s the best where it succeeds.
But the effect of failure is most mischievous. Presidents
Quincy, Everett, Walker and Sparks administered in succession
the office of President during my connection with the Academic
Department and the Law School, although Dr. Walker's inauguration
was not until later. Each of them in his own way was among
the first men of his time. Quincy had been an eminent statesman,
a famous orator, and a most successful mayor of Boston. Edward
Everett had been in his early youth one of the most famous
pulpit orators of the country, afterward a distinguished
Member of Congress, Governor of the Commonwealth, Minister
to England, and Senator of the United States. He was a consummate
orator, on whose lips thousands and thousands of his countrymen
had hung entranced. He was, what is less generally remembered
now, perhaps the ablest and most accomplished diplomatist
ever in the public service of the United States. Jared Sparks
was a profound student of history, somewhat dull as a narrator,
but of unerring historic judgment. I suppose he would be
placed by all our writers of history with great unanimity
at the head of American historic investigators. James Walker
was a great preacher and a profound thinker. In the judgment
of his hearers, young and old, he was probably deemed nearly
or quite the foremost of American preachers.

That I may not be supposed to imply any disparagement of the
present accomplished head of Harvard, let me say that while
each of the men I have named had done a great work in life
and achieved a great fame before he came to the Presidency,
President Eliot has, in my opinion, achieved an equal fame
and performed an equal work since he came to it.

A like policy prevailed in those days in the choice of instructors
in the Law School. Judge Story, the senior professor, died
just before I graduated from the College. His fame as a jurist
was known throughout Europe. He was undoubtedly the most
learned judge in the United States. Chief Justice Marshall
and Chief Justice Shaw of Massachusetts doubtless excelled
him in intellectual vigor. Chancellor Kent rivalled him as
a writer upon law. But he had no other rival among judges
or commentators in this country,--few anywhere. He was unquestionably,
at the time of his death, the most famous teacher of law in
the civilized world. His associate professor, Greenleaf,
was an admirable lawyer, who, before he went to Harvard, had