This and the four addresses that follow it have little in
common except that all were delivered at the opening
exercises of libraries. Everett's address at the opening of
the Boston Public Library appropriately heads the group. The
reader will look in it in vain for any reflection of the
conservative opinions expressed in the letter to George
Ticknor printed on page 53 of this volume, unless perhaps in
the total absence of anything radical. It is typical oratory
of the day--ponderously graceful, if that is not a
contradiction in terms.
Edward Everett was born in Dorchester, Mass., April 11,
1794. He graduated at Harvard in 1811 and served there as
professor of Greek in 1819-25. He was a member of Congress
in 1825-35, governor of Massachusetts in 1836-40, minister
to Great Britain in 1841-45, president of Harvard, 1846-49,
U.S. secretary of state in 1852-53, and U.S. senator in
1853-54. He died in Boston, Jan. 15, 1865. His reputation as
a scholarly orator was very high.