Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1866-02-22
from our Special Warrington Corr
respondent,
WASHINGTON, Feb. 10, 1866.

In the most perfect manner -
Mr. Foot of the Senate and Mr.. WASH
hnrne of the House. The programme
was so carefully prepared thst per!e'
order was preserved, every person wnV /
had been Invited knew his place upon |
the floor, and the whole was so admira-
bly, planned that 1t win form preeed- |
ent In all coming time for similar obser-
yances. 1t is worthy of notice that the
reports of the Associated Press do not
mention the name of Senator Foot and
wholly ignore his connection with the
affair when the fact is, this national
celebration, demanded alike by the char
acter and public services of the illustri-
ous dead, had its conception in his mind
and to him is the country indebted for
the admirable manner in which it was
conducted.
The orator selected for the occasion,
as your readers are aware, was the Hon.
George Bancroft, distinguished equally
as a scholar, q statesman and hlsto-
rian. After he was graduated at an
early age, at Harvard University he pro-
ceeded to Germany where he spent five
years in laborious study. He spent
some years after his return, as a classi-
cal instructor. During the presidency
Of Mr.. Polk, he was member Of his
Cabinet and Minister to England. Years
before this time he had commenced his
great work, the History Of the United
States, eight volumes Of which have
have been published, displaying the
most elaborate research and careful
statement and placing him in the front
rank of historians. whose works will
be read by distant generations. Al
though he had always been attached to
! the Democratic party, he was too pure
! and patriotic to assent to the peStllent
| heresy of secession, and during the war,
! he stood up manfully and sloQuently to
! plead for the suppression of the rebel
lion and the preservation OF the Union.
| Such was the man who was selected as
| the orator on this occasion. The audi
| ence was worthy Of such a speaker
Mr.. Bancroft is Il tall spare man, with
! his gray hair cut short, and his voice a
| little enfeebled by age, but he spoke
earnestly and decidedly ard commanded
| perfect attention during the two hours
and forty minutes which he occupied in
delivering his address. If | can judge
from myown feelings and from the a6-
sOrbed attention of the vast assembly
and their frequent and hearty applause,
| should say that he fully met the high
expectations Of his hearers. If histOri-
cal accuracy of statement, simple but
forcible words, patriotic sentiments,
noble thoughts clothed in fitting words,
| can render an address successful, this
was a success. Its highest beauty was
it's simplicity. He attempted no rhetor-
ical flight, had no labOred and rounded
periods, kept himself in the back ground
and with the subtlety Of profound gen
ius, wOve his chain Of narrative and ar
gument into mastery combination
With a nice perception of what the Oc'
casion required, he proceeded with q
calm, historical statement Of facts, show
ing the political state of the country
and the cause which brought on the re
belliOn, together with the difficulties
which Mr.. Lincoln encountered in sup
pressing it. He spoke of the growth Of
an aristocraCy in the South, and the
decision Of the Supreme COnrt in thu
case of bred Scott, and the Intervention
Of France and England, in terms O
nerited severity. He gave careful an
alysis of Mr.. LincOln's character ad
mitted his defects, but eulogized hi
tin4Y1 q nlnSal
with a labOred contrast between Mr.
Lincoln and Lord Palmerston-the lat
ter, after a long life in the British Par
Lament and Cabinet, was carried to hi
grave in Westminster Abby and laid b,
the side of Chatham and Fox, but sOol
to be forgotten because he was not iden
titled with great and prominent benefit
conferred on the nation; the former
springing from the humblest origin, wa
the instrument of the highest good t.
his country and to the cause of libert,
and progress throughout the world, ant
is now laid to his rest in the prairies o
the West, leaving name that will b.
immortal 10 history.
Some dissatisfaction has been ex
pressed because of the severity will
which the orator spoke of England 70
her unfriendly course towards our Gov
ernment in the presence of Sir Freder
j. lex Bruce, the British minister, who ha,
been invited to attend. But Mr.. Ban
croft was obliged to develope the source
from which the rebellion derived it
main encouragement. With true polite
ness and becoming propriety, it is sal
he took occasion to inform Sir Fredsricl
Of what he intended to say, leaving i
optional with him to be present or moi
as he pleased. He was present, and hav
ing been in China during the war wher
he was known to have uniformly ex
pressed a warm interest in our success
he now could not regard anything MI
Bancroft had said as personal to himself
7.