Session: 1234567891011121314         Page 491492493494495496497498499500501502503504505506507508509510511512513514515516517518519520521522523524525526527528529530531532533534535536537538539540541542543544545546547548549550551552553554555556557558559560561562563564565566567 of 763

celebration. He refused on the ground that, as a member of the Supreme Court, he didn't want to compromise himself in the eye of the public. But I notice that other members of that court have, but Thurgood being like Caesar's life I had long discussions with him about that.

Would that by any chance have been before 1979?

No, this was recently.

Very recent?

Yes, this was 1984. What happened in 1979?

If I've dated this correctly--this is from the New York Times, datelined Buck Hill Falls Pennsylvania, May 27 1979. The headline is “In Rare Attack, Justice Marshall Says Court Erred”. He is speaking to a judicial conference. He was speaking from a prepared text but, according to this report, he went off text several times and (I'm quoting now from the report) “inserted caustic asides.” He was referring to two cases. One dealt with some sort of libel decision, and the free press. The other one dealt with the issue sometimes referred to as “one prisoner, one cell.” The Court apparently said that was not a basic right. Did he ever mention his feelings this way, that he felt even back then that the court was making some imprudent decisions?