This was in 1854, only three years after his admission to
the Bar. The office of Reporter was then one of the great
offices of the State, almost equal in dignity to that of the
Judge of the Supreme Court itself. Four of our Massachusetts
Reporters have been raised to that Bench. He was quite largely
retained and employed during that period, especially in important
questions of commercial law. He resigned his office of Reporter
about the time of the breaking out of the war. Governor Andrew
depended upon his advice and guidance in some very important
and novel questions of military law, and in 1864 he was appointed
Associate Justice of the Court. In 1873 he became its Chief
Justice, and in 1882 was made Associate Justice of the Supreme
Court of the United States. The extent of his learning and
the rapidity and thoroughness of his research were marvellous.
But it is not upon this alone, or chiefly, that his fame as
one of the great Judges of the world will rest. He was a
man of a native, original intellectual power, unsurpassed
by any man who has been on the Bench in his time, either in
this country or in England.
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