The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1846-03-26
From Morrison's Guide.
sTATUARY OF THE RoTUNDo.

the steps of the Eastern portco, In landing
upon the floor OF that spacious colorado
finds himself upon the Inaugural scenes
of several Presidents. Between the two
centre pillars General Jackson and MI
Van Buren, were inaugurated. Here
too, General Harrison was inaugurated.-
AT this spot, some few years since, LAW
renee, the maniac, attempted the life o.
General Jackson. Lawrence is still In
the prison of this city, full of the BELIZE
that he is The President of the United
States.
On the North side Of the great entrance
door from the Portico TO the Rotundo
stands the statue of War, by Persico. 1
is made of marble, and is about nine feel
high.
War is represented in the costume O.
an ancient warrior. Fills helme: presses
upon his brow, and his breast is covered
BY the iron corset. He leans with his
left arm upon his shield, and with his
right, brings his sword up to his heart,
across which it lies in readiness for COM
bat. His eyes are lowering with anger,
and his whole attitude indicates reused
and excited temper, There is, however,
nothing fierce in he expression. A man.
ly sense Of power and right, and calm in>
dignaton seems 10 pervade the figure
His nostril is not sufficiently distepded, and
the whole statute is rather clumsy. The
finish given to his figure is very high.
On The other side of the door, stands
the beatifc figure of Peace. The maiden,
clothed in simple garb, is in the act of
extending the olive branch 10 her warllke
brother. A smile of calm and sublime
repose hovers about her eyes, and her ats
:iude is one of simple and gulleless inno-
eence.
In neither Of these statues, however,
have the ideas intended to be conveyed,
been fully expressed, and we trust that
aome future writer upon these topics, will
have occasion to mention the works OF our
counlryman. Powers, whose chisel should
not be permitted 10 lay inactive, when SO
much remains 10 be done about the Capt.
tol of the United States.
When we enter the Rotundo and look
around at the statuary there collected, we
are startled at the sight Grotesque fig
ules start from the walls, and s,arle US by
their burlesque appearance. Over the
door leading 10 the Senate Chamber, is
panel filled with representation of PENIS
treaty with the Indians. Penn is in the
act of delivering the treaty to couple of
chiefs, whose heavy proportions threaten
a sudden incursion upon the floor of the
Rotundo. Two doves, amicably placed
in iuxlaposition over the heads of the ln>
dians, coo an accompaniment TO the soft
persuasion OF the great William, and the
deep apopIec'c gutteras of the obese In
dams. We trust that Congress will. ere
long, order the total erasure of this speci-
men Of sculpture. Circing to the west,
we reach the Rescue of Capt. Smith from
the Indians, by the Indian Princess Poca-
hontas. Here we see the surgeons skill.
Anatomy fourishes in lay figures for the
lecture room; and the whole group looks
more like parcel OF galvanized bodies,
than an ideal work by the hands OF an ar
list. When will Government learn 10
employ men of true genus-men of the
country, who can feel the incidents of the
country as natives of the land, and who
know what an Indian is in prose, and
not in romance, as half the Indian sculp-
tors do.
Farther on, over the southern door, is
Boone's combat with The Indians. This
is by Causici. Boone is in The double act
Of wardng off a tomahawk 5ow of his
antagonist, and of giving him mortal stab
beneath the upllted arm with bis hunting
knife.
Boone is calm, cool and brave. The
gigantic Indian whose head towers among
the branches of an o'erspreading oak, is
full of muscle and strength. His face is
truly barbarous. At the feet Of the COM
batanls lies an admirable 6gure-a figure
which redeems The whole of the Rotundo
sculpture-a dead Indian. The hole
made by the bullet in his left side is evil
dent. The grim contracted brow, the
scornful smile upon the closed and rveted
lips, tell of the Indians triumph in his
dying moment over his white conquer>
or.
Many years ago, the writer of these
sketches was in the Rotundo, when a band
of Winnebagos came through the hail.
The tribe 10 which they belonged, was
one OF the most savage of the North Amer
lean Indians. They had never before per-
United themselves to be induced 10 visit the
settlements Of the whites. They were
wild, savage, proud and almost intrac,a-
Bile.
The delegation consisted of about TWEEN
lly. They were all of them noble looking
fellows, dressed in their own barbaric uni
form. Their faces were painted of vari-
Gus colors, and 10 their belts were their
scaIping knives and tomahawks, AMI over
their backs their long iron-looking bows
and arrows.
AS they were passing through the Ro>