The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-12-11


~" 1ras Ike people MAJ nc hundred and fifty mil
lions, which the has up the present time, would
quire train OF teams 10 draw IL than twentyone
miles long What is manifest present is thai the
Monterey, and Of all the Strong points in California having
the American flag flying them. But neither the petty
strong points, advance the handful American forces o
whom the loss Of few hundreds before Monterey
nous aa IN any PeEcep95le degree towards The Object OF
present the deficiency OF the IyHn' mobile
be required. In the last session Of Congress
passed authorizing the calling 90 900 volunteers
70 900 would be sufficient force II appears however
that neither 10000 Is 900 win be levied and the only
gess In December there keeping additional
forces, or even the forces now engaged, on foot"
These extrayagant statements-frst fabricated by the
federal orators and presses here and then circulated abroad
are calculated to deceive the world and encourage
these infatuated Mexcans in their prosecution of the
We know that both statements are false and that we
have and money enough TO carry on the war; and
we mean to prosecute II vigorously until we obtain a
sfaetOry peace let these orators and presses eamor
they please
But ii we may descend from great things to small,
let US judge Hercules by his foot and go smaller mat
ter. We mean
MIR. webstsr's Architectural Idsa..
Great men have, and then-let us confess il -
odd ideas Genius cannot fairly be Judged by common
standard. Were otherwise, might be somewhat
startled by the boldness and originality OF the figure with
which MIR Webster concluded his late celebrated speech
Thus il closes:
Ill the audience before me have At any time felt their
ears somewhat weary Of thing SURF, their eyes
least have been always gatihed Finally rejoice in the
@ I've q, ' n 9ei and IN the happy county. N Which
dence has conferred upon H. Who Is there and in what
part OF the wod that look back with greater pleasure
and more honest pride upon his country's history
What fathers mothers look forward with more
hope "a the future happiness of their children And while
fathers and the shall uphold OI
happy coniedemcy may those pillars b. omanened
The pillars in the yesbue OF the Senate entrance to
the Capitol (the shafts OF Indian corn stalks and their
capitals cluster OF gracefully arranged and hall
concealed by the enyelopng eayes have been consider
ed, justly we think, happy inspiration OF Lairobes II
bold and original innovation on the Oft repeated
Grecan orders. But it compare for holiness and
originality, with Mr, Webster's late effort We think
not Let our readers, for moment call up before the
minds eye the Massachusetts orators architectural figure
and satisfied they will accord to him the palm over
Latrobe
"The fathers and sons"-thus Mr. Webster has it,
are to uphold the pillars OF this happy Confeder-
acy" whether, after the somewhat antiq uated fashion OF
Caryades does not very clearly appear, but, at any
rate after some fashion or other they are 10 uphold
them tanner orator might have been satisfied ~ place
these gentlemen beside the pillars of the grra ape of
the Coniedeacy reposng under the shelter Of is spacious
dome, in some other common place and comfortable
attitude Mr.. Webster scorns common place The
second part OF the figure may, Justly yet claim our
wondering admiration. These pillars thus upheld by
their animate and breathing pedestas are to be "oma
mented by the grace and beauty Of the mothers and
daughters" Now, architects have always so far As we
know, confined TO the capitals of pillars their chief oma
ments. We venture to conjecture, then, that the grace
and beauty of the mothers and daughters are TO appear
surmountlng the shafts OF Mr. Webster's pillars That
Is, doubtless, dashlng and novel dea but here diff
Guilty occurs, As we may not, for moment, counte-
nance the supposton, that man OF the Massachusetts,
orators known gallantry could intend to separate the
grace and beauty of the mothers and daughters from the
ladies' themselves, strikes US, that they will occupy
position more elevated than comfortable suspended,
mid air we must suppose at considerable height above
the UNFOLDING fathers and sons; in the situation
occupied by Latrobe's ears of corn.
If, plain men, might adventure criticism on
this remarkable grouping Of things, animate and mani
mate, II would be, that the picture, sketchcd by Mr.
Webster, lacks that essential good painting repose
1t strikes one at the first blush If the fathers and sons
must be too much disturbed in spirit and fatigued in
body, by the superintendent weight imposed on Them
reflect with the same quiet satisfaction Mr. Webster
appears TO have done, the prosperity of the times
with which, under a Democratic administration we are
blessed. But even if wrong in this imagine for
moment, any OF these heavily Laden gentlemen looking
up and catching glimpse OF his relatives at that precar
hension for the probable consequences might not be
pected 10 seize upon his SOUL and overwhem every feel
ing OF happiness graduation We have the
dence in the genter their appropriate sphere
We have found them, we have met them on the I'M
pretending earth, good wise, hearted and if gddy
and volatile in hours of mirth, steady serious, composed
when the occasion demanded Under any fair circum-
stances would their composure and pos
session. But there limits to human powers These
pillars Of our happy confederacy must we imagine be
high, though Mr. Webster does not give us their precise
elevation. A lady might be pardoned it, on looking
down from the dizzy height, her head should turn and
false step would be fatal Thnk-thnk of the man.
ged form of grace and beauty, precpated by the effect
of some sudden vertigo, from the lofty niche in which
Mr.. Webster doubtless with the best intentions in the
world) had imprudeny placed her. her blood dying the
tesseated marble her life ebbng away before the very
eyes of her father and he unable (poor burdened
uckless wight that he s to escape from his pillar so
TO render the least assistance
We may be hypercritca in our notions; and Mr.
Websers ideas touching the colonnade of the national
edilce may, after ALL be worthy of old Vitruvius If we
could them paper, sketched by the pencil of some
American Cruikshanks first crude objections MIGHT
perhaps, be done away. We might give Mr. Webster
credit for classical taste, certainly do for bold ORR
gnalty, and judgment of the new Massachusetts or
der of architecture, with its patient pedestas and its fair
capitals, might be speedily reversed
The First Gun.
The has been begun by the opositon Tho EoJor,I