or Congress, he was my earnest opponent. That was due, so
far as I know, to no dislike to me, but only to his strong
friendship for Mr. Bird. After my election, he became my
stanch friend. Our friendship continued without interruption
to his death. The name of Adin Thayer is dear to my memory
and to my heart.

I have often said that there were four men who honored me
with their friendship, whose counsel I liked to get under
any difficult public responsibility, and that when these four
men approved or agreed with anything I myself said or did,
I did not care what the rest of mankind thought. It would
have been better to say that, although I did care very much
what the rest of mankind thought, I knew that when these
men were on my side, the wisdom and conscience of Massachusetts
would be there also.

One of them was John G. Whittier. He added to the great genius
which made him a famous poet the quality of being one of the
wisest and most discreet political advisers and leaders who
ever dwelt in the Commonwealth.

Another was my own brother, Judge Hoar, of whom I will not
now undertake to speak. He was the last friend of mine who
always performed the act of friendship to which Adin Thayer
was never unequal, that of telling me my faults and mistakes
with much more thoroughness and plainness of speech than he
ever used in praising any of my virtues.

The third was Samuel May, who died in an honored old age at
Leicester, his sunset hour cheered by the memories of noble
service and the consciousness of having borne his full share
in the greatest achievement of human history accomplished
by mere political instrumentalities--the freedom of the slave.

The fourth was Adin Thayer, a man quite as remarkable in his
way as either of the others in his. Each of them gave high
and brave counsel in great emergencies. Each of them had
a great part in the overthrow of the political forces that
were on the side of slavery, and in the triumphant overthrow
of the combination which would, if successful, have corrupted
Massachusetts and made of her the worst instead of the best
example on earth of republican self-government.

There is hardly room here for more than a sketch of Adin
Thayer. He was a very striking, original and picturesque
figure in the history of the Commonwealth. He was a strong,
brave, wise, unselfish man. His life, so far as he took part
in political affairs, was devoted to objects wholly public,
never