Semi-weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1852-1853, 1853-01-29

sn1ear,s as he had at his command. He failed sew
eral times, by unforeseen accidents, in producing
perfect casts. He was determined to have the
Whole perfect, and, at great expense and loss of
time, he continued to re-cast, until, IN the month
of October, 1862 he finished the casting all com
plete. When we consider the length of time such
works take in their execution in Europe, varying
from five to twenty years, and the many casts
which are often made there before perfect one
can be obtained must be surprised that Mr..
Mills has succeeded so well, and performed his
work in so short time. From the month of Dc
tober to the 9Th of January following, the day on
which the statue inaugurated-that is, In less
than three months-Mr. Mills put the statue to-
gether, and placed it on its asstal.
The design of the pedestal, and its construction,
was left to the artist. The five thousand dollars
appropriated by Congress for that purpose was
placed at his disposal. Had the appropriation been
larger, and the time not so limited, he would have
made more imposing structure. 1t is, however,
plain, handsome, white marble base for the group.
The cap-stone alone weighs about eighteen tons.
The entire height of the pedestal and mound is
about fourteen feet.
During the progress of the work, and especially
while he was making unsuccessful castings, MIR.
Mills had to encounter the sceptcism of the world
Who can appreciate his difficulties and mental sut-
faring? q have been ready" he says, " to throw
myself in the Potomac" None but a man OF I'M
conquerabIe will and perseverance could have over
come such obstacles. He had spent all his means
the twelve thousand dollars of his contract-and
had not finished casting the statue. The world
said he would never do it. Where could he bor-
row money under such circumstances There was
one man, a member of the committee, 6Fho sym
pathized with him, who believed in him. John
w. Maury, the present mayor of Washington adj
vanced him money, from time to time, as he need
ed-n all over four thousand dollars Eternal
honor to the man! Let his fellow-citizens and flu
ture ages know that he generously aided, at the
critical moment, the poor, struggling artist to fin
ish his beautiful creation. Afterwards as the work
approached completion, several other gentlemen Of
the committee kindly advanced money. Messrs.
Blair and Rives and b. +. French advanced several
hundred dollars each. Let them, too, be hOnored
for that. The entire cost of the statue has been
about nineteen thousand dollars, or seven thousand
dollars over the contract. This is the actual ex-
pendture without reckoning Mr.. Mills's five years
labor, the value of his work a work of art.
On the eighth of the present month, the ami
versarv Of the battle of New Orleans, the statue
was inaugurated, The day was bright and beau
tiful, suitable to the occasion. In the presence Of
the President of the United States, the command
er-in-chef, both houses of Congress, many of the
personal friends and companions-in-arms of the
Old Hero, and twenty thousand people, the artist
had the satisfaction of seeing the end of his labor
and the idol of his soul received with applaudng
admiration The Hon. Stephen A. Douglas was
the orator chosen to deliver the inaugural address.
This address and the whole proceedings have been
published. What proud day for Mills! After
the Grafton, he was introduced TO the assembled
thousands; he raised his hand to the statue for the
curtain which covered it to fall, and his speech
in response to the enthusiastic plaudts. 1t was
the moment of his life then, again, he saw that
Genius, which had inspired him to action, holding
the laurel crown over his head. lie had " followed
Nature" as it directed him, and had acquired fame
Well does he deserve it. We helieve-and it is al
so the Judgment of men of TASTE of travellers of
artists, and of the public who have seen it-that
Mlls's bronze equestrian statue of General Jackson
in Lafayette Square is the first work of art of the
kind in the world.
ocbi0ufO79 TT1;o17