The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1914-10-22
BRIEF SKETCH OF
GEORGE BANCROFT

George Bancroft was born at Wor
cester, Mass, October 8. 1900. He
was golden link between the stall
warts of revolutionary days and those
Of the nineteenth century He had
the advantages of all the schools and
drew to himself all the insignia Of
the universities, but he would have
been great had he never seen a school
house. In his younger days he had
political ambition, and was President
Folks secretary of the navy. While
filling that office he founded the ma.
val academy at Annapolis and greatly
improved the observatory at Wash
ington. Later he was minister, to
England and to Germany.
But what may be termed his life
work was his History of the United
States. He was born in the same
month and year that Macauay was,
there being twelve days difference in
their birthdays. Macaulay wrote
the history of England, Bancroft the
history of the United States. The
former gave it's author great and just
fame, for much of it, while but cold
history, Is illuminated by wealth
of learning and a splendor of diction
which is as filled with charm as with
information.
Bancroft's history of the United
States loses nothing by comparison
with 1t. Indeed, the scholarship dis
played. the clothing of facts In fault
less English; the analysis of the dit
ferent characters engaged Is OTTER 81
perior to that of the gifted foreigner.
Bancroft was longer engaged upon
his work, for Macaulay died at SO;
moreover, he was prone to rest from
his heavier work by writing essays.
poems and exploring all the fields OF
literature, Turing home sometimes
rare fruit or brilliant flowers or when
in the mood the songs Of birds. But
the work of Bancroft is most brilliant
and conscientiously correct, and there
is rhythm to his style quite as en-
chanting as that OF Macauhy's a..
In his life time he did not win MS
much fame as some of his contempor-
aries but when most of them shall
seldom more be mentioned In the hall
of fame the statue of Bancroft will
take on the dignity Of immortality
and around his brow the halo will
deepen with the onsweeping years.
One masterpiece of his Is the fu.
neral eulogy he pronounced upon
Abraham Lincoln on the day which
congress set aside for his memorial
services. February ~. 1866. 1t was In
the hall of representatives with both
houses of congress. the president,
foreign ambassadors and many Of the
distinguished men and celebrated wo.
men of the country were present.
The sorrows of the great war were
still acute, the grief over the death
of Mr.. Lincoln had not In the least
abated.
That accounts for some flashes of
passion in the eulogy. but in the main
II is stately. calm, clear, brilliant and
touching. 1t contains about 10000
words. 1t gives the history of Mr..
Lincoln and luminous analysis of
his character, which of course made
necessary the statement of the trials
that were thrust upon him at home
and abroad.
To read 1t is like listening to
funeral anthem with stately organ
accompaniment.
Some Of the SMILES are wonderful,
as instance this: "As a child on a
dark night on rugged way. catches
hold OF the hand of its father for
guidance and support, he chung fast
to the hand of the people and moved
calmly through the gloom"
His arraignment of the acts of the
British and French governments. II
severe. is only severe because of its
truth.
Here is one sentence from his de
scriptlon OF the war:
"The vile thought that life is the
greatest of blessings did not rise ups
In six hundred and Twenty-Five bat.
ties and severe skirmishes blood
flowed like water. 1t streamed over
the grassy plains, it stained the
rocks; the underground of the for.
ests was red with IL; and the armies |