Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-05-17
"NATIoNAL MONUMENT"

"NATIONAL MONUMENT"
We have received the first number of weekly
journal bearing the above title, published in this
city, under the sanction of the Washington Ma
tional Monument Society, and the profits of which
are to be applied in aid Of the Monument erecting
in this city to the memory of WASHINGTON. The
paper is printed in 4t0. form, each number to con-
tain 8 pages, and is edited by JAMES G. PICKETT,
Esq. As favorable specimen of its contents, we
copy from it the following article:
MONUMENTS BUnDISG.-An nations, we believe, savage
and civilized in all ages, have been
they have all pracced the custom Of erecting structures
whether mounds cairns tumu tombs or pillars
columns pyramids, obelsks gacas, as In Peru
in Of important events for the purpose OF
consecng and Pepetuatng the fame OF great men, or OF
those who had exercised for the veal wo OF their coun-
try, great authority AT FIRST these structures must nave
been rude, insignificant and pershabe Even the memo
rial erected great hero Hector but very mo-
dest heap Of stones loosely thrown together
according to Homer's description of it.
We do quote Homer however, for the purpose OF es-
tabhing ancient fact, but to establish ancient CUSTOM
and thus quoted he high authority; for not only 10 ne an
nmabls painter Of seges battles and combats but also an
animated and graphic deneator Of manners and customs
As regards the fact Of Hectors burial or OF his existence
even, among the doubters Iime doubts OF Troy,
says Byron and the doubts probably well founded But
this not going to discuss.
Among the ancents the Greeks and Romans were, in
architecture, sculpture and paintng far ahead OF all onel
nalions-no in antiquity, but in merit Leaving out OF
view the Chinese and other Asatcs, of whose marvellous
architectural creations rather ndgestble stories have
been told and coming west to the countries bordering on Inc
Mediterranean, the Egyptians are FIRST in order IN the co.,
srucye arts They the masters Of the Greeks 10 art
and in civilization itself and yet not many ages had elapsed
before the Greeks greatly in advance of their teachers
In the very arts the rudmens OF which they had borrowed
from the country Of the Pharaohs Before architecture OF
sculpture had been attempted by the Greeks the pyramids
and the obesks had been standing perhaps in their solitary
and useless msgn6cence thousands Of years. But
after their erection Egyptian art seems TO have exhaust
ed ITSELF and then to have stopped, or rather refrigerated
To the Egyptian mind in the constructive arts, excellence
consisted in magnitude and height and those being attain
ed they had reached they supposed the ne plus Ultra But
although the pyramids supendous and subme they have
nothing of the graceful and the beautiful in which the sur
viving specimens Of Grecan abound and there 10
elegance and good aste of the quintesence
art single Grecan temple or statue than IN all the pyra
mids together.
The reasons why the Greeks 80 soon and far outstrp
ped the Egyptians in sculpture and architecture are assumed
by the learned and udicious Wnckemann to be race eli
mate and institutions which all in favor Of the Greeks
but above all those esteemed, and the artists
waed in Greece whilst in Egypt both the arts and the
lists degraded To build pyramid required no grea
degree of skill but almost unlimited supply OF labor and
Of material Those stupendous monuments are, think
evidences Of and enslaved population, of
btrary and irresponsible Government and at the same time
oppressive To build pyramid might cost, ant
more but what cared the tyrant for that His pride
vanity being gra6ed the appalling cost Of its qualification
gave him no concern.
In very recent times the French and English have don't
in the building line than any other nation
the French having built the most and the nestand for THU
there has been The bloody in which they
engaged for than twenty years, and which grew
Of the great revolution and the victories they
gained their enemies furnished abundance of sub
jecs for monumental architecture which they have
elected. The 7riumpha Arch at Pars-Arc de 1riomphe
de PEfoiles for magnitude and magnifcence, the frs
ed6ce Of the kind that has been built in modern times.
not column, but structure one hundred and nifty feet
high with arch, and cost nearly two millions OF dollars
The Napoleon column in the Place de Vendome is probably
though the largest the most elevated yet the
deliberately and superby executed work Of the kind ever
compshed. IT column hundred and thirty five fee
in height the pedestal and shaft of which covered with
bas-ree formed Of twelve hundred pieces Of taken
from the enemies of France. There thousand hui
figures. of them three feet in length, which thu
breadth of the scroll that winds spry round the column
and eight hubed and forty feet in length. On the TOT
stands bronze statue of Napoleon, twelve feet in height
his celebrated military cosumethe plain cockedhat ant
the grey surtout This column the glory loving French
would not barter for its weight in gold. The Restoration
dsmounted Napoleon, but Louis Philippe was obliged Z
have him replaced, and is article in the potico
military creed of the Grande Naon that he not to
down again.
The finest columnar monument in England is the one
erected in honor Of Neson, in Trafalgar Square, London
II about hundred and twenty feet in height and stand
in basin Of WATER which is exactly in the best taste
according noonslof taste. The idea is that Mel
aquatic hero pool of fresh round the base
of the is symbocal-a few bucketfus Of tina
element being the symbol of the boundess salt There
have been several ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS satuesereced
to the Duke Of Wellington, but column, believe, Of
any considerable height
As the character Of Washington is distinguished above
that of all other heroes and patriots for grandeur and sim
pciy so is intended that the to be erected to
his memory in this city shall supass all others in those
attributes It stands the bank of the Potomac, which ID
appropriate for the bank of that beautiful river Stood and
yet stands his modest mansion. twill be five hundred feel
in heigh-more than double the height of any other
ment Of the kind and in its appearance will be chase, i'm
posing and majestic II will be built Of the best material
white marbeand if injured by accident violence will
be in good preservation thousand years hence.
THE PLEA OF INSANITY.
Maas-. &c.,. G.. Al. ~s...~.~>... l.