The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1853-01-18
The ,,eues.rsan statue of jackson.

The celebrated Equestrian Statue of General
Andrew Jackson was placed in position.in Cap
itol Square, Washington, on the Stli lust, beng
the Anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans
There was magnificent procession ard a bril-
liant array of Ladies Generals Scott and Wool
were in attendance, and the Hon. Stephen \.
Douglas pronounced atsseloqa Grafton on the.
occasion. The Statue, which was constructed by
Clark Mills, Esq, IS placed upon an immense
marble platform IS thus. described by cores.
pondcnt of the New York Herald 3:
1T is not saying taomueh to assert that there
is no equestrian statue in the world equal to it,;
| have seen most OF The celebrated statues in the
Old World, and understand that comparative
merits of al bat 4 never saw anything, nor,
could imagine anything, so like a living ani7
NAL. It's proportions, the anatomy, the attitude
and the action, is so perfect and life-lke that it
scarcely seems anSiinanimate thing. Every mus
Gle ia full play, and drawn up with the force
gof an excited and rampant horse, With its eye
Of fire and expanded nostnl, breathing impatient
fierceness, it looks,to usesthe poetic language Of
Scripture, .stefrble'' The artist has fully real
lied the ancient and sacred poets grand eoneeps
tion OF warhorse There is no partsof it; from
the beautiful and fierce head to l6e very hair of.
the tail and the oo, that it Is not full Of eSpres
sion. Beyesa all question it's, IN point Of ner-
it. the first equestrian statue in the world. Those
who were most intimately acquainted with Gen
cral Jackson. saythat the likeness ofthe old hero
is excellent, and that dressed in precisely the
same uniform he wore at the battle OF New Orr:
leans, the whole figure looks liyingly natural
Nv as:onishment IS not less than my admiration.
Here is a man who never saw statue-who
never was in Europe-who never studied under
any Of the great artists, nor ever saw their works.
he, by the force ,ofhis own native genius and in
domitable perseverance, against the greatest diff
fculties, has, in this great work, outstnpped all
the genius of thes0d World.
"But the most striking feature of this colossal
statue is the whole group being balanced and
resting on the hind feet alone. There is no other
support. The tail is thrown up aud the fore
feet raised in rearing attitude. Here is aamass
Of metal, thirty-fve thousand pounds weight,
balanced on the bind feet of the horse, and stands
as immovable as the pedestal itself. 1t was con-
sidered great triumph of art in supporting the
world-renowned statue of Peter the Great, at st.
Petersburg, which is emily about thousand
pounds heavier than this one by its hind feet
and tail alone The English papers speak in
high terms of the artist Of the Wellington statue
at Edinburg, for having succeeded in sustaining
that great statue in the same way, that is, by
fas;cming the tail. This must always give a
tame, unnatural appearance to the horse. 1.-THE
artists of Europe think they have done some
thing grcat--if the Russians think it a great
merit in their statue, which cost nearly million
dollars and eighteen years labor---f the English
boast of their Wellington statue-what shallwc
Americans say of our artist, who, by rightly Pla
cling the centre of gravity, and consequently Civ
inr the most natural attitude to the horse, has
made his statue to stand without any other sup
port than his hind feet? This is truly great
triumph of American art.
'It would appear that not only are We beat
ing the Old Worldin the practical and useful,
but in tic fine arts also. Mr.. Mills, who has la
bored four years with so much anxiety, and
against so many difficulties and ddiscouragements,
has placed himself in the first rank Of great art
i.ts. lie has lost money by his contract, but he.
rcaps great glory, and the American peoplewiIl
we doubt not, be proud to honorand reward him."
O.,-
FLoR1DA.-The Tallahassee Floridian Of the
9Th inst. says.
The most important measure of the eesession