I heard President Grant--no mean judge--who had himself listened
to so much of the best public speaking in all parts of the
country, say that General Devens's response to this toast
was the finest speech he ever heard in his life. The eulogy
upon Grant delivered at Worcester, especially the wonderful
passage where he contrasts the greeting which Napoleon might
expect from his soldiers and companions in arms at a meeting
beyond the grave with that which Grant might expect from his
brethren, is also one of the best specimens of eloquence in
modern times. Surpassing even these are the few sentences
he addressed to his regiment after the battle of Ball's Bluff.
General Devens had a modest estimate of his own best powers.
While he was an admirable judge, bringing to the court the
weight of his great experience, his admirable sense, his stainless
integrity, his prefect impartiality, his great discernment,
his abundant learning, it has always seemed to me that he
erred after the war in not preferring political life to his
place upon the bench. He could easily have been Governor
or Senator, in which places the affection of the people of
Massachusetts would have kept him for a period limited only
by his own desire, and might well have been expected to pass
from the Cabinet to an even higher place in the service of
his country.
Pages:
805
806
807
808
809
810
811
812
813
814
815
816
817
818
819
820
821
822
823
824
825
826
827
828
829