George F. Hoar

The great interests of clients were safe with him.

He was the kindliest of men, both to man and beast.

It was impossible for him to bear malice or retain resentment against anybody.

But Brother Bacon had the kindliest of hearts.

But he resented any attempt to deprive a client, however much of a n'er-do-well he might be, of all the rights and forms of a legal trial.

When, in rare cases, he thoroughly believed in the righteousness of his case, he was irresistible.

He was simple and guileless as a child; of a most inflexible honesty, devoted to the interest of his clients, and an enthusiastic lover of the science of the law.

So I think we must be governed by the rule of law for the case nearest like it we can find.

He took his clients into his affection as if they had been his own brethren or children, and seemed always to hate to be compelled to make any charge for his services, however successful.

I have rarely known a better judge of the effect of evidence on the mind of ordinary juries.

The only evidence I ever discovered of his classical education was his habit of using the Greek double negative in ordinary English speech.

He was the very type and embodiment of the Yankee countryman in his excellencies and his defects and in his fashion of speech and behavior.

He prided himself on the fact that he never drew an indictment which was not sustained by the Court, if it were questioned.

He was a man of excellent judgment, wisdom, integrity and law learning enough to make him a safe guide to his clients in their important transactions.

Willard, drawing himself up to his full height, with the great solemnity of tone of which he was master: "Sir, I do not permit myself to make the laws of my country the subject of a bet.

But the grasp was a warm one, and the ceremony and the hand-shake conveyed his cordial respect and warmth of regard.

He paused for a moment, surveyed you carefully to be sure of the person, took a little time for reflection to be sure there was nothing in the act to compromise his dignity, and then slowly held out his hand.

He did not keep the wig or the queue or the small-clothes of our great-grandfathers, but he had their formal and ceremonial manners in perfection.

People came in from the country round with their covered wagons, simply for the pleasure of attending Court and seeing the champions contend with each other.

A rash or unskilful remedy might bring infinite trouble or ruin to lawful business.

I claimed, however, further, that Congress had, in my opinion, the power of controlling the whole matter, by reason of its right to prescribe terms on which any corporation, created by State authority or its own, should engage in…

The difficulty is increased by the fact that many of the evils caused by trusts, or apprehended from them, can only be cured by the action of the States, but cannot be reached by Congress, which can only deal with international or…

I have given the best study I could to the grave evil of the accumulation in the country of vast fortunes in single hands, or of vast properties in the hands of great corporations-- popularly spoken of as trusts--whose powers are wielded…

There can be no worse influence upon the youth of the Republic than that which shall induce them to approve sentiments, not because they are true, but only because they are eloquently said.

He never gave the people wise counsel, and rarely told them the honest truth.