The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-28
AMERICA'SGREAT HISTORIAN
Address of the Hon. George Bancroft
Before the Historical Association.
An Earnest and Eloquent Grafton by Schol-
arly and Patriotic Man-Americl, the
Center Of the nglish-Speaking Race.


Center Of the English-Speaking Race.
WASHINGTON, April 27-The first session of
the third annual nesting of the American His
torical Association was held in the lecture hall
of the Columbia University, this morning. Pres
ident George Bancroft. the eminent American
historian. delivered the address of welcome. Mr..
Bancroft spoke as follows: 3GDa
Brothers of the American Historical Associ-
ation-I welcome yon to this third anniversary
of your existence. You who, in our univ ersi-
ties, instruct the coming generation in the his
tory Of their race; you who break from duties
in church or in state to show your love for your
fellow-men by your zeal IN the study OF their
progress; you who for moment throw aside the
cares Of the press, the toll Of authorship or the
delights OF study in retirement, in the name of
the Association. l bid you all joy at your re-
newed presence with one another. The object
of our pursuit is of the grandest that solicts
the attention of man. The movement of mighty
states over the scene of ever-succeeding action
is like the march Of so many armies, with their
various civilizations for their banners; they
themselves have faded away; their ca
reer, their enduring contributions to the
sum of human knowledge. their men of trans
cendent genius. such as are vouchsafed TO the
at great intervals of centuries, all come
within the range of our pursuits. Moreover, we
are nearest of kin to the students Of moral phi
losophy. The movements of humanity are gov
erned by law. 1t is true that the sparrow. when
the time comes for its fall to the ground, obeys
law that pervades the kosmos; and it is equally
true that every hair in the head Of human
being is numbered. The growth and decay Of
empire, the morning iustre of dynasty and it's
fall from the sky before MONDAY; the first turn
ing of sod for the foundation of a city to the
footsteps of traveller searching for its place.
which time has hidden, all proceed as 1t is or
dered. The character OF science attaches to our
pursuits. The difficulty of discerning the pres
ence of law in the actions Of rational beings
grows out of the infinite variety of the move
ments of the human will and of the motives by
which it may be svayed. In the department of
history the difficulty of judgment is diminished,
for history deals with the past which is beyond
the reach of change The discerning statesman
may forecast the character of coming events, and
form plan of action with reasonable conhdencein
its wisdom, but the critic who does not bring
comprehend the institutions that are forming
themselves before his eyes. In all antiquity no
true democracy existed as ag0vernment; yet our
national organization accepted elements from the
political organization OF the Greeks; 1t counts
Christianity among its sources; it profted by the
experience of the Roman empire in establishing
intercitizenship and domestic free trade. 1t was
essentially imbued with the spirit of the Refor-
nation which rose up in Germany with Luther,
and was developed by Calvin in France and In
sonal liberty and elements suited to the form of
government which it had to frame In its colo
NAL period it derived from its own experience an
opulence of forms of representative government.
The American people have cause to be grateful
to preceding generations for their large inherit
snces. Here is no rule of the many; it is the
government by the people. the government by
all. Were individuals or a class to set them
selves apart here, they would constitute Only
sect Agovernment that is less than the gov.
orn m AMI v tho nfira ra0nlo a povaynmAnt
the legislation of which will, by its very nature,
incline to the benefit Of classes The govern
ment of our New Nation Is rightly described by
one OF its greatest exponents as gov
eminent of the people, by tho people, for the
people. The singular combination Of the
best elements of the past III our institutions
favored our increase of territory. Our fathers
expressed their vast aspirations in the Articles of
In the direction which they pointed out, but it
was not long before we reached the Gulf Of
Mexico. A foothold was offered to the United
States in the West Indies, and they, after re-
Election, refused to plant their feet on the rich
est of them all, and have never departed from
the decision not to enter the tropics. The com
pleteness OF tho country was not established till
a President of the United States succeeded, by
one treaty with Great Britain and another with
Mexico, in entering into peaceful possession of
the continent for sixteen degrees on the Pacific.
1t was this settlement which perfected the Union.
From that moment its majesty and safety rested
on the line of East and West, and, as far
as tho human eye can see We may. In conse-
quence. hold our Union in perpetuity. In the
first Congress slavery brought danger to the
Union. Under the presidency Of John Adams
it took steps for an early dissolution; it was
quieted for while by Jefferson and his immedi-
ate successors; but from the moment the country
had its vast establishment on the Pacific. the
dissolution of the Union became impossible.
The will of the people was able to exact its pre-
servation; but what an infnity of power was nee
essary to carry out that will TO express 1t, /
adopt the words Of an English writer who is q
master of his own noble language, thorough
scholar and honored as an historian In both hemi-
spheres: There are certain things he says
which only democracy can execute No mon.
arch or privileged order could have dared to take
can Union. They would infallibly have wrecked
themselves In the effort lOceana, BY James A.
Froude-39l 90.
The necessary conditions Of the American
Union consist in an absolute equality
in rights among tho States. II was
hard for some of the original thirteen to
think that Territories, far in the In
terror, should be absolutely equal with the origi-
nal thirteen, and 90 tie center Of power was III
timately transferred to the West. which was
then wilderness; but the voice OF wisdom and
and the counsels Of hope prevailed. and when
the only irresistible influence Of antagonissn In
Europe was removed, there ceased TO be any
cause of dissent between the North and the
0outn. mere never was ana there never can
be collision between the West und the East
1.-THE people Of the United States are tina most
conservative in the world, for they cherish self
government as the most precious Of possessions
They make laws deliberately, only after long re.
Election, and they only make laws within the
limits Of their constitutions From end to end
Of the United States two houses of legislation
exist as the rule, and the executive possesses a
veto A constitution may DO changed only after
reference. in some form, to every individual in
the community. II tho question be asked, does
king or people give the most honest support
u the institution which they both have &C.
cepted, We must turn to France for reply.
Once in . recon :truction of its government q
Bourbon was enthroned in France as constitu-
tioual King; the first succassor to the throna