The Sun.
London, England, 1869-07-24 00:00:00

THE PEABODY MEMORIAL.

The unveiling of a memorial to Mr. George Peabody,
which took place on Friday, was made the occasion of
some interesting speeches, one from the Prince of Wales,
another from the American Ambassador. The statue is
unanimously praised, and the sculptor, Mr. Story,
universally congratulated. The Roman toga is discarded,
and Mr. Peabody is represented sitting in the common
dress, in a library chair. The likeness is what is called a
"speaking" one. Sir Benjamin Philips, as chairman of
the Memorial Committee, did the honours, and pro-
nounced a eulogy on the great philanthropist. The Prince
of Wales in his speech said : " The name of George Pea-
body is too well known for me to do more than merely
pronounce it to you ; at the same time it affords me the
deepest gratification to pay a tribute of respect to that
great American, to that great philanthropist, to that—l
may say—great citizen of the world. England can never
adequately repay the debt of gratitude which she, and
London especially, owes to him whose wonderful charity
has been so liberally distributed. For one not born in this
country to have given, I believe, more than a quarter of a
million pounds sterling is a thing unequalled, and his
name will go down to posterity as that of a man who
has tried to ameliorate the sufferings and to elevate the
social, and therefore moral, character of his fellow-
creatures. Let me thank Mr. Motley, the American
Minister, for being present to-day, and let me assure him
how glad I am to take part in thia—l may almost say
national—ceremcny, because it gives me the opportunity of
paying a tribute to his distinguished countryman. I can
assure him that my feelings towards America are per-
sonally the same as they ever were ; nor can I ever
forget the reception I experienced nine years ago in that
country. My earnest wish and hope is that England and
America may ever go together hand in hand in peace and
prosperity."—The American Minister praised Mr. Peabody
no less warmly. " Most fortunate and generous of men, he has
discovered the secret for which misers might sigh in vain—
the art of keeping a great fortune to himself as long as
time shall last. In this connection I have often thought
of a famous epitaph inscribed on the monument of that
old Earl of Devonshire who was termed the Good Earl.
Said he, ' What I spent that I have ; what I saved that
I lost ; that which I gave away remains with me.' So may
we say of Peabody. During a recent residence in Rome
1 had the good fortune of seeing this statue which has
just been unveiled in the busy heart of England's
great metropolis by the royal hands of England's Prince,
and grown day by day under the plastic fingers of the
artist. I saw Mr. Peabody and his statue, sitting as it
were side by side, and often debated within myself, with-
out coming to an accurate conclusion, whether on the
whole the statue were more like Mr. Peabody, or Mr.
Peabody more like the statue. Both seem to wear the
same gentle, sympathetic smile, the same genuine and
manly presence. It is a delightful thought that the pass-
ing thousands who go through this crowded mart will see
George Peabody almost as accurately as if in the flesh ;
and that future generations long unborn—the, I fear,
never-ending procession of London's poor—will become
well familiar with the features of their great benefactor."
Mr. Story, the sculptor, being called upon to speak, came
:orward, and very impressively said, pointing to the statue,
"This is my speech."