The Whig standard. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1843-1844, 1844-05-29
For the Whig Stsndar,
Mr.. PERSICO vs. THE PEOPLE.
J To the pure in heart ali things are M

10 the pure IN heart, all things are pure"
These are the words of one who was reputed
the "wisest man. of his age. He was close OBJ
server OF men and manners and understood
human nature about as well as il is possible for
frail and crring humanity to understand They
occur IN the Proverbs of Solomon !" and were
written as reproof to those equiyocal or double
sighted beings, who see things in one way TO-DAY,
and in another way Tomorrow and who approye
and admire, or denounce and loathe, ANYTHING and
everything, at pleasure, whether performed agree
ably to the rules of nature and good taste, or not
picture should resemble, as near as possible.
its archetype. In painting landscape, for in.
stance, the artist should endeavor to make his
picture true representation of the object which
he is painting In like manner should the sta
tuary of the sculptor be executed with reference
to the manners and customs of the age in which
his originals lived
This has been done by Mr.. Persico in his sta
tuary of Columbus and the Indian girl. With re-
gard to the statue Of Columbus, have heard
nothing but words of the highest commentator;
but that of the Indian girl is, believe, generally
condemned. And why? Can any one tell Be-
cause, forsooth, an Indian girl, who lived three
centuries and half ago, is not dressed according
to the refined taste of the present age with foun-
ced dress, coffee-bag skirt, and mammoth-szed
gum elastic hustle.
If this work be well executed, (and none dare
question it,) and executed, too with reference to
the age in which the archetypes lived, and the
circumstances under which they met each other
why condemn it Why pour, SO unreservedly
your anathemas upon work 80 credtable not
only to the skill of the artist but to the country
The land Of the free, and the home of the brave"
But what are the circumstances of which this
statuary is intended to convey an idea Z! The
meeting, by Columbus on his arrival on the
shores of the New World an Indian girl who
appears to have been taken by surprise. The
girl seems to have been lying or sitting down,
probably on the root of tree,) when Columbus,
candestnely, as it were, steals upon her. The
girl, in her bewiderment and confusion, arises
hurriedly from her recumbent posture, and, in so
doing, the scarf or drapery, which, seemingly,
was sufficient to cover her whole body, falls
from her shoulders r@aies ,
This is the idea which this distinguished sculp
tor intends to convey in his inimitable piece of
statuary, which now adorns the eastern portco OF
the Capitol. ,i.
Short-sighted, and nayow minded, and grossly
ignorant and unrehecting, must be those persons
and exceedingly morbid and deprayed their tastes
who dare say aught against these SPLENDID speci-
mems of the ingenuity and skill Of their immortal
author.
But disposition for fault-fnding seems to oc-
cupy so large place in the minds of some people,
that they evince feelings Of dissatisfaction towards
everything, however useful and beautiful, which
is not the production Of their own brainless heads
Possibly Mr.. Persico may have erred in not
| executing this beautiful piece of statuary with
greater reference to the refined TASTE and unoues-
tionable morals, of the goodly people Of the Uni
ted States; and, particularly the taste and morals
| OF those in the metropolis of the Union.
| But the work is done, and well done, and done,
too, in conformity WITH and agreeably to, the d.
rectons embodied in a special act Of Congress
And i is work which will stand as an imper-
lshable monument of the transcendent genius of
! lts gifted author; and which will hand down to
posterlty his name, emblazoned on the pages of
the history of Sculpture, when the names of his
enemies, or those who would sacriligiousy, as it
were, tear from his wellearned fame these laurels
which perfection in his art have placed there, will
be buried in sleepless oblivion Typo.
| SANDs's SARsAPARILLA-Whenth the annette hoa