Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-01-17

VINO thought niore higi,Y oi tina. lIan
4 he did with some events of the Revolutionary
war. The House had refused this request. He
would now submit the propricty Of ulling some of
/ tile V1eant panaeis with some of the victories of
the leh' war Hc then moved to amend MIR Stew
arts proposed amendment, BY inserting, after the
I word ''Erie," the following words: 'SThc battle
OF BriSewater, aud the victory on Lake Cham
! plain
Mr.. Stewart accepted this as modification Of
his amendment from which he also struck out the
words ''And such other subjects as they may Sc
ect TO I'LL the four vacant pannels in the Ro.undo.
/ 80 that the amendment, modified, would read,
| ''To insert, after the word ''New Orleans the
words che battle Lake Erie, the battle OF
Bridgewaer, and the victory on Lake Chomplain.' .
MIR. Randolph now moved to amend the origin
al resolution by striking out the words g Commit
tee on the Library" and inserting in lieu thereof,
! 90 Select Committee
! hir. Randolph said, he had made this motion ont
o. 6iSrespect 10 the Library Committee: and after
some other observations (not distinctly heartD he
said, that he was not himself and had not for many
years, been member Of that committee. He had
incurred the disgrace of being cashiered from that
committee twenty years ago. file lad at
/ the same time been a member OF another commit
! rec, (Ways and Meansl upon which the Speaker
had recently done him the honor 10 place him, az
( ter an interval of twenty ycars.l Now, said Mr..
! *, L take II tlat the members Of the Library
| Committee selected for their learning and
their knowledge OF books should suppose so, u
PRIOR, certainly; which is Il subject very distinct
from the fine arts although acquaintance with
both may be because they have been) united in
the same person, and for any thing know, may
DC 50 In the person OF every individual composing
| the committee. But wish 10 give TO the Speaker
! an opportunity of selecting, To compose this COM
mite, IN case the resolution should pass, such in
uiVuuais IN the House, as may happen 10 be best
acquainted, not merely with the fine arts but with
painting particularly-for, among the professors of
| the line arts many excel in one department, who
do not in another, and, atought the arts were said
10 be Sisters, Dir. Il. said he should prefer the
: Judgment OF n Canova or u Chantry in SCULPTURE
as he would of Weber on q piece of music, and
| as he would unqueStionably prefer that of Lord
/ Byron as poet, &c. He added that he had not
made the motion until he was satisfied that his
friend from 3 Carolina would accept it as part OF
! his motion.
| MIR. Hamilton said, that his acceptance of the
amendment, which his honorable friend from Va.
(hir Randolph) had offered might subject him to
he imputatlon OF inconsistency, unaccompanied Ivy
an explanation.
He had said, yesterday, that he felt entire gra-
uhcation in contidng his resolution 10 the Commit
! tee on the Library. What he was going to saw
! to-day, might prove that candor was not the most
profitable commodity man can bring to market,
although, under all circumstances il is invariably
! the most creditabe. lie would out with it. and
declare that he had changed his mind; and as the
members oil the Committee of the Library accord
! Ing to his humble view of the subject had voted
Tor every proposition calculated defeat his reSo-
! luton, they were, therefore, unfit depositaries
| Tor the subJect-matter. He would profit by the
table lie would not put tiie lamb TO nurse to the
wolf.
Mr.. Oakley rose to propose an amendment.
which he did not doubt would be acceptable TO the
mover OF the resolution It's object was not 10 add
any new paintings, but merely TO provide for the
preserV alton OF those already in the Rotundo. He
had been told that Those pictures already sus-
tanning injury from the dampness of the walls and
1t was important that some mode should be adopted
OF arrestng What must otherwise very soon DESTROY
them entirely. He then offered the following a.
mendment:
" And that the same Committee also be instruct
cd to inquire what measures are necessary 10
preserve the paintings already placed in the Rotun-
! Mr.. Hamilton signifed his acceptance of this
amendment as modification of his Resolution.
mr. =. L. Barbour of Virginia said hat as he
should vote against the resolution he would ask the
Indulgence oil the House, while an act of Justice
to himself, he stated the reasons which would ac-
tuate him upon this occasion. None, said Mr. B..
can hold IN higher estimation that great military
achievement which il is now proposed 10 hand do
to poserty by the aid of of the fine arts; nor
can any hold in exalted estimation the distiu-
gulshed individual who planned and executed it
II Is deed which has cast around him halo nj
glory, and has added largely to the stock of the ma
tional reputation. My sentiments inrcgard 10 that
lhdiVidlai, mad an opportunity, about eight wears
ago, OF expressing publicly in this House and
"hen occasion shall require, am prepared TO give
| think his character Justly merits IL is not there
lore from any objection to the individual, one of
whose actions II IS now proposed to commemorate.
that object to the adoption Of this resolution II
voted for any subject for this painting should IN
doubleday place this first in order, as deem it 10
be the first in importance.
was a member Of the House when the former
resolution passed ordering the paintings which arc
now in the Rotundo I voted against that and ON
the same principles must vote against this also Nv
reason for both is, that do not hold il TO be a uro.
per disbursement Of the public money TO devote if
10 purposes OF ornament ] call this a purpose OF
ornament, because, in my decided opinion there il
better mode OF handing down great actions to pos
teTity than either painting stdtuary. The House
has tins day heard read two resolutions of thanks
passed by the asse mbled Representatives OF the
whole American People. The individuals named in
these resolutions may truly be said to have their
" names enrolled in the Capitol" there to live as
long as the archives oftis Government shall survive
the stroke OF time My opinion i3 that so far as re-
CARDS the present generation, the individual who a.
chieved the defence ofN. Orleans has bis monument
IN the hearts Of his cOuntTymcn; and as K respects
the generations to come, the page Of impartial
history will better carry down his actions than ary
perishable monument which The arts could raise
And as 10 The moral effect attributed to such mon
umcnts, so long as The high spirit Of liberty which
nov anlmates this nation shall prevail, il wants
nothing to preserve it, and wheni shall once have
passed away, nothing that the arts can do will ever
restore It. What says the experience of man
kind? Those perola II the world when uaiut;De,
and sculpture wero "a their highest point Of per-
lection, were not The periods Of its proudc5t char
acteT.
In Romc, 50 long as the Republic lasted. paint.
ing and sculpture were comparatively little known.
and even the Greeks, who exceiled them most in
botn, after they he'd carried these arts TO
were conquered by The Romans, and tho Romans.