bility which has been rarely if ever surpassed by any
of the illustrious men who have filled that great office. The
judges of the Supreme Court long after he had left Washington
were accustomed to speak of the admirable manner in which
he had discharged his duties. I once at a dinner heard Mr.
Justice Bradley, who was without a superior, if not without
a peer in his day, among jurists on either side of the Atlantic,
speak enthusiastically of his recollection of General Devens
in the office of Attorney-General. Judge Bradley kindly acceded
to my request to put in writing what he had said. His letter
is here inserted:

WASHINGTON, January 20th, 1891.
HON. GEO. F. HOAR.

_My Dear Sir:_ You ask for my estimate of the services and
character of General Devens as Attorney-General of the United
States. In general terms I unhesitatingly answer, that he
left upon my mind the impression of a sterling, noble, generous
character, loyal to duty, strong, able, and courteous in the
fulfillment of it, with such accumulation of legal acquirement
and general culture as to render his counsels highly valuable
in the Cabinet, and his public efforts exceedingly graceful
and effective. His professional exhibitions in the Supreme
Court during the four years that he represented the Government,
were characterized by sound learning, chastely and accurately
expressed, great breadth of view, the seizing of strong points
and disregard of minute ones, marked deference for the court
and courtesy to his opponents. He was a model to the younger
members of the bar of a courtly and polished advocate. He
appeared in the court only in cases of special importance;
but of these there was quite a large number during his term.
As examples, I may refer to the cases of Young _v._ United
States (97 U. S. 39), which involved the rights of neutrals
in our Civil War, and particularly the alleged right of a
British subject, who had been engaged in running the blockade,
to demand compensation for a large quantity of cotton purchased
in the Confederacy and seized by the military forces of the
United States;--Reynolds _v._ United States (98 U. S. 145),
which declared the futility of the plea, in cases of bigamy
among the Mormons, of religious belief, claimed under the
first amendment of the Constitution; and established the principle
that pretended religious belief cannot be accepted as a justification
of overt acts made criminal by the law of the land;--