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


tor;tv shonId know whatever merits due to those
who have done any thing in giving to America an"
to the world the magnificent brohze eque 'trl"n
statue of General Jackson, now IN Lafayette 81
Especially should the name, the character ''hu
knowledge of the difficulties ofthe artist, De n'oeu
down to future ages We have collected th9 l'ctS
from the artist himself-Mr. CLARK Mili'f'i'l No"
publish them rs Il historical record
We know not with whom the idea OF erecting
..ot,,o e., General Jackson originated. 1t was II
common tbouoht, and probably had been suggest
cd bv many at different times, as we hear every
6av Of statues to Clay, to Webster, and to Others
Of orr great countrymen. The first movement
made to carry out the idea appears to have been
at public meeting in Apollo Hail. on the I2tn
September, 1915. Resolutions were there passed
for that purpose. Subsequently, and during the
presidency Of James X. Polk, meeting OF the
cabinet officers and other officers OF tine govern
ment was held At the Presidents House for the
same object.
A committee was formed of tie following gen
tlemen: Cave Johnson, Amos Kendall, John l.
Van Ness. James Hoban, John w. Manry, Chas
X Gardner. Jesse E. Dow, William A. Harris,
Charles P. Sengstack Francis 2. Blair, John Z.
Ryes. Thomas Richie, and Benjamin s. French,
to collect contributions and to carry out the work
Afterwards, in consequence OF the deccase OF John
p Van Ness, James Hoban, and Jesse f. Dow,
John NJ McCalla, George w. Hughes, Andrew J.
Donelson, aud George Parker were chosen in Their
places This committee collected twelve thousand
dollars. To their eXertions we owe the means tor
making the statue. But at the time, no one deem
inc it possible that any artist would make bronze
equestrian statue of General Jackson for the small
sum collected it was seriously debated whether or
not pedestrian statue should be erected and the
work given to Mr.. Powers. Even after Mr.. Mills
o1,,t l,a atIIo
of the committee doubling his capacity, were dis
posed to. have pedestrian statue by Powers. But
when Mr.. Mills produced his model, and offered
to give security for the due performance OF the work
the contract was made with him for the twelve
thousand dollars.
1t was in the year IS48, while The Jackson-statue
committee were looking for an artist that MIR.
Mills Glanced to be passing through Washington
city on his way to Italy. lie had been house
plasterer in Charleston, South Carolina. He was
a citizen of that state, having left the State of New
York, the State of his nativity, when boy, and
settled in South Carolina Ills first effort in art
were directed to making plaster busts. He sue
ceeded in giving such admirable likenesses thath
soon was much employed. He then resolved to
make bust of Mr.. Calhoun in marble.
The great South Carolinian saw there was gent
US in the man, and he sat to him. Mills chose the
finest piece of Carolinian marble he could find, and
the people. What folly" they said, 4" for this
plasterer to presume to scup ture marble like the
great artists of Italy" lie shut them up from
their gaze-he hid himself from their sneers in his
little shop until he had finished his work. He
had never seen works of art, the manner in which
the sculptor does his work, nor the instruments he
uses yet with his own rude tools he produced one
of the finest pieces of soul pture in the work in the
bust of Mr.. Calhoun 1t was the admiration and
Il 4-f,l
as an appreciation Of the work, presented him
splendid gold medal, and placed the bust in the
City Hail. Some friends, admring his genius,
offered the means to send him to Italy; and he
was, as we have said on his way there, passing
through Washington, at the fortunate moment
when the Jackson-statue committee was in search
of an artist. He had never before been in Wash
ington. But spending few days in this city, to
look at its public buildings and its works of art,
he became acquainted with some of the committee
and with their object. They invited him to give
design. At first he declined, never having seen
an equestrian statue. He was modest-that is
his character. But the genius of his fame disturb
ed his rest, and woke up the strong native powers
of his mind. 1t haunted his imagination; when
all the world was asleep, thousand beautiful
forms hoated before his waking visions There
was the great Jackson who has impressed the
grandeur Of his soul and the republican simplicity
vi LID OH TIE anu mnQ OF
country and on the future Ct the world. That
form passed before the imagination of the artist
IN the character OF poor peasant boy, of hardy
pioneer OF the wilderness, of Judge, ola senator
OF general, and as President of the United
States the 0rtist saw him i'll all the remarkable
scenes OF his life. lie imboded them in marble
and Ill bronze. One firm he seized-one vision
he arrested, and fixed in his mind. 1t was the
hero OF New Orleans, in all his characteristic ma
jesty, intreridity, and frmness, mounted on mag
nlhcent War-steed paving the air with tierceness
and restless lmpatlence, as conscious of the coming
battle yet yielding to the iron nerve of his rider
1t was at the battle of New Orleans, when the
General was hurriedly riding in review of his for
ces, a few moments before the engagement, which
was the form and scene that fastened itself on the
artists mind. In an instant he worked it into
bronze, and it stood before him like living thing.
Ills mind was agrtated he was haunted with an
Idea. But doubts came. He looked back to his
past history, and to the difficulties before him-a
fatal stumbling block to modest genius The world
OF art with Its Schools its authorities and its rules
stood up to rebuke the presumptuous plasterer.
1t did not recognise him; he was out of the pale
OF its society he had never graduated. For q
moment he felt discouraged. But then he heard
Whisper IN his ear-the Genius of his fame, said
Follow Nature-Genus is superior to Art-Art
makes It's rules from Nature-such is the evidence
OF hlstory-Nature is as grand, as beautiful, and
as various IN America rs in Italy or Europe-s:udv
Nature-foow Nature" Now he was cheered
Other visions passed before him he thought OF the
glory OF dong this work-of leaving to posterity