The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-02-12
MONDAY, FEBRUARY l2, 1866.
Abraham LincOIn-His Life and Services
Grafton OF Hon. George BrancToft.


of Kentucky, of poor and ignorant parents,
a child for whose lonor thirty millions of
American fieemen are celebrating this, the
anniversary OF his birth. We will not trace the
course of that stern patriot, that clear orator,
that firm President that lamented martyr.
From his entrance upon the stage Of life to
the moment when he was hurled by violence
from our gaze. his career has been familiar
TO our people. As the boy, the man, the
statesman, his actions and his words are com
mon and cherished property. His life was
the purest type of an American, his death
the symbol of modern martyrdom. For over
half century, the 22d clay OF February has
been celebrated as the anniversary of the
birth of the Father of the Republic; from this
time henceforth let the 18th be kept as a
holiday in commemoration of the savior of
that nation which WASHINGTON founded.
Let it be a memorable day; let it be pro-
claimed national anniversary let it be added
to the quintette of holidays in honor of him
who lived patriot and died martyr, who
fell upon the borders of the promised land, and
left his fame for posterity to revere and
cherish
The first time that our nation has had an
opportunity to show their reverence is to-day,
and fittingly are the heads Of the Government
testifying their respect and love.
7 his morning the scene at the Capital was
one of grandeur, OF deep solemnity. The
Honorable GEORGE BANCROFT delivered in
the Capitol of the nation, in the presence of
the President, the Judiciary, the Cabinet, the
Foreign Diplomatic Corps, and the National
Congress, his Eulogy on the life and services
OF the Honorable ABRAHAM LINCOLN. His
essay was masterly, and was woven together
with the strength and beauty OF the hand which
has for years pract.sed upon a record OF the
past 1t will be found on our first page, and
will well repay the attentive perusal of all our
readers. We do not desire to vie " it critically,
vet there are points which will suggest them
selves to every reader. One of the few defects
of the address is its unnecessary length. A
brief pointed eulogy,c go lfning itself to the sub
dscts for which it was requested to speak,
paying a glowing tribute to the lille of the
hero, and concluding with a careful summary
of what he had accomplished, of the great
things he had done, and the mighty influence
which his actions would exert on the future.
would have been the perfection of memorial
grafton; would have filled, yet not crowded.
the ground to be covered; would have
added to the speakers fame, and
furnished fitting tribute to him to whose
honor he was to testify. Mr.. BANCROFT has
gone beyond his mark, and while every word
he utteIs is we'll selected, while every para
graph is fine, and every head treated of is
finished with | the force of an accomplished
writer, yet in a eulogy we see no necessity of
examining into the "Growth Of the Republic"
Consequences OF Slavery" "Dred Scott De-
cision," and the like. They are all very good
in their place, but a eulogy on ABRAHAM
LINCOLN is not their place. If Mr.. BAN
CROFT had commenced with the "EarlY Life
of Abraham Lincoln" and had omitted that
portion of his address which relates to Great
Britain and the various Continental powers,
it would have been masterpiece. As it now
stands, it treats of much that is irrelevant,
and much that is inappropriate. 1t is his
tory of the moral results of our great strug-
gle. Too little is given to its object, too
much to national affairs. With this eXcep-
tion, the Grafton is finished masterpiece its
periods all rounded, its style euphonious, its
rhetoric faultess. 1t is a polished tribute to
great mans fame, and although too impreg-
nate d with the historical tone into which its
author has fallen, it is, nevertheless, eulogy
worthy OF the fame of It's writer and the i'm
mortality oflts subj ect.
The concluding passages of the speech,
especially the parallel between the two leaders
of tWonations LINCOLN and P PALMERsroN,a are
peculiarly fine. 1t was, indeed, appropriate
for these two chiefs Of the earth to be COM
pared, and well has the comparison been
instituted. We must quote his words:-
Hardly had the late President been consigned
to tie grave when the prime minister OF Eng
land died, iull OF years and honors. PALMERS TON
traced his lineage to the time OF the Conqueror:
LINCOLN went back only to his grandfather.
PALMERsToN received his education from the
best scholars of Harrow, Edinburgh, and Cam
bridge; LINCoLN's early teachers were che silen,
forest, the prairie, the river, and the stars. PAL
MERsToN was in public life ior sixty Years; LIN
COLIN but tenth OF that time. PALhERsToN was
o skilfHl guide OF an established aristccracy
LINCOLN leader, or rather companion
OF the people. PALMERsToN was eXclu
sivelY an Englishman, and made his
boast in the House OF Commons that the
LINCOLN thought always of mankind as well as
his own country, and served human nature
its IT, PALMERsToN is a shining example OF the
est OF cultivated aristocracy; LNCoLn
shC WIS the genuine fruits of Institutions where
the laboring man shares and assists TO form tn,
great ideas and designs OF his country. PALMER
sToN was buried in Westminster Abbey by thu
order of his Queen, and was followed by thu