Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1835-05-14
MONUMENTS.

We have onen been disposed 20 question
the utility Of Mooanents- They rarely exert
any influence In eomnemorating the objects
for which thsy arc erected. They are vaiua-
bic only n specimens Of art, and celebrate
the genius Of The sculptor, rather than the viz
tues Of those whose names are registered. u
ma sad mistake, IL the artist ,upposes that his
noble conceptions, his skill in cmbodying them,
and has taste in polishing the rude marble,
have the intended effect upon the public mind.
A great and virtnous man-a public bcuefAc-
tor--or an important event, viii be rcmem-
bcred without a monument; and, afler they
arc lost to memory monuments will not recall
them.
We do not mean 10 say, however. that no
memorials should be raised 10 the mighty
dead Such memorials arc proper; for they
arc Indicative Of gratitude and love in those
who rear them We refer only TO the difficult
~, or rather the impossibilty, Of conveying To
the mass Of the people, the idea which the ar
list wishes u Perpetuate.
On n certain highway. the establishment Of
which the great Orator Of the West had
prominent instrumentality in efIecting, there
- very neat monument, embeliished with
sundry devices, and surmounted by n colossal
G, IRE Of the Goddess Of Liberty On one side
there h an inscription TO this effect: thai The
monument was reared, by Moses and Lydia
Shepherd, TO commemorate the prosperity Of
the country, and particularly As testimony Of
gratitude for the invaluable public services Of
Aenry Clay. This seems 10 be Sufficiently ex-
Plicit- Who would imagine that the intention
Of The tasteful memento could be misunder-
stood Vet, within mile Of the spot, we re-
ceived from one Of Mr.. S. neighbour, the
following splendid statement: " shepherd has
. nsrnsm<af." "a whar' "a mornamen,
"And what kind Of thing is mornamenp"
"Oh, It's built out n stone and's got on the
top, the likeness Of young lady that died
once" "Ah indeed, And who was The young
ladyi' "why, her Eame was Blain. She was
desperate industrious in her lifetime, and so
they've put her Up there with scrlbbin'
brush in her hand, and her nigh,-cap hangin on
the end Of it--mcanin' that she was in the Ia
bit Of goin' hard 70 work, scrubbin' or some
thin else, rs soon rs she go, up Of \ mornin'"
"a hnc girl truly" said We, sand who had the
monument built for her" sob, ClaN and
some more Of 'em-they got the money out Of
the United States Bank to build il with, and
,sen they Civ il to shepherd, and that's what
made him Clay-man All these fineries are
made by Clay and the rest Of the nobility; but
j don't care nothin' about en-. I wouldn't
give this good road, that old Hickory had made
Tor US, for all their mornamens."
And thus, thought we, Is the child Of genius
nisinterpreted, and the labor of his hands de-
rided! Thus does the public benefactor fail 10
receive the credit due to him, and the very
stone which was intended to celebrate his pa
triotic deeds, IS made 60 bear false witness
against him. Popular prejudice and popular
ignorance How grotesque are the transfer
nations which ye sometimes eject We make
ludicrous being Of the Goddess Of Liberty;
and rs to her devotees, yc imagine them To be
monsters Of perhdy. The most devout wor-
shippers at her shrine are, 10 your view, the
RECONCILIATION Of venality and corruption; and
her temple IS regarded Is nothing more than
the habitation Of money-changers.
-
The first day Of May was celebrated IN Win
chester By the young ladies Of Angerooe Semi
nary, under the care Of the Rev Mr. Eichel-
berger. The queen Of The day was Miss Lew
rs, Of this county. The virginian says she