The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1850-04-23
Clark Mills and his Statue.

correspondent, as containing interesting matter,
Clark Mills and his Statue.
There is, perhaps, no living man in whom South
Carolina should feel more pride, than Clarke
Mills the native, selftaught, unequalled genius of
the South How many of the citizens of Charles
ton, who saw him when a boy, along the streets,
ever thought his name would grace the proudest
page of our country's history, and place us ahead
of Italia, the land of arts and song? When about
nineteen, he commenced the business pastering,
in Charleston, without ever having served at the
trade. His genius soon induced him to introduce
a new style of cornishing, as tasty as it was ele-
giant, and soon his business was such as to enable
him to hire his jobs done and devote his talent to
something of a higher nature. He had small
office in - street, near the Office of Dr. -.
Day after day he labored in his new vocation, and
several small busts, the work of his own hands,
adorned his window. One day, as the Doctor was
passing, Mr. Mills called him into his-shop, and
on removing mantle thrown over an object, the
Doctor was surprised to see an exact counterpart
of himself Delighted, he invited others to see it,
and all pronounced it finished piece of work
manshp He was given job after job, until the
new artist was the theme Of conversation in every
circle of society in Charleston. Soon the bust OF
Calhoun was finished. There was but one word
spoken offs inimitable" He likewise completed
busts of w. C. Preston, and various Others. But
the old opinion, even in the face of these evidences
against it, revived, that artist, to be an artist,
must study under Italian masters, and beneath
Italian skies. The necessary money to bear his
expenses was offered to Mr.. Mills, to go to Italy.
He was for sometime undecided, and during that
while went to Washington and while there was
offered the contract which he is now about con-
sumating. He has never been to Italy, and never
will 20 to be taught to study science in which
he could teach thel ablest Masters. His studio is
now on the spot where the work of years of Gel
ebrated Artist was burned-between the Treasu-
ry Department and the river, Potomac) plaIn'
unvarnished plank structure-but enter and you
see the most admirable work of art that any age
or nation has produced.
Mr.. Mills has horse, 1--WE mean live horse0 a
splendid animal, which he has used as copy for
his work-making the statute one third larger than
life. The excellency and originality of the work
consists in its being selfbaanced, in rearing pos
ture-the animal stands, selEsupported, on the
hind feet-with fiery eye, and garing nostrlls-
neck bent aud flowing name, he looks like the war
horse of the Ukraim; and saw you him on the
banks of she Seine, you would fancy you heard
him neigh. Your first question is, how, If ne is
not really live horse, does he stand in thatposl-
ton! But Mr. Mills will 60 in front and throw his
entire weight (l56 pounds) on his fore feet, and
and still he stands. The centre of gravity being
so directly thrown over the hind feet, This IS
what the European artists could never do. The
Statue of Peter the Great at st. Petersburg, ap-
proaches nearer to it than any other, but that; is
fastened by the tail, to serpent, which is fasten-
ed in the pedestal-and consequently destroys the
lf-like look of the horse, the great object sought
The stern old hero-native of the Waxhaws-
with every appearance of life that art can give
with iron nerve and unalterabe resolution.
is to be placed on pedestal 90 feet high, in
Franklin Square, in front of the White House. II
was (and may be yeti the design Of Mr. Mills to
figure on each side of the pedestal Lady's bust
The European artists have all along predicted that
it would be failure-but they should recollect
that American energy and genius know no failure
Many of them have visited Mr.. Mills Studio, and
offered their servces-but they have been invari-
ably refused. To add still deeper interest to it,
the statue is to be cast from the brass Of cannon
captured by Jackson himself from the British
No one should fail to visit it, in visiting or passing
through Washington--espeeially a South Caroli-
man. The gentlemanly manners of Mr.. Mills
would make visit pleasant in more ways than
one.
I'M. DARRErr.-The Spartan denies most po-
sitivaly that the health of this individual was in
iured by imprisonment as is falsely alleged, and
asserts that "as he stalked forth from the comfort
able lodgings with which he had been furnished,
he looked much better every way, when he came
out of prison than when he went in" 1t also de-
clares the opinion that the rumor of Barretts
death is unfounded, and that it has been propa-