The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-02-14
Thurlow Weed, Greeley and a host of small
| ,~oI,t;o;apa

| POLITICIANS.
Bancroft's EuIogy Upon President Linz
| coin.
The Grafton delivered by Mr.. George Ban
croft at Washington on Monday is very capital
reading. AS a whole it is far superior to any
thing that this gentleman has done before.
The pages of the history upon which he chiefly
rests his claiu to fame are dull and uninterest-
ing compared with the spirited sentences of
this production His eulogy upon President
jackson was by no means so vigorous, so
| graphic and so condensed. Mr.. Bancroft was
invited to deliver this Grafton after Secretary
Stanton and other distinguished persons had
declined; and the selection, we must confess,
took the country somewhat by surprise. No
one could see then, and we doubt whether
any one can explain now, what special ap-
propriateness there was in requesting
Folks Secretary Of the Navy to offici-
| ate upon this occasion. But If chance
guided the choice of the Congressional Com
mittee the chance was certainly a every
fortunate one; for the grafton read by Mr..
Bancroft before the imposing assemblage at
the Capitol is composed in the style of the arti-
cles in old Blaclc,oood, and is, consequently,
sure Of popularity. To simply eulogize is
really very fatiguing work, and Mr.. Bancroft
has relieved his labor by sharp, spicy hits at
everything and everybody; so that we feel
none Of the dreariness of the funeral sermon
while perusing his grafton, but are able to enjoy
all the liveliness of a smart political review.
If to some minds this characteristic may seem
out OF place in the solemn ceremonial in honor
of the Martyr President, it is evident on the
other hand, that Mr. Bancroft fully succeeded
in catching the spirit of his audience, and that
the sentiments which they greeted with such
constant and enthusiastic applause could not
have been more shrewdly stated.
Mr.. Bancroft begins, like an historian, by
tracing the growth of the American re-
public, and does not arrive at Mr.. Lin
coins epoch until his Grafton is one-third
over. Had he been more of philOso-
pher and less of a practical man he
would doubtless have commenced at the crea-
lion Of the world, and to this no one would
probably have objected had he rendered an
cient history as entertaining as he has modern.
Then he breaches the slavery question, and
quotes well known and unknown authorities to
ment dsliked this now extinct institution. As
he has made all the world hinge upon the
American republic in his opening paragraphs,
so here he shows that the whole American re-
public hinged upon slavery, summing up this
extraordinary view of our history by the re-
markable statements that Washington, Jeffer-
son and Madison died of despair Of the aboli-
pair at the growth of freedom. Poor Chief
Justice fancy is then dragged from his grave
and soundly abused for his bred Scott decision,
possibly TO the qualification of Chief Justice
Chase, who sat listening to the eulogy. Then
the secession dogma is taken up; the election
of 1860 is described, and at last Abraham
Lincoln is brought upon the scene and
a vivid synopsis of his life tersely and
eloquently recited. From this point one would
naturally suppose that oil was PLAIN sailing for
Mr. Bancroft; but it is not long before he gets
foul of Buchanan, and even collides with the
veteran Lieutenant General Scott The great
uprising of the North when Fort Sumter was
attacked Is painted In few strong, telling SEN
fences; and then, without further preliminary
than glance at the diplomatic gallery where
Sir Frederick Bruce and the representatives Of
the French legation were seated, we come upon
q scathng review Of the history of Great Brit
ain, severe rebuke for her conduct during
our war, a savage condemnation of her ars-
tocracy, series of animadversions upon Napo-
| Of ot,r ind;
ton of the Monroe doctrine and an incidental
attack upon the Pope. We had no idea that
the limits of personal eulogy could be so
widely extended.
Mr.. Bancroft who has temporarily forgot
ten the late President in the ardor of these
remarks, returns to him again in connection
with the emancipation proclamation. of
this document he OF course approves, and,
ignoring Mr.. Lincoln's own declaration
that ii was like a Pope's bull against the
comet he conclusivcly demonstrates that II
practically ended the war. Lord John Rus
sell here receives several singing blows, and
Russia and China are complimented. The
Grafton concludes with a discussion of the
character of Mr.. Lincoln and comparison be-
tween him and Lord Palmerston, much 10 the
discredit of the latter and the chagrin OF Sir
Frederick Bruce. But, lest the radicals should
consider the observations of Mr. Bancroft
upon slavery too complimentary to them, he
now interpolates glowing tribute 10 the State
Of Tennessee, and an unqualified endorsement
Of President Johnson's reconstruction policy,
both in regard to his recognition Of the Sc
ceded States as repentant members Of the
Union, and in regard to his opposition to I'm
mediate and unqualified negro suffrage. Thus,
having touched upon every subject which