of George Mason (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1970), 2:761.

22. Robert A.Rutland, The Papers of George Mason (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1970), 2:768.

23. Robert A.Rutland, The Papers of George Mason (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1970), 2:775-6.

24. Robert A.Rutland, The Papers of George Mason (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1970), 2:799-800.

25. Robert A.Rutland, The Papers of George Mason (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1970), 3:880.

26. Robert A.Rutland, The Papers of George Mason (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1970), 3:892-3.

27. Robert A.Rutland, The Papers of George Mason (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1970), 3:1045. [full letter]

28. Robert A.Rutland, The Papers of George Mason (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1970), 3:1142.

29.Robert A.Rutland, The Papers of George Mason (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1970), 1:71.

30. Robert A.Rutland, The Papers of George Mason (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1970), 1:481-2.

31. Robert A.Rutland, The Papers of George Mason (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1970), 2:618.

32. Robert A.Rutland, The Papers of George Mason (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1970), 2:759, 761.

33. Robert A.Rutland, The Papers of George Mason (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1970), 2:810.

34.Robert A.Rutland, The Papers of George Mason (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1970), 3:884.

35. Robert A.Rutland, The Papers of George Mason (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1970), 3:1072.

36.Robert A.Rutland, The Papers of George Mason (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1970), 3:1269.

37. Memoirs of the Life and Voyages of Dr. Philip Mazzei, Translated by Dr. E.C. Branchi in William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine Vol. IX, second series, No. 3:169 (July, 1929), 1730-1816.

38. From 1755-1778, Dr. Mazzei was the agent of the Grand Duke of Tuscany in London, and in 1773 he traveled to Virginia to introduce the cultivation of the grape, olive, and other agricultural products of Italy. He supported the movement for independence, and was a close friend and correspondent of Thomas Jefferson.

39. Papers of William Short, Library of Congress; Reel 7, Volume 17 (William Short was Thomas Jefferson's Secretary)

40. William Short was Thomas Jefferson's secretary, and Joseph Fenwick was business partners with George Mason's son, John. Short was assuring Fenwick of his good reputation and his sound business partner.

41. Edmund Randolph, History of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA: University Press of Virginia, 1970)

42. Augustus Woodward was a close friend and correspondent of Thomas Jefferson's. Jefferson appointed him as a federal judge in the territory of Michigan in 1805, and he became a dominant figure in the court and legislative body in Michigan.