Of course, in a republic it can be claimed for no man that he controlled the course of history.

His countrymen always listened for his voice and frequently listened for his voice more eagerly than for that of any other man.

He was a man of inflexible honesty, inflexible courage, inflexible love of country.

But in him sound judgment and common sense, better than genius, better than eloquence, always prevailed, and sometimes seemed to rise to sublimity which genius never attains.

His inflexible courage and his clear vision manifested themselves in the very darkest period of our history, when hope seemed at times to have gone out in every other heart.

Whatever you may think of the signs of the times, the Government will rise from the strife greater, stronger and more prosperous than ever.

Sherman's great fame and the title to his countrymen's remembrance which will most distinguish him from other men of his time, will rest upon his service as a financier.

The resumption of specie payments and the establishment of the gold standard, the two great financial achievements of our time, are largely due to his powerful, persistent and most effective advocacy.

He was wise, brave, strong, patriotic, honest, faithful, simple-hearted, sincere.

Sherman was not an eloquent man, except on some few occasions, when his simple statement without ornament or passion rose to the highest eloquence by reason of the impressiveness of his fact or of his reasoning.

Among the great characters which American has given to mankind these two famous brothers, so different, yet so like in their earnest love of country, their independence and courage, their devotion to duty, will ever hold a high place.

He was a clear reasoner, and not lacking on fit occasion in a stirring eloquence.

He also combated with great power the dangerous heresy of fiat money and an irredeemable currency.

So he will be entitled to a high place in the history of the very stormy time in which he has lived, and to the gratitude of his countrymen.

But he seems to me to have erred in underrating the value of party instrumentalities and of official power in accomplishing what is best for the good of the people.

He has never seemed to care for organization, still less to be influenced by that attachment to organization which, while sometimes leading to great evil, has been the source of inspiration of nearly everything that has been accomplished…

I have thought that in his dislikes and severe judgment of individuals he lost sight of great principles.

His independence of his own party led him to support a very much worse party domination, and to help to accomplish measures and establish principles to which he had been all his life utterly opposed.

They entitle him to the highest respect, and should far outweigh his faults and mistakes.

It would be a great calamity to have one of your Cabinet discredited by you." President Hayes took that view of it.

I think he was unsurpassed in this country in the generation to which he belonged in native gifts of oratory.

He could easily have been Governor or Senator, in which places the affection of the people of Massachusetts would have kept him for a period limited only by his own desire, and might well have been expected to pass from the Cabinet to an…

He filled the place of Attorney-General with a dignity and an ability 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.

Written compositions remain; but the noblest displays of human genius at the bar--often, perhaps, the successful assaults of Freedom against the fortresses of Despotism--are lost to history and memory for want of needful recordation.