Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-03-16
Reception of Mr.. BancrOft's Grafton
in England.
Washington February ~ Correspondence of the
London Iimes

AACNCNlAHOA VI MI lt
ina England.
\ Washington February l2) Correspondence Of the
London Times
A ceremony which was remarkable in
many respects has just been held in the
House of Representatives. To-day is the
anniversary of Mr.. Lincoln's, birthday,
snd it occurred to some one a month or
two 9 that it would afford sn excellent
occasion for the delivery of an eulogy
upon the late Presidents life and char
acter. AT first Mr.. Stanton was invited
to perform the task, but he declined the
offer for several reasOns-all of them, as |
understood, being based upon ideas of
safety and prudence. The Committee
were at a lossto know whom next to throw
the handkerchief to; for although orators
Of a certain pattern are never scarce in
America, it was thought desirable to find
some one who would make an effort
that is the correct phrase-not altogether
unworthy the illustrious departed. There
was Mr.. Beecher; but once set him going
and it was impossible to say where he
would stop. There We're also several pro-
f%essiOnal Fenian orators who would have
been delighted to undertake the job, but
their overtures were also rejected. So, taHt
pis, the committee went to Mr.. Bancroft,
the author of a History of the United
States, which it is easier to talk about han
to read, and he succeeded in making the
whole arrangement as undignifed and dis
creditable as any man in the country could
have done, tried he ever So hard. What was
intended TO be a solemn and impo-
sing ceremonial was degraded be-
low the level Of an Incorporate town
-...4r-- - n -AsI---4
Of every respectable man in the House.
Mr.. Bancroft occupied more than two
hours in an elaborate attack upon the
chief Powers of Europe, concentrating the
torrent of his bitterness and spleen upon
England. In the mere vituperation there
was nothing 50 very unusual; over and
over again / have been obliged TO tell YOU
the unmistakablc truth, that Americans
hate England and love to hear her abused;
but this was an occasion intended TO be
historical-the TRADE upon a friendly
power was delivered before the President
of the United States and his Cabinet,
the Judges of the Supreme Court, the
whole Congress, and the Ministers and
representatives of foreign Courts. The
surprise ssof the whole diplomatic body
at the energy and vehemence of
Mr.. Bancroft's denunciations of
England-for he almost screamed out
the venomous passages in a high and
broken voice, and with wild gestures and
distorted conference.-the surprise of
these gentlemen, 1 say, was extreme. And
it was fully shared by many Of the speeta-
tors. The bulk of the audience clapped
their hands loudly with applause, but the
Senators almost to u man sat silent. Gen.
Grant and his brother officers looked as if
they did not understand it all, and there
were not a few murmurs of disapproba-
ton in the galleries for it was felt that
to issue a formal invitation to the repre-
sentatives of Foreign Powers and then to
take the opportunity of deliberately in
sulting them was an outrage which has
seldom been equaled even in this country.
While Mr.. Bancroft, once a Minister
to England, was vilifying Great
Britain and all belonging to it,
and ~blackening Lord Palmerston's
name in a pretended comparison of his
character with Mr.. Liucoln's; while he
was r~idiculing Lord Russell, misrepresent-
ing the English Government, and doing
his utmost in every way to deepen the ig-
norant preiudices and iealousies of his
c~ountrymen against England; while he
was doing all this Sir Frederick Bruce
was sitting within a few yards of him, one
of the invited guests Of the day. The
Marquis de MontholOn staid away, and
consequently was not obliged to hear his
master and his countrymen insulted to his
face. No doubt Mr.. Bancroft, or n
other man of his stamp, has a perfect
right to revile England, but Congress
ought to nave the deeeney not to bring the
representatives of England to hear this
abuse, under a false pretence. 1t need
not be said that the diplomatic body would
not have gone to listen to an old man de-
lvering a dreary rechaul7e of his ponder
Gus history in a quavering voice, if they
had not been pressed TO do so by official
invitations issued in the name Of the Leg
islature. To entrap them into a Hall OF
Congress, in the presence of the highest
personages in the country, and then offer
them every indignity, was an act of which
no decent American has any cause to be
proud. l have not heard since l have
been in this country, even at a
Fourth of July Grafton or clam
bake orgies, an attack upon England and
English statesmen so coarse. brutal and
indecorous as that of Mr.. Bancroft, the
historian" this afternoon. 1t is bad
enough as it reads toned down in print
but Mr.. Bancroft introduced passages and
expressions as he went on made it
still worse than it reads. What the Eng
Hsh Minister thought of his afternoon 5
entertainment [ ann say but more
than one of the other foreign Ministers
have expressed the greatest Indignation
at having been deluded into attending so
an exhibition.
From the London Times, Feb. q.
The other day it was proposed TO n of
our old Universities that a series of pro-
f%essional or literary gentlemen from
should be invited by the endow-
ment Of a special lectureship to visit Eng
land and address o~rations to the under
graduates on American subjects. The
majority of the Senate, however consid-
cred, wisely, as we think, that there may
found among the members of the Uni
itself men capable of acquiring a t
knowledge Of foreign countries {
o give the students any instruction they
nay need, and the offer was consequently !
lecllned. If any proof OF the wisdom l
If this decision were necessary, it might |
,e found in an incident related in our q
American correspondence of to-day. Such I
n Grafton has Just been delivered bv ex- !
such a man as a New England Uni l
-ersity would be likely 10 select and so !
ar from its effect having been to produce :
nifty and good will between the two T
ouhtries, it Is plain that the speaker took =.
he opportunity 10 utter, and a part Of the L
udience TO applaud, everything that could Z
tiend the pride and rouse the indignation i
f England. . q
The Grafton was worthy of Elijah Pc i
The British lion might fairly be =
to put his tail between his legs 5
nd howl with anguish The staple of J;
he harangue was abuse Of England and =
S institutions. What the tenure Of land :;
Great Britain or the occupation of u
static forts by this country have to do a.
nth President Lincoln's birthday, n
Is not easy to understand nor :,
oes there seem to be much ~
'om for comparison between Lord Pal :
l%erston, who for upward of fifty years =
as concerned in all the chief affairs of r
urope and America, and President Lin. i,
who happened to hold Office during II
ur years in a domestic war. But these 9,
atters were dragged in that the speaker y
have an opportunity to rail at and ~
-ify the country whose language he was ~
and whose authors he had in :,