The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-12-24

few years past to purchase this collection and
the report remains Enacted upon. VIII not the
press who ure SO generally wiling to sustain ma
tional pride, urge the immediate and favorable action
Of our legislators upon matter so peculiarly Amer
ican'
Maangwud chief of the 0iibbeways, now
here man of great natural talent and shrcwdness,
has attracted cont derabe attention by the invention
OF an Indian alphabet, which the Minister OF Public
Instruction has given orders TO have the Characters
cast for at the Impr'nsfie Royaie. The letters are
so ingeniously conlrived, that any word can be
written without lifting the pen from the paper, and
the following verbatim copy of a letter he addressed
or the subject 10 Mr. Vattcmare, may not be unin-
"PARrs, Oct. 10, lsi5.
"My DEAN SIR. Knowing that you so anxious
that we The Indians of North America should be-
come wise and serve the Great Spirit IN the way
that wjuid make us happy ia this life and beyond
| the grave hereby send you complete alphabet
for our Ojibbeway language
ain this alphabet there are Al simple characters
containing all the sounds used for language, and
with the Al characters there few syllabes syste
! matcay arranged so that any Indian having good
memory can read and write in his own language at
ter having been taught or days. taught my
own son two three evenings, and he now reads
and writes the same that do myself.
"No one can make mistake IN Writing IN this
after having learnt the sounds and powers OF the
! letters.
"My dear sir, ii is well known that the Indian
! languages cannot be written correctly with the
French or English alphabet. Introducing French
! or English schools among us destroys our Ian
gnage.
s'My dear friend-Groat name do not want, but
that we the poor Indians should not utterly be ex-
terminated for not being wise like your nation,
| "My dear sir it is well known also that our Ian
guage is the root or mother Of languages of other
nations of Indians in America, and you could sue
coed in getting types made for this alphabet 1t would
be great blessing to and to all these other tribes
of Indians.
"My dear friend, please let some of your friends
see it, who anxious Of promoting the welfare of
the poor Indians of America, and much obligc,
| "MAANGWUDAUS,
| "Oiibbe,pay Indian Of North .3merica."
! Mr. Morse has paid US Il hurried visit, and eXhib-
tied his electromagnetic telegraph before the Acade-
my and at the Chamber of Deputies, large number
of scientific men having assembled at the latter place,
10 witness its remarkable motion, at the same time
| that the King was with Mr. Catlin-a double honl-
age to American talent | was Informed by Colonel
Austin, Of your city, who was present, that all APP
peared to be fully impressed with the advantages OF
Mr.. Morse's method, and disposed to advocate It's
adoption by the government. am, however, dis
| posed to think that the commission appointed by
government of which M. Arago is chairman will
| recommend a partial adoption of the systems of
| Morse, Wheatstone, and BAN.
/ Nanuerlyn mas recently IlnSncu PAIR OF por-
traits which do not think sustain his artistcll rep
utation | had hopes of being able to senl you u
notice of the picture he commenced for the Capitol
! but he does not wish word said about II, and,
least of all, in Boston paper" giving as reason
an account Of the illtreatment which he fancies he
has received om one of your institutions, and end
ing by asserting that "there be genuine love
or taste for the arts, where they deal cavaliery
with an artist is really be regretted that the
closing years Of life devoted TO the arts, and cred
tably too should be embtercd by pecunary cmbar
rassment and 10 be hoped that he will be enabled to
finish The Lending of Columbus. In the grandeur Of
its conception, the beauty of its composlion and the
knowledge Of art which it displays, 1t would bear
away the palm, if mistake not, from those already
in the Rotunda. The figure of the great dscoverer,
holding in one hand the standard of his protectors,
and in the other his good sword, is particularly adj
mirabe. The attitude is firm and determined, and
the drawing shows the combined boldness and deli
| cacy of master, equaled by the characteristic air
of digni6ed yet unaffected greatness impaired to the
leatufes
Allan, Of Louisville, Kentucky, has some very
fine pictures in his ateiier, showing that it is not
cessary, after all, to follow the rules of peculiar
school to arrive at perfection. One Of these, which
he has appropriately chrstened Seupenr de V0yageS
is charming little memento of his passage out
which, were able, would purchase, to hang in my
bed room, that the sight of it in the morning might
put me into quiet good humor which would last
all day. 1t is young Irish girl, who is reclining
in her berth, busy engaged in perusing romance
her form moulded in the trues outlines of female
loneliness, and her counenance beamng with an ex-
preston of goodness and cheerful intelligence which
rouscs
Gentle feelings and affections, kept
Within the heart like gold"
Allan has also copied some of Vernet's best marine
views, and Tenier's Temptation Of 81. .1nthony in
right mastery style, and shall return to them for
materials for future letter. He intends leaving
soon for Italy, in company with brother artist.
Henry Willard, of Boston, has also succeeded in
obtaining excellent copies of some of the gems in
the Louvre. Among others at his room, recently
noticed Belisarius demanding aims from the picture
of David-Guido's Observation-Disclosures Virgin and
Chid-Le Bruins Ceres, and beautiful moonlight
scene, from Vernetal gems of art, which retain the
effect Of the originals.
Brown is epdeavoring to finish his portraits and
90 home; but his full length of J. W. Cochran, re-
volving rifle in hand, has made him so popular
amongst the English, who are directing the railroad
movements, that he has more sers than is alto
gether agreeable He has, however, found time to
execute faithful sketch Of Yankee sieigh-ride, full
o4 humor, and exhibiting great decacy of touch.
Champney, when last heard from, was at Rome,
having enriched his portfolio with many sketches,
! taken on the Rhine and in Switzerland, which he
viii soon return here to transfer to canvass. more
estimable deserving young artist does not exist in
any country and if he receives that fostering patron
age which he merits, he will attain no ordinary rank
in the world of art
Locke has commenced large historical picture
The Summons Of Quebec, which evinces talent for
composition and drawing, though the colorng, thus
far, is anything but promising. A portrait Of La
fayette has the same faults. Human flesh NAV be
red and white, but red and white do not always re-
sembe human flesh. There are, also, several ANA
teur American artists here, whose productions dis
play no small degree of merit particularly the pastel
sketches of one of our fair residents.
Turning from the beautiful to the useful, am
happy to chronicle the success of Col. Hamilton's
ingenious machine for saving ship timber, which
has been visited by all the naval and mechanical a,i-
thorities, who speak of it in terms Of unqualified
praise The Minister of Marine has contracted for
the saving of the frame of frigate at the Toulon
dockyard, and should the machine perform as il is
expected it will he will purchase it at the price de-
manded-600, 600 francs. share of the patent
here beongsto J. w. Cochran, who has now five
OF the steam excavators at work on the different