Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1846-12-31
SKETCHES OF PUBLIC MEN
non GEORGE BANCROFT

The Hon George Bancroh. Historian
Of the tnUcI States, la'c Secretary Of ,he
Navy. nnl now Minister TO the Court Of
l'fe5, Britain. vii htm iAl sub,or, of our
present remarks
Mr Bancroft presents many striking pc.
culiatnles OF Pefson and manner lie Is
a small, slender frame mnn, OF about The
medium height, quite muscular for one Of
h'ssrzr, rnI as ngilr auI supple IN every
Jolnt asa elrcu. rider lie hns srnnll
pear shaped head, which locksas hard a.
cocoa nu, shell, aud Is covered with close.
y cropped jet black hair 'oti Of slubble.
Which adds something to the nut like.
and unres'tng aspect Of his Uranium II
man Of four times his size md muscular
power had such style of head. such hair,
he would look like q Nero or an lrsh
bully. But Mr. Bancroft has other char.
ncletlstlcs which change this tendency Of
the head The chief Of these Characters
is'ics Is his great activity Of body and mind
His eyes are large, piorclngIy bright, foil
oil motion, heavy shaded wnh long dark
eye'lasbcs and thick tlack eye brows He
wears gold spcctncIes, with large glasses Of
great clenrness, which seem to magnify
and display hi' brilliant eyes, rather ihnn
TO conceal them. All the motions OF his
body are sudden aud abrupt Ills face
generally wears an rngrr ready look - his
limbs are rarely nj rcN-hc gets up and
SITS down twenty tunes IA an hour without
any hppnTcut tcason- turns round with
great rapldty, without cnuse-nnd appears
Ia IL.
restraint, OF gtcyhounI IN the lcash -
There IS, In his manner, nm appearance Of
iofgct'ulneSs Of HIMSELF sa sor5 ralc being
# IN earnC~: &c, e for action vhirs o
s'. '''j IN 80 .AIge u
degrce BY any public man
Mr. Bancroft looks Ike SUDDEN, and
, gentleman, bu, not like nm Idle or lnzy one
/ There IS no assumed dignity or fasr deli
cocy about him He dresses in a very Il.
cganl manner, but IN gntmculs OF the light.
est texture, md Of he frecs fashion lIc
cslirnuy has no d'sle to BE- ,urumh,,rd
"s'h us,i'ss gatmtuls, or Suchas ,,l,l piprc
any restraint upon his motions Vt he
often dresses IKE young man Of fashion.
and some persons would almos, decIarc, IN
an affected or dnudyhed -, Ne no
doubt studies the grace. u lulc 49, he has too
much love Of appreciation 10 neglect them
Still there /. a sort Of simplicity and child
Ike ambition about him, which hasa very
curious effect upon the spectator, when he
knows that the person who presents these
peculiar traits is n profound and accom-
p'ished historian, an erudite and polished
scholar, and brilliant orator
As writer, Mr. Bancrof's works are
before the public, md every reader can
Judge ofthcir merits for himself Suffice
ITO cay thai the general verdict ollhc world,
10 their favor, as never been in the lcasi
degree cquivocal OF carefully measured -
II is solely as public man, and orator that
we shall deal with him-our sketches be
ing as we have repeatedly stated, entirely
critical and descriptive these two points.
IN the characters W. discuss
We have never heard Mr. Bancroft speak
bu, once on any great public occasion but
Thu, was under circumstances well calcula.
ted to produce full display Of his peculiar
powers sand characteristics Ii was at the
public dinner q ven to Mr. Cunard, the pro.
jeclor Of the BRUSH line OF Steamships, be.
tween Boston and Liverpool soon after The
atrvaI OF the Unlcorn, the pioneer ship, al
this port, Among the Distinguished guests
were Mr. Bancroft and Danld Wcts,er. 49,
MIR Bancroft !: (l ia well kno, ~ sorl o!
slIk-Nocking Democrat-iormcNy Fed
ernl,st-and MIR Webster. n giant Wig
II happened upon the occasion referred
to, that Mr. Webster was called upon 70
speak before Mr. Bancroft Row, as eve.
cry body is aware, Mr. Wchs,er rarely
makes any at,cmp, to display his acknowl.
edged powers, when surrounded hy other
talking men He wants TO be the man Of
the day, or he Is usually silent Place hinl
before three thousand people who have
gathered together on purpose 10 hear h,m
give him ample time and space for the er
erci'e Of his genus and he will open 10
you his great aorehouso Of intellectual
treasures, and load his speech heavily with
gem. ant in-o's I.ol any base wretch 10
,r' NJ deri'o : ~ - IngerSoll did, asd h.
". .'.'r' orb '''r 1,m and G ust
him IL, any one, Of power, equal TO HI
own ausck him, and he will mee, him il
feariu conflict Boz place him in crowd
VI N"a''l''S I'ls-''''H lN' uIm'cu o
men-aud he IS az silen,ar1 doll asa ca get
s.cIe Not 90 with Mr Bancroft, as th.
reader would readily infer rom the de-
.eririon we have given of HI, temperamcn
and habits lie - resov-d to shine on a.
occasions, and bfIghlea when there !, M os
n'el
A, he Cunsrd festival, MrWsbstsr spos,
before MrBanctoh, DO, not uuiil severn 9th
or persona had been called out lie made .
bnei. dol, pfnslng 'pr,llhng speech. m,ftec
wlth liiile Of The % 1ulr fotce. and ibietes
which he osn 81 readily command. when b,
10 In the VEN and iher u was finished re
tired from ne table and Immediately return
, ed home IN has carnage Ar Bancroft 90,
cot watching sao listsning all the lime Web
stsF VAS sp~stIng, IN the mos, uneasy ron
, dIion pos bis-hdgsung hss boy aT,ie