George F. Hoar: “The temptation to extend our territory by unlawful exercise of power over Cuba and San Domingo was resisted by the…”

The honor and good fame of our beloved State is far above any question of party.

It will be better for his reputation that the chapter of that history which relates to him shall be written by a historian with a full and clear sense of those faults and infirmities, concealing nothing, and extenuating nothing.

He proceeded to attack, to promote his own ambitions, the fair name and fame of the Commonwealth itself.

However any political antagonist might dislike him, every antagonist must respect him, and nobody could laugh at him.